Free solar energy for Nottingham homes

Low-income homeowners and private renters in Nottingham can apply to the City Council to have solar panels fitted for free, as part of a strategy to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions.

Nottingham City Council has secured over £4.3m from the government’s Green Homes Grant to fit solar panels to around 655 properties in the city.

Installing solar panels is expected to save around £240 a year in electricity costs per household and would equate to a carbon saving of 440 tonnes over 655 properties.

Eligible properties must be in the City of Nottingham, have a low energy performance and the household income must be less than £30,000 a year.

Cllr Sally Longford, City Council deputy leader and portfolio holder for environment, energy and waste services, said: ‘We have many low-income households in Nottingham who are facing a combination of factors which place a further squeeze on their over-stretched budgets. Many also live in homes with a poor energy performance and so this scheme is timely and will help to reduce energy bills while providing peace of mind about the green source of their energy. It’s another step on our just transition towards carbon neutrality while improving the lives of our residents.’

To benefit from the scheme, homes must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E, F or G.

For low-income occupiers, full subsidy is available up to £10,000 per home to install solar panels, while for social and private renting tenants a minimum contribution by the landlord of a third of the cost of upgrades is expected.

In related news, planners have recommended approval for Wolverhampton’s first solar farm. If approved, the solar farm will be built on Bowman’s Harbour, an unused landfill site adjacent to an industrial estate.

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina