A pensioner explained how she saved £300 on her energy bills last year thanks to energy efficiency improvements to her bungalow.
Judy Deakin used insulation, solar panels and a solar battery to store extra energy which has been an “absolute success” in slashing her energy bills.
UK households can now access solar power more easily due to innovative subscription models.
Sunsave, a London-based company, has recently launched its Sunsave Plus service, offering solar panel installation with zero upfront costs.
Monthly payments start at just £69, making solar energy more affordable and accessible to a wider range of homeowners.
The use of solar panels could lead to significant savings on energy bills, as demonstrated by Deakin. She saved £300 last year through solar panels and other energy efficiency improvements.
The average family could save £396 yearly on their energy bills, net of Sunsave Plus payments, while also reducing their carbon footprint by 1.63 tonnes of CO2.
The pensioner from Cannock Chase said: “It’s been an absolute success for me. The savings build up – I can’t believe the difference.”
Deakin expressed gratitude when comparing her situation to others saying: “I’ve definitely been grateful when I look at what other people have gone through. My solar panels save me money when boiling the kettle in the morning free of charge.
“When the sun is shining, I have noticed the effect on my bills. I’d like to see more and more people receive the same kind of service as I have.”
She advocates for wider adoption of solar technology, suggesting, “Surely new builds should be built with solar panels or a heat pump already installed?”
Sunsave Plus offers a unique alternative to traditional solar panel installations. Customers can tailor their system to their specific needs, with larger systems offering greater savings.
For instance, an 8.9kWp solar panel system with a 5.2kWh battery would cost £104 per month but could save £696 annually.
The subscription model protects homeowners from future energy price rises, allowing for predictable budgeting.
Sunsave works in partnership with Octopus Energy, to provide innovative export tariffs to customers. This approach addresses the barriers that have previously limited solar adoption in the UK, where only four per cent of households have installed solar systems despite 70 per cent expressing interest.
Themis Bakas and Freya Nowell, primary school teachers from Croydon, were among the first to install Sunsave Plus in January 2024. The couple had long desired solar panels but found the upfront costs prohibitive.
Bakas said: “We always wanted to get solar panels – it was in our initial plan for when we bought this house.
“But as various things started to become more and more expensive, solar was unfortunately one of the first things that had to drop off our plan because of the upfront cost.”
Themis added, “Without Sunsave Plus, we’d have had no chance of switching to solar.”
British households have been hit hard by energy price volatility due to high dependence on gas for heating and power generation.
Alick Dru, co-founder of Sunsave said: “For far too long households have been forced to make a choice between what’s right for the environment or what’s best for their finances.”
