Solar power to the people: third of London councils sign up to cut-price renewable energy scheme

Thousands of Londoners could take advantage of the heatwave to help the environment and cut their power bills by joining a cut-price scheme to install solar panels.

More than one in three boroughs have joined Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Solar Together London initiative, launched this year.

With the weather in the capital this week set to outdo the likes of Miami and Jamaica, the project allows homeowners to join together and use their collective buying power to negotiate significant discounts on the regular cost of buying and installing panels.

The project began with a pilot scheme in the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Merton and Sutton.

Some 4,000 people signed up, and now eight more councils have joined in: Camden, Haringey, Havering, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Newham, Waltham Forest and Westminster. More will inevitably follow if it proves popular.

The renewable energy scheme works by holding a “reverse auction”, offering firms the chance to bid for contracts to install the panels, and encouraging them to undercut each other in order to win the business.

This technique is regularly used in the Netherlands and Belgium, where use of solar panels is far more mainstream than in the UK.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?

The price of a typical solar panel system, including installation, is around £5,000 to £8,000. Homeowners who have already taken advantage of Solar Together London paid about £3,200 to £3,600, said a spokeswoman for the Greater London Authority.

“Solar Together London is an exciting scheme which will provide an alternative energy source to many Newham residents,” said Rachel Tripp, Newham council’s environment chief. “Not only is solar energy sustainable and significantly better for the environment, it also gives residents the opportunity to make financial savings on their household bills.

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

The Energy Savings Trust estimates that solar panels are worth around £320 per year in London, based on savings on bills and earnings from selling excess energy back to the Grid.

They may also add a little to the value of a property as the prospect of low bills will appeal to buyers.

Visit Solar Together Now to sign up to the scheme, which is open to residents and businesses.