Homeowners in London are signing up for reduced power bills thanks to ‘Solar Together’ initiative launched by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

His Solar initiative, launched this year with a pilot scheme in the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Merton and Sutton, has expanded and now more than a third of boroughs have joined.

Collective Buying Power

The project enables homeowners to use collective buying power to negotiate discounts on buying and installing panels, Homes and Property explained.

The scheme takes inspiration from the Netherlands and Belgium, where solar panels are mainstream than in the UK, by holding a “reverse auction”. This offers firms the chance to bid for contracts to install the panels, encouraging them to undercut each other in order to win the business.

Since it was introduced, eight more councils have joined, with around 4,000 people signing up. The new councils include Camden, Haringey, Havering, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Newham, Waltham Forest and Westminster.

A spokeswoman for the Greater London Authority noted that a typical solar panel system and installation costs around £5,000 to £8,000 but those taking part in the Solar Together London have paid about £3,200 to £3,600.

Newham council’s environment chief, Rachel Tripp, described Solar Together London as an exciting scheme that provides residents with an alternative energy source.

Financial savings with solar energy

She continued: “Not only is solar energy sustainable and significantly better for the environment, it gives residents the opportunity to make financial savings on household bills.

“I know many of our residents are interested in green alternatives and, by taking part in Solar Together, they have trustworthy access to high-quality and low-cost solar energy technology.”

As well as helping homeowners to save on energy bills, solar panels can also add to the value of a property, as many potential buyers will be drawn to the prospect of low bills.

London is a trend-setter so the success of this scheme could drive change in other councils around the country.

But it’s not only about helping homeowners… we help businesses make significant electricity savings too. . To find out more about how we may be able to help your business save money, give us a call on 01202 862760 and we’ll talk you through your options.