SEF Meeting – Solar and Battery storage in the home

A house with trees in the background

The second Sibford Environmental Forum meeting on 26 June heard presentations from Oxfordshire County Council, Metis (Smart metering) and GivEnergy (battery manufacturer), experts on the benefits of solar and battery installations in the home, and the ways by which householders can avoid upfront and maintenance costs through a subscription service.

Key points were

  • The Council is committed to combatting Climate Change by encouraging and helping households to adopt a range of retrofitting, including renewable energy generation via rooftop solar.
  • Buying electricity on a cheap nighttime tariff, storing in a battery and consuming during peak (evening) times is a saving for the householder, the grid and the environment, since it reduces demand from carbon-emitting gas-fired power stations during the day.
  • To alleviate up-front costs, OCC have developed a service whereby householders can purchase the complete system by subscription (illustrated at £40 per month), with the provider bearing all responsibilities for equipment, installation and maintenance. Following early success with central-government funding, a privately-financed scheme backed by the Council is expected to be available by 2026.
  • Even if households cannot install solar panels, batteries (ideally sited in a garage or outdoors) still make economic and environmental sense.
  • For anyone with a smart meter, the Energy Saver App provides data on consumption and energy-insights for further savings.
  • Help with home insulation is available for households with income below £36k (or in receipt of eligible benefits) in properties with Energy Rating D or below (including rentals), via Oxfordshire County Council’s Welcome the Warmth scheme.

Relevant portals for access to the scheme, and for obtaining illustrations of likely savings for your home are

Any questions to Stephen Gomersall (sjgomersall@hotmail.com) or Jan Thompson (janthompson50@hotmail.com)

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