Residents across Bath and North East Somerset will get a chance to save money on their energy bills – and play their part in cutting carbon emissions – thanks to a new scheme being launched by the West of England Combined Authority.
By banding together, residents will be able to get cheaper deals to install solar panels and set up a battery storage system at their home, as part of ‘Solar Together West of England’.
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “Many residents know solar panels have the potential to save them money on their energy bills and cut carbon, but sometimes there’s a fear that the whole process can be daunting and confusing which can put people off.
“This new scheme will make the process easier. It means Bath and North East Somerset residents can generate their own clean electricity, save money on their energy bills, and play an important part in our collective efforts to cut harmful carbon emissions and reach our ambitious net zero targets.”
Homeowners across Bath and North East Somerset can register to take part by visiting www.solartogether.co.uk/west-of-england
People who already have solar panels installed can also register to have battery storage added to their existing solar panels to maximise the benefits of their system.
Solar Together West of England follows other successful schemes across the country, which have delivered more than 3,700 installations and 61,000 tonnes of avoided lifetime carbon emissions.
Marie-Louise Abretti, iChoosr UK (Solar Together) Business Manager, said: “With West of England residents looking for opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions and save on energy bills, the Solar Together group-buying scheme offers a straightforward way to make an informed decision and access a competitive offer from a trusted provider.”
Councillor Sarah Warren, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s deputy leader, Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel, said: “Bath and North East Somerset has declared a climate emergency and has committed to providing the leadership for the district to be carbon neutral by 2030. One of the key priorities to achieve this is a rapid and large-scale increase in local renewable energy generation.
“This scheme makes it easier for home owners across B&NES to make the switch to renewable energy and reduce their energy bills and I would encourage residents to sign up.”
How does Solar Together West of England work?
- Registration: you can register your interest by visiting www.solartogether.co.uk/west-of-england. Registration is free and without obligation. To register, simply provide details about your roof, such as its size and orientation. Please register by Tues 28 September.
- Auction: an ‘auction’ will be held where pre-vetted solar installers will submit bids for the work. The more people that register, the better the deal should be for each household. The installer with the most competitive package will win the auction.
- Personal recommendation: you will be emailed your personal recommendation based on your registration details. This includes your costs and specifications of your system.
- You decide: the decision is then yours whether you want to accept your recommendation. There is no obligation to continue.
- Installation: if you accept, the winning installer will contact you to survey your roof and set an installation date. All installations are planned to be completed by the end of April 2022.
Helpdesk support
Telephone and email support are available throughout the whole process, which, together with information sessions, will allow households to make an informed decision in a safe and hassle-free environment. Email: west-of-england@solartogether.co.uk or call 0800 014 8428 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm)
Who are iChoosr?
The West of England Combined Authority, together with local councils, has partnered with independent experts in group-buying, iChoosr Ltd, to offer this opportunity to local communities and boost renewable energy generation.
iChoosr was founded in 2008 and is privately owned by two co-founders. Before it entered the UK energy market in 2012, it focused on group-buying schemes in the Netherlands and Belgium. It now works with community leaders helping households select energy and solar power suppliers. As in the UK, its operations continue to grow across Europe, North America and Japan.
iChoosr has a strong track record of delivering group-buying schemes for local authorities across the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan and the US. It has worked with 160 UK local authorities on its collective energy switching schemes since 2012 and in 2015, they initiated their group-buying for solar PV systems. Internationally, over 59 group-buying schemes have led over 93,000 residents to install solar PV systems – a total of 49 MW of power.
Find out more
For more information and to register for the scheme visit: www.solartogether.co.uk/west-of-england
