 Participation in solar energy scheme continues to rise
Solar Together Berkshire is a solar panel and battery storage group-buying scheme.
It enables householders and small businesses to install Solar PV systems and batteries at a competitive price with a trustworthy, pre-vetted installer.
The response from our Wokingham Borough community has been overwhelming, with a total of 2,829 registrations, making it the highest number of all registrations in the entire Solar Together Berkshire scheme.
The scheme is now moving forward! Out of 2,829 registrations, 565 accepted their offer to go ahead with the installation, making it again the highest of all acceptance in the entire Solar Together Berkshire scheme.
Thank you for the incredible support, which is driving us towards a greener and sustainable borough. The scheme is currently closed, but if you’re interested in taking part in future rounds, please register on the Solar Together website.
So far, the installation progress in Wokingham Borough has seen 288 completed installations (273 solar pv and 15 batteries only), which equates to:
- 2,890 panels installed
- 250 batteries installed
- 1,170 KW installed
- 230,420 kg of carbon reduction in the first year
The installations in our borough represent a significant step towards reaching carbon-neutrality by 2030.
 'Simple from start to finish' Mike's magic experience
Mike Bushnell first heard about the Solar Together scheme in one of our email updates and is now recommending it to others.
A resident of Earley, Mike has been concerned about the climate emergency for a long time and he is always trying to take practical steps to be more energy efficient.
He says solar panels were 'the next logical step' and he had an eight-panel system and a battery pack installed in September, having registered his interest three months earlier.
Mike said: "Overall, I would say the entire process from start to end was very simple. From first signing up to getting all of the paperwork sorted was very smooth. The installation day itself appeared seamless and was very quick.
"Everything apart from the on-site survey and installation was done via email. Not only would I recommend this scheme to others, I already have. You can download an app to keep track of your system's performance, which I have found slightly addictive."
Although he says the time of year for installation was not ideal, there were still some days where he generated more electricity than he used. During September and October, about half of the energy used was generated from the panels.
As the days begin to get longer again, Mike is looking forward to seeing how much more the system will generate and how much money he can save. If you have been inspired by Mike's story, register your interest with Solar Together.
 Switch on date for Barkham Solar Farm confirmed
Green renewable energy will be generated in Barkham as early as summer 2026 after we signed a formal agreement with Scottish and Southern Electric Networks (SSEN) to guarantee a 'switch on' date for the solar farm.
This major milestone means we can move ahead with completing the site surveys and going out to tender for the solar panels, with the confidence we will be able to connect to the national grid in two years’ time. This is more than a decade earlier than the 2037 we were advised of last spring.
It marks the culmination of months of lobbying for reform in the energy sector, along with discussions with SSEN and the national grid on why this important scheme should be prioritised and go ahead.
Main work to install the panels is expected to start in 2025 and once completed the solar farm will generate enough renewable energy to power thousands of homes and businesses.
An update on the project plan and business case is due to be provided at the Climate Emergency Overview and Scrutiny meeting on Thursday 29 February.
 Keeping your home warm while cutting energy use
More than half of the money spent on the average household’s fuel bills goes towards providing heating and hot water. Taking control of your heating can save you money and lower your carbon emissions.
In October, we launched a Home Decarbonisation Advice Service to help you achieve just that. The free service allows you to contact us for practical and impartial advice on any changes you might want to make to your home. If you want to find out more, call (0118) 974 6000.
Installing a room thermostat, a programmer and thermostatic radiator valves – and using these controls efficiently – could save you around £75 a year. Turning down your room thermostat by just one degree can save around £60 a year.
Smart heating controls can help you control your heating and understand how much energy you use. They allow you to control your heating remotely via a mobile app, so you can manage the temperature of your home wherever you are.
Smart meters can help you save money by making you aware of how much energy you use, helping you to cut waste, whether this is by turning off the lights or switching your TV off standby.
It is estimated that a display or monitor could typically help reduce a household’s electricity use by 2.8% and gas use by 2%.
Draught proofing
Unless your home is quite modern, you will probably be losing heat through draughts around your windows and doors, as well as through gaps in the floor or through the chimney.
Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy and money in any type of building.
Draught-proofing around windows and doors could save you around £25 a year. If you have an open chimney, draught-proofing your chimney when you are not using it could save around £19 a year.
Upgrade windows and doors
Replacing your doors and windows with energy efficient ones will reduce your energy bills and lower your carbon footprint. Energy efficient glazing covers both double and triple glazing, which could help to reduce heat loss from your home.
If you live in a gas heated, semi-detached house, you could save between £80 and £105 a year by replacing all single-glazed windows with double glazing.
Install insulation
If your home isn’t well insulated, you could be losing considerable amounts of heat through your walls, floor and roof. Insulating under the floorboards on the ground floor of your home as an example could save you about £45 a year on your energy bill.
 Free support available to help those in off-gas homes
If you live in an off-gas property and currently rely on fuels, including oil, coal or liquid petroleum gas to heat your home, then you may be able to access free support to make your home more energy efficient.
The new Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2) is aimed at helping lower income households with low energy efficiency to improve their property and help make it cheaper to heat.
Improvements carried out will vary depending on the individual property, but could include things such as insulation upgrades, solar panels, solar hot water and air source heat pumps.
In addition to helping residents tackle the high cost of living, these improvements will also help support our climate emergency action plan goals by helping reduce the properties carbon footprint.
The HUG2 scheme is open to residents whose homes are not heated by mains gas or inefficient. You must also have a household income of less than £31,000 (or be receiving an income-related means tested benefit, such as universal credit).
You can find out more about eligibility and how to apply on our website.
 Advice event to help improve your energy efficiency
Get free energy advice from Citizen's Advice in Wokingham on Thursday 29 February.
They will be in Market Place from 8.30am to 3pm and can offer help on a wide range of subjects, with no need to make an appointment.
Pop along if you need help being more energy efficient, how to access funding support or to find out more about the different types of meters and tariffs available.
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