Solar Panels lead to £0 Electricity Bill for delighted tenant

Published by Craig Downs for Frank Haslam Milan in Housing and also in Communities

A pensioner who recently moved into a new home was amazed when she received her first electricity bill and discovered she had nothing to pay.

Grace Quinn’s brand new 2-bedroom bungalow was developed by Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East on behalf of The Gateshead Housing Company and features six solar PV panels which generate electricity from the sun’s energy.

Mrs Quinn knew this would help her save money but couldn’t believe it when she opened her first statement from British Gas and read that she had nothing to pay.

She said: “I was shocked – I had been to meetings while the house was being built and had been told about the solar panels and that they would help me save money but I never expected to have nothing to pay.”

Mrs Quinn moved into her new home in Kibblesworth last September.

She had previously been living on a nearby housing estate made up of ‘Airey’ type houses – built in the 1950s and only expected to last for 15 to 20 years.

Thanks to a £14 million regeneration project, the old houses are currently in the process of being replaced with 150 new properties – made up of a mixture of bungalows and two, three and four-bedroom houses.

The work, which started last year, is being carried out by community regeneration specialist Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East over the next three years for The Gateshead Housing Company.

Solar PV panels, such as those on Mrs Quinns home, are installed on the roofs of houses and convert sunlight directly into electricity, which is then used in the home.

They reduce the amount of electricity, which needs to be bought from electricity companies or, as in Mrs Quinns case, can result in householders paying nothing or even making money by feeding any excess energy back into the National Grid.

The energy efficiency homes also benefit from insulation and double glazing which means that tenants such as Mrs Quinn can make significant savings on their bills.

Mrs Quinn continued: “The winter before last, I spent £280 on gas and for the same time this year I only paid £35.

“I really couldn’t be happier with my new home. I used to sit outside and watch while it was being built and couldn’t wait to move in. Saving money on my bills makes it even better.”

Heather Miller, Lead Resident Liaison Officer at FHM, said: “We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and providing our customers with high quality, cost effective homes.

“Measures such as installing Solar PV panels help us achieve both these aims – they produce sustainable, green energy while also helping tenants to save money on their energy bills.

“We are delighted that Mrs Quinn is so pleased with her new home and has made such a significant saving on her energy bills.”