Energy supplier E.ON Next and solar technology firm Allume Energy have launched a system they say cuts social housing energy bills and pays tenants for storing power.
The system, called FlatSave, combines E.ON Next’s grid flexibility expertise with Allume’s existing SolShare solar technology, which shares power from a single rooftop array across multiple flats behind one meter.
FlatSave adds a communal battery to the mix. The battery charges from the grid when electricity is cheap, then supplies flats when demand and prices rise, or sends power back to the grid at peak times.
Residents pay nothing towards installation, do not need to switch energy supplier, and keep their existing tariff, as the system operates behind the meter.
E.ON Next customers who sign up for the flexibility scheme can receive cash payments of up to £160 a year per home; customers with other suppliers can receive up to £80 a year.
SolShare is claimed to have already cut bills by up to 60% for thousands of households, and an integrated solar and battery project in Cardiff is said to have cut resident electricity bills by up to £490. SolShare installs qualify for government retrofit funding, including the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund.
The first UK installation of FlatSave has gone live at Harper Court in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on six flats owned by housing association Peabody. A 15kW solar array and an 18kWh battery generate and store electricity shared across the homes and, when needed, exported to the local grid.
All six residents receive free electricity from the rooftop solar generation, and can also opt into the battery flexibility programme for the additional cash payments. Further installations are planned at housing association properties across the country later this year.
Lorraine, a Peabody resident at Harper Court, said: “Before having the solar panels installed, rising energy costs meant making constant trade-offs. I was having to choose between putting the heating on versus using the oven. When I was cooking, I’d turn the heating off and then turn it back on once I’d finished. The solar and battery system means I don’t have to choose between cooking and staying warm.
“The installation process was really straightforward and non-disruptive. The team kept us fully updated of what they were doing the whole time. Everything that is going on with the cost of living makes savings like this huge, and since the solar panels went up, I’ve been really happy.
“My energy bill has dropped down significantly, which has allowed me to build up a really good credit buffer for the winter months, something I never had before when I was paying monthly. On top of those savings, getting the £160 cash payment from the battery will really help my day-to-day spending. Shopping is getting more expensive and I have a few car expenses coming up, so those payments will really help as we head into winter. As people say: every little helps!”
Shared solar
More than five million households in England and Wales live in flats, including nearly half of all social housing tenants, according to E.ON Next. Despite demand for lower energy bills, only 3% of flats have been able to access solar power, as traditional rooftop systems have historically struggled to distribute electricity fairly between homes.
The companies estimate FlatSave could benefit social housing landlords and councils overseeing an estimated 2.3 million social housing flats.
Ramona Vlasiu, chief operating officer at E.ON Next, said: “FlatSave is a clear example of making new energy work for everyone. By combining shared solar, communal batteries and flexibility we can help people in flats and social housing access cheaper, cleaner power, take more control of their energy use and benefit financially from the energy their building generates and stores.
“Through our strategic partnership with Allume, we’re helping to remove the barriers that have left too many households locked out of the energy transition. This is about turning energy from a cost into an asset for more people, while supporting a smarter, more flexible and more resilient energy system.”
Cameron Knox, chief executive of Allume Energy, said: “For housing associations and social landlords, flats are often seen as the most difficult homes to decarbonise because conventional rooftop solar systems have not been designed to share power fairly across multiple meters.
“We have been tackling that assumption at scale through SolShare, with over half of our UK installations delivered for social landlords. The approach is being used on more than 10,000 homes globally and has produced 25 gigawatt-hours of green electricity thus far.
“The collaboration with E.ON Next takes that one step further, allowing residents to not only save significantly on their bills, but also receive a payment for being able to share that energy back to the grid, too.”
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