UK homeowner's $423 energy bill turns into a credit after solar, battery, and heat pump upgrades

A U.K. homeowner reported turning their expensive energy bill into a credit after adding an electric vehicle, solar panels, battery storage, and a heat pump. 

The reality of receiving money from the grid rather than paying money excited the homeowner.

Here's what to know

Sharing their experience on Reddit's r/ukheatpumps community, the homeowner compared their October gas and electricity costs with those for the same month before the upgrades. The reported difference would put the newer bill at roughly £185 ($249) in credit.

"My gas/electric bill last October without any of the above was +£315 [$423]."

The upgrades improved their monthly energy balance by approximately £500 ($672), alongside gas savings exceeding £100 ($134) per month.

The homeowner credited the savings to a combination of cheap overnight electricity and high payments for electricity sold back to the grid through an Agile export tariff.

Their post, titled "The reality of going all electric - solar, battery, heat pump and EV," also described the savings from replacing gas purchases with electric driving.

November's higher heating demand had not changed the homeowner's forecast: They still expected to finish the month in credit.

More background

The discussion explored the role of battery storage alongside solar panels, particularly as generation drops during the colder months.

Several commenters described low solar production in November. That prompted commenters to think that the poster's batteries may have been buying electricity at low prices and exporting it when rates were higher. 

"I've seen many people doing arbitrage with charging up their batteries and exporting into the grid for a higher cost."

One commenter reported generating just 32.5 kilowatt-hours of solar power in November, compared with 350 kilowatt-hours during October.

Another commenter offered an example of that approach: "I'm charging off Go at 9.5p and selling on Agile Export at peak time for over 30p/kWh the last few weeks."

For one flat resident, getting permission was the obstacle: "We have space below our flat for a heat pump. All the flats do but we're not allowed due to 'noise.' Also, not allowed solar either. Oh, and of course batteries are £1000s++ [$1,344] I love a negative electricity bill, can only dream of it sadly," they wrote.

What can be done?

One commenter said they spent three weeks researching before borrowing against their home to finance the upgrades. They reported that the savings outweighed the loan's 4.5% interest rate.

Another offered a simple investment calculation: "You can easily get 16-20% return on any money invested, meaning you can borrow at 5% and still make 10-15% return."

For homeowners considering solar, EasyHome can help them curate competitive bids from local installers, giving them installation prices to work into those calculations.

The discussion also highlighted off-peak charging for a home battery as an option, especially for households facing restrictions on solar installation.

The commenter who financed their upgrades cautioned:

"It worked out for me, it may not for you. Do your own maths and research. For reference, I spent 3 weeks researching to make up this decision."

Where can I learn more?

Other U.K. homeowners have reported lower bills after installing solar panels, batteries, and electric heating. Their stories cover the upgrades they chose, the savings they reported, and their plans to cut energy costs.

• In Britain, solar, batteries, and a heat pump kept a home bill-free for five years.

• A U.K. homeowner seeking lower bills in retirement chose solar and batteries before a heat pump.

• A U.K. solar owner reported electricity costs of about $0 for six months, including heating.

• A U.K. homeowner said 23 kilowatt-hours of batteries erased power bills and saved $1,411.

• In the U.K., home solar and batteries cut bills by 62%, though many miss bigger savings.

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