Green energy, low-cost heating, and warm homes are all about the people involved in the story. It’s about finding answers to problems. As our case study from Huntingdon (near Cambridge) shows, tepeo ZEB and Sunamp might be what you’re looking for…
What do you do when winter hits, you’ve got no central heating in your 2-bed apartment, your electric panel heaters are costing you hundreds a month but don’t work… and you’re feeling stuck?
Sounds like a nightmare, but this was the situation facing Ejiro Omodio and his wife from Huntingdon, near Cambridge. It was certainly a problem we wanted to solve for them – this one certainly mattered for a number of reasons.
As you can imagine, now they have a warm house, radiators that work, instant hot water and lower bills, they were keen to share their experience of working with Brimstone Energy. A tepeo ZEB heat battery, new “wet” radiators, and hot water from a new Sunamp Thermino have given this family the home they were hoping for from the start.
We’ve put together this case study for you to show how we turned a big worry into a great opportunity. Watch the video and read the story – you’ll see what’s possible when you work with a team who see the big picture.
No heating, no problem – Brimstone Energy will sort it.
Ejiro, tell us about your home, your situation and why you needed to work with Brimstone Energy
Last winter was very hard for me and my wife. When winter came, we discovered our heating system just didn’t work. In short, we needed to get warm.
We moved into our apartment in October 2024, and we thought everything was in order. It turned out we only had two sources of heat in the home. They were electric panel heaters, plugged into the mains… one in the hallway and one in the lounge. There was no heating in the bathroom or bedrooms.
When we turned the heaters on, they simply didn’t give out any heat. What’s worse, they used a huge amount of electricity. Over the winter, we were paying over £300 a month to heat our 2-bed apartment… or at least try to heat it.
In January, I was getting chest pains and was constantly ill. The doctor actually said the cold apartment was a major cause for me repeatedly picking up infections and illnesses.
Wow, that’s hard. What did you do to fix your heating problem?
We knew we needed to do something, but it was hard to know where to start. The apartment block has no gas. We had no central heating, so no hot water pipes and radiators that you’re used to seeing in (what seems like) every other home. Being in an apartment, an Air Source Heat Pump wasn’t viable. We felt stuck.
I first came across the Sunamp Thermino hot water battery. This got me thinking about whether battery storage could be the answer I needed for my heating. I started researching online and came across tepeo’s ZEB heat battery. It looked interesting, and I could see on their list of approved tepeo PRO installers, Brimstone Energy were local to me.
What research did you complete about the tepeo ZEB and Sunamp?
I did a lot of reading online, finding blogs and YouTube videos to help me. Robert Llewelyn, founder of the Everything Electric Show, had made some useful videos about the ZEB. I also looked at the Brimstone website – they’ve got lots of useful information on their YouTube channel.
After reading about Brimstone, learning about Matt’s background in the Army, and reading reviews, I got in contact and sent him a message. It was quite late at night, but he got straight back to me and I arranged for Matt to come out and do a survey and assessment of my home.
How does a Brimstone Energy home assessment work?
Like I said, Matt responded straight away.
I was so pleased he agreed to come out in person because we were at a point where we needed expertise and someone to meet us “where we were at.” This personal touch is different to some other installers we spoke to.
Matt looked at our current system and talked through the options, including heating systems, new pipework and radiators, and complementary hot water options. He wasn’t pushy, he wasn’t trying to sell, he was calm but positive about there being solutions for us. It really felt like he was there to help, which is what we needed.
Were there any barriers you faced once you went through the options?
In our downstairs cupboard, we had a cylinder for our hot water. The cupboard became the most logical place for our new heating system, so we needed to think about what we’d do with the hot water. Matt didn’t see this as a problem. We’d settled on the tepeo ZEB heat battery, so if we removed the water cylinder, we could use similar battery technology for our hot water with the Sunamp Thermino. All this could go into our cupboard.
We had to think about the pipework and water running to our new radiators. Our apartment block is concrete construction, so we couldn’t run pipes through ceiling voids, so we needed to think about aesthetics. Matt and his team were so neat, I don’t even notice the extra pipework in the house, plus the radiators look great.
We also had the practicality of space for installation, and being on the second floor. I guess if you’ve been in the army like Matt, you’re used to project management. Matt planned for the tepeo and Sunamp to fit neatly in the cupboard, using a made-to-measure stand to hold the Sunamp. It looks brilliant.
So, is the heating and hot water system working like you wanted?
Yes. It’s just what we wanted.
We’ve tested the radiators and they heat up beautifully. I don’t want to wish away the summer, but I’m looking forward to having a warm home in the winter! Our water heats up fast, and the whole system looks excellent.
Matt said, “You won’t notice the pipes.” He was right.
The water’s hot, the heating is fixed. Tell us about the monthly costs
Matt helped us with changing our energy tariff. We ended up moving across to Utility Warehouse, and we’re saving loads of money. From over £300, our bills are now around £100.
The tariff works because there are off-peak, cheap rates. So, if you’ve got a heat battery like the ZEB and Sunamp, you charge them at a super cheap price overnight and then use them in the day when the prices are much higher.
What was it like working with Matt and Brimstone?
I’ll keep this simple. It was amazing. Brimstone Energy got us out of the hole we found ourselves in… it was pretty cold down there, as well.
Matt is very, very patient, which is what you need when you’re doing something new. I had lots of questions, and I was struggling with certain decisions, but Matt didn’t mind. He just kept answering and guiding until I was happy with where we were going.
I work in engineering, so I could see Matt’s precision in the project planning, the timing and his communication. He and his team were professional from the start and the installation was smooth. What he said he’d do, that’s what he did.
How do you feel now it’s all done?
There was no drama, and I feel happy and relaxed.
It’s worth the investment.
Would you recommend Brimstone Energy, and what advice would you give others?
Can’t you tell? I’d absolutely recommend Matt and Brimstone Energy again and again and again. I’ve already spoken to my neighbours.
Find and speak to the right people. We spoke to another company, and their attitude and approach were totally different. Matt’s a problem solver, not a salesman. That’s who you need to be working with.
From Matt Hilton, Founder of Brimstone Energy
Ejiro, we really enjoyed working with you on your project, and we loved coming back to see your lovely (warm) home and family. Thanks for your kind words.
“Getting us out of a hole…” That’s what we want to do in our work, isn’t it? We want to help. Now, more than ever, trustworthy companies are needed to support homeowners through the challenges of energy security, decarbonisation, and the green energy transition.
Want to read a bit more?
Take a look at another tepeo ZEB heat battery installation we recently completed, this time where solar panels and battery storage were already in place and an oil boiler needed replacing.
Or, if you’re a business, see how solar panels and battery storage can increase your profits.
For any advice or a quote, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.