Lambeth council is encouraging homeowners in the borough to check a group purchase scheme to buy solar panels and battery storage.
It said Solar Together Lambeth would give local homeowners and business property owners confidence that they are paying the right price for high-quality solar panel installation from trusted installers, boosting local renewable energy generation.
“Electricity and gas use in our homes is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Lambeth, so it’s vital we reduce these to reach our commitment to becoming a net-zero borough,” the council said.
Solar Together is a “group-buying” scheme. Other schemes it has run across the country in the past few years have delivered more than 3,700 installations, it says, avoiding 61,000 tonnes of lifetime carbon emissions.
It is free to register for Solar Together Lambeth and there is no obligation to proceed to installation.
The Mayor of London has partnered with councils and independent group-buying company iChoosr to introduce the scheme.
You can register at Solar Together Lambeth
Lambeth council leader Claire Holland said: “Installing solar panels is a great way to save money on energy bills, which is more important than ever.
“Lambeth has declared a climate emergency, and is committed to supporting residents to reduce emissions and the way we heat and power our homes is often the root of most of our emissions.
“We know that our residents are passionate about reducing emissions with our recent Citizens’ Assembly calling on the borough to immediately start the switch to renewables therefore this scheme is a great opportunity for individual households to make the switch.”
iChoosr says it has a track record of delivering group-buying schemes for local authorities in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan and the US.
It has worked with 160 UK local authorities on its collective energy switching schemes since 2012. Its group-buying for solar PV systems began in 2015.
Marie-Louise Abretti, iChoosr UK (Solar Together) business manager, said: “For Lambeth’s residents looking for opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions and save on energy bills, the Solar Together group-buying scheme offers a straightforward way to make an informed decision and access a competitive offer from a trusted provider.”
Who is eligible?
All Lambeth residents who own their own house (or have permission from the landlord to install a solar PV system).
Small and medium-sized enterprises (non-domestic) and commonhold associations meeting this requirement can participate as well.
How does it work?
- Register before 15 March 2022 for free and without obligation recommendation at solartogether.co.uk/Lambeth. Provide details about your roof, like its size and orientation.
- At an auction held 15 March, pre-vetted solar installers will submit bids. The more people to register, the better the deal should be for each household. The installer with the most competitive package will win the auction.
- Receive a personal recommendation from 4 April. People who have registered will be emailed a personal recommendation based on their registration details. It will include costs and specifications of a recommended system.
- Decide whether or not to accept the recommendation. There is no obligation to continue. Participants will have until 13 May to decide and will be invited to an information session.
- Accept installation and the winning installer will contact you to survey your roof and set an installation date. All installations are planned to be completed by the end of October this year.
Lambeth council said telephone and email support would be available throughout the whole process, which, together with information sessions, would allow households to make an informed decision in a safe and hassle-free environment. Call 0800 060 8509.
