Households and businesses across Wiltshire and Swindon have the opportunity to save on energy bills and generate their own electricity by purchasing high-quality solar panels and battery storage at a competitive price.

Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council are working with iChoosr, independent experts in group-buying, to launch a second Solar Together scheme, following the success of the first in 2022.

Since the first round of the scheme launched in May 2022, over 1,500 home owners across Wiltshire and Swindon have so far installed over 8,500 solar panels and 720 storage batteries to benefit from generating their own renewable energy. This is also estimated to shrink the carbon footprint of these households by more than 650,000 kilograms of Carbon Dioxide in total.

The prospect of choosing an installer and making the change to renewable energy can be quite daunting, but Solar Together makes the switch to clean energy as hassle-free as possible. The scheme supports people every step of the way, providing clear and objective information that people can trust, so that they can make a well-informed decision and receive expert guidance throughout the process.

The initiative offers solar panels (also known as solar PV) with optional battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charge points. It also offers battery storage installation for residents who have already invested in solar panels and are looking to maximise how much of their self-generated energy they can use at home and become less dependent on electricity from the grid.

Solar Together operates on a group-buying approach, with the core principle that coming together as a group provides enhanced buying power and allows the approved providers to offer a better price than individual homeowners might get from entering the market alone.

The scheme is now open for registrations in Wiltshire and Swindon and the deadline is 11 August 2023. People who are interested can register for free, and, following a competitive bidding process managed by Solar Together, will then be sent their recommended provider and costs, with no obligation to proceed with the installation.

To register for the scheme, residents must either own their own house or have permission from the landlord to install solar panels. Small and medium-sized enterprises (non-domestic) and Commonhold Associations meeting this requirement can also participate.

Cllr Nick Holder, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “We are really pleased to be offering this scheme for a second year running. The first scheme is on track to deliver almost 700 installations in Wiltshire, totalling more than 5,000 solar panels and resulting in a £6 million investment by residents into the green economy.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for residents and local businesses to join together to access more affordable prices for installation of solar technology. The cost-of-living crisis is particularly challenging at the moment, and this scheme is one of the ways in which households can make long-term savings by generating their own renewable energy, whilst also helping our ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions across the county.”

Councillor Jane Milner-Barry, Chair of Swindon Borough Council’s Net Zero Policy and Scrutiny Committee, said: “Swindon Borough Council is pleased to be offering a second round of Solar Together to give home owners another opportunity to install quality solar panels and batteries at a market competitive price. With the volatile energy prices we have seen over the past year, now could be a good time to look into whether renewable energy is a smart investment.

“Solar Together is a tried and tested scheme that allows residents to explore, with confidence, whether installing solar panels is right for their property and circumstances. Since the first round last year, Swindon home owners have so far installed over 2,500 solar panels and 230 storage batteries. This is estimated to shrink the carbon footprint of those homes by a total of 195,000 kilograms of Carbon Dioxide. I was delighted to take part in last year’s first scheme to get solar panels installed on my own home.”

For more information including likely costs and the amount of energy people can expect to generate, people in Wiltshire can visit www.solartogether.co.uk/wiltshire and people in Swindon can visit www.solartogether.co.uk/swindon.

Residents from across Swindon and Wiltshire who wish to contact iChoosr can email wiltshire@solartogether.co.uk or call 0800 048 8113.

Wiltshire residents looking for ideas on lowering their carbon footprint and information on accessing support or grants for energy efficiency in homes can visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/climate-change-individual.

Swindon residents can find out more about what they can do to play their part in tackling climate change, while also reading about what other initiatives are already taking place across the town, by visiting: www.swindon.gov.uk/bethechange.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For media enquires please contact:

Wiltshire Council – communications@wiltshire.gov.uk

Swindon Borough Council – communications@swindon.gov.uk or 01793 463105

More information on the Solar Together scheme:

The Solar Together scheme has been running successfully across the UK for five years and, to date, has completed over 6,720 installations consisting of installing over 74,300 solar panels (over 20 MW of solar power) and reduced over 125,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

How does it work?

1. Register without obligation from 5 June in Wiltshire via www.solartogether.co.uk/wiltshire or in Swindon via www.solartogether.co.uk/swindon.
2. Auction: Solar Together’s approved solar installers will bid for the work in a reverse ‘auction’. The most competitive offer, from these pre-vetted installers, wins the auction.
3. Personal recommendation: Individuals will be emailed a personal recommendation for their home based on the details they provided during registration. This will include the costs and specifications for a complete solar panel installation.
4. The decision: the decision is then up to individuals as to whether they want to accept their recommendation. There is no obligation to continue. They will have four weeks to decide.
5. Installation: if they accept, the winning installer will contact them to survey their roof and set an installation date. All installations are planned to be completed six months after accepting.

About iChoosr - www.ichoosr.co.uk:

iChoosr was founded in 2008 and is privately owned by two co-founders. Before it entered the UK energy market in 2012 it had focused on collective schemes in the Netherlands and Belgium where it works with community leaders helping households to select energy and solar power suppliers. As in the UK, its operations continue to grow across Europe, North America and Japan.

iChoosr has a strong track record of delivering group purchase schemes for local authorities. It has worked with 160 UK local authorities on its collective energy switching schemes.