Question 1

WHO PAYS FOR THE GRANT?

Answer

The grant is paid for by energy suppliers who are obligated to help people to reduce their heating bills through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). If you are eligible for the grant, we will undertake the works and then claim the grant directly from one of our energy supplier partners.

Question 2

I AM NOT ON BENEFIT, AM I ELIGIBLE?

Answer

In some cases, Devon local authorities are able to provide us with written approval for people to be able to receive a grant through ECO. In order to do this they base their decision on the resident being on a low income and having high energy costs, or other factors such as someone having an illness or young children. The income levels by district, so please call us to find out if your income meets this criteria.

Question 3

IS THE SOLAR COMPLETELY FREE?

Answer

In order for the works to be free, you will need to have either loft insulation (your current loft insulation must be less than 100mm) or cavity wall insulation alongside the solar PV works. The cost of all works and the amount of grant received does vary and we can only confirm if the work is free once we have all of the information we need and once the technical survey has been completed.

Question 4

WHAT IF MY HOME DOESN'T NEED LOFT OR CAVITY INSULATION?

Answer

If your home is already fully insulated or has solid walls, you may still be able to get a grant for the solar system, but it won't cover the full cost. You may have to contribute around 25% of the full cost, which is still a very cheap way to buy a solar PV system!

Question 5

ARE THERE GRANTS FOR OTHER WORKS?

Answer

Grants may also be available for solid wall insulation, underfloor insulation and central heating using renewable energy heat pumps. These other works may not always be free, but we can advise of any costs if you are interested.

Question 6

WHAT TYPE OF HEATING MUST I HAVE?

Answer

The main heating in your home must be powered by electricity, this could be plug in panel heaters, night storage heaters, an electric boiler, or an air or ground source heat pump.

Question 7

HOW BIG IS THE SOLAR SYSTEM?

Answer

The solar system will typically be between 6 and 40 panels, or 2-10kWp in terms of output. The size of the system will depend on the size of your roof, or the space you have available for them to be located. The size of system may also be limited by Western Power, whose permission we need to seek to connect it to the National Grid.

Question 8

DO I NEED PLANNING PERMISSION?

Answer

For normal roof mounted systems, or ground mounted systems which do not exceed 9m2 in area, planning permission is not typically required. Permission may however be required of your property is listed or in a conservation area

Question 9

IS THE OFFER AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF DEVON?

Answer

Yes! We are currently offering the same offer across many areas of the southwest, London and the southeast of England. Eligibility for customers who are on a low income but not on benefit, will vary by local authority area and we do not have links with all local authorities across these regions. Please apply and we can let you know if we can help.

Frequently Asked Questions