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4th May 2020

What does a sunny month mean for your bank balance?

Sun worshiper, BBQ king or queen, keen lover of outdoor pursuits or adventure, the sun beckons most of the country to wish for it to make its appearance regardless of personal interests. Although, beyond these obvious benefits it can also positively impact personal finances, saving the average homeowner between £50-80 a month or £500-£800 annually.

Sunniest month on record

April was the sunniest month on record for the UK and it may have been the driest too if it wasn’t for the downpours over the last few days. A welcome month of weather it was too, with many of us finding ourselves at home due to Covid-19. Beyond the general health and wellbeing benefits that the sunshine brought it also posed a considerable financial savings.

For households with solar PV installed and already taking advantage of the Sun’s free energy, households generated on average 650kWh during the month of April 2020 as a result of the consistent sunshine. This would have been enough to run most households throughout the day, including the extra demand from working and schooling (Xbox) at home.  Adding a Tesla Powerwall would in most cases resulted in these households being off the grid.

Save and earn money

With many of us spending a considerable amount of time at home last month under the lockdown, energy usage undoubtedly increased. Households with solar PV will not have noticed an increase in bills for this additional usage. With many more conversations from businesses looking to support more working from home arrangements even after lockdown rules are lifted, time spent at home does not need to affect energy bills. By fitting Solar PV most homeowners would not only see no extra electricity costs but also reduce their current bills. The addition of battery storage such as the Tesla Powerwall provides round-the-clock clean energy usage and protects the home or business from the inconvenience of power cuts.

In addition many households will also be paid for the energy that they generate under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) that came into force on January 1 2020. Under these rules’ energy providers are required to pay an export tariff to solar PV homeowners for the energy they put back into the grid.

More than just financial benefits 

We all now understand the responsibility we have in protecting and preserving our environment, which has been made even more obvious this past month. Entire populations have been asked to ‘Stay Home’, reducing road and air traffic, and emissions from factories and businesses, having a dramatic effect on air quality levels. This has been seen in striking images from around the world; crystal clear waters in Venice canals, clear, blue skies frame Downtown Los Angles and smog-free images of Iran’s cities.

Installing solar PV for your home is one of the top ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Another way to reduce your footprint further is switching to an electric vehicle with an EV (electrical vehicle) charging point at home.

How much could you save? 

Find out how much you could save from a solar PV, battery storage or off-grid solution by getting in touch with our team. We have introduced new virtual surveys as a result of the current situation and guidance from the government. Using google earth and video conferencing (MS Teams, Skype, Zoom, etc) we can meet remotely with you to discuss your project.

Now could be the ideal time to engage us in this while you are at home.