Arriving at an address in Wellington, we’re looking forward to catching up with a householder who’s recently received fully funded solar panels and an air-source heat pump, all under the Home Upgrade Grant. 

Welcoming us inside, James* is proud to tell us that his home is now a ‘zero emissions house’ and that he has already noticed a steep decline in energy bills. James contacted Telford Energy Advice after being concerned that his energy bills were skyrocketing above £300 a month. Despite the high bill, the family were still having to limit their heating use due to rising costs, which was leading to mould and damp in the home and a risk to their health.  

Telford Energy Advice guided James through the Home Upgrade Grant, where homeowners not connected to the gas network could be eligible for a whole range of Energy Efficiency measures. Following successful completion of a retrofit assessment and technical survey, James received approval for both solar panels and an air-source heat pump to be installed in his home, all funded under the scheme. 

Work soon got underway and James was delighted with the end result. “The air source heat pump runs for just one hour a day and that’s enough to provide hot water for my whole family for a couple of days” he explains. 

Looking up to the solar panel display on his roof, James shows us the app on his phone, demonstrating that he has actually been able to export energy back to the grid – meaning his energy supplier has been paying him for the solar energy he’s generated. 

“My total energy bills are now only around £20 a month. This includes charging my electric vehicle too, so I don’t even have any fuel costs. I can’t believe how much I’ve saved.” 

The net effect is that James’s total energy bill is now only around £20 – £30 a month during the summer – a massive decrease from what it was previously. On the day we visited James, it’s a dull cloudy day, however the solar panels are still producing around 1,429W and James explains when the sun shines it easily doubles to around 3,000W. 

As we conclude our visit, James expresses his gratitude towards the scheme and support from Telford Energy Advice, now feeling a lot more in control over his bills and energy usage for the winter. 

If you live in an off-gas property, you may be eligible for the Home Upgrade Grant too. To find out more and apply, please visit https://bit.ly/TelfordHUG or contact Telford Energy Advice on 0800 677 1952  or [email protected] for support.