What if you knew sustainable, low-cost energy was in reach for you? Knowing where to start with solar panels, battery storage and decarbonisation is a challenge for many. Check out this low-cost energy case study.

Like lots of people we speak to, you may find the idea of cheaper, more affordable electricity attractive. But you may also find that information is lacking, mixed or missing. You may be thinking, ‘Is low-cost energy really for me?‘

At Brimstone Energy UK, we’ve made it our mission to make low-cost, sustainable energy more accessible for everyone.

But where do you start? It can be helpful to hear from others who have done it and are now enjoying the benefits of low-carbon solar panel technology. Here we speak with Richard and Jane from Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire. Their decarbonisation journey and work with Brimstone Energy UK shows just what’s possible.

Take a read of their story.

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How long have you lived in Cambridgeshire?

We moved to Gamlingay in September 2022. We liked the established community, the amenities and the opportunity to buy a new-build house with more space.

We installed an efficient gas boiler at our previous property and always recycled our rubbish. Like with most people, we did what we could. Naturally, we liked the efficiency and lower running costs of this new-build house, as well as the bonus of three solar panels on the roof.

What motivated you to start your decarbonisation journey?

We’d found our house and our community. The space just worked and we had a pub and an Indian restaurant within walking distance. This was home.

Jane in particular, was very keen to get rid of the gas boiler, so our story began with finding out about Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP). One thing then led to another, as they say.

We’d struggled to find information about our existing solar panels from the housebuilder. Although we were pleased they were there, we didn’t know how to register them, whether we were exporting electricity, or whether we could get money for doing so. It was all pretty baffling. Jane spoke to our neighbours and discovered we needed to give our energy provider information about our Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and the MCS certificate for the panels. We learned the certificate was needed to register the work to let us ‘sell’ electricity back to the grid.

Mindset shift

What started as a ‘should we?’ became ‘could we?’ over time, before growing into a complete mindset shift. We reached a point where we didn’t just want to do things ‘a bit better,’ but wanted to do the ‘very best we could.’

So where did you begin?

In terms of low-cost energy, replacing gas with the ASHP was important. We became more and more aware of the running costs, inefficiency and environmental impact of our gas boiler. From what we’d read, we knew a ASHP would require more electricity overall. So, if we wanted to become less reliant on the grid, we had to figure out maximising solar panels on our roof. Then, if we were doing the work and putting up scaffolding, it became more cost-effective to explore both sides of our roof and our garage. All this led us onto storage batteries. If we were generating it, we may as well save it.

We decided to go all in.

Did you have concerns about solar panels?

We found it hard to find clear guidance about low-carbon energy. It’s confusing and the information we did find could be conflicting or even negative. I can see this could put people off.

People have concerns about aesthetics, wind, weight, and even nesting birds. We’ve installed ‘in roof’ Viridian panels, which removed all of these worries. And… we got them from pretty much down the road from our house, which was a nice locally-sourced bonus.

Where did you find information about low-cost energy to help?

There’s information out there, but it’s variable. At times, it felt like trying to tie shoelaces with one hand.

Our heating engineer Bruno (B-Therm) had experience of working with ASHPs, including retro-fitting pipework (and making good) in the house to maximise efficiency. It was a big job, but Bruno is Slovakian, and Europe are way ahead with domestic fossil fuel free energy. His expertise was invaluable.

We also found some help online – the team at Heat Geek are brilliant and we watched lots of their videos on YouTube. There was lots of useful information from Andy Rogerson, known as the ‘EV-Man.’ We also looked at the information on the GivEnergy website, which eventually led us to Matt Hilton and Brimstone Energy UK.

We asked lots of questions and were convinced enough to move forward.

The project – starting at the end.

Now, I know you’re excited about this part. Can you tell us about your system?

I thought you’d never ask. We didn’t want to do a half job and then regret later. I describe the end result as moving from 56k dial-up to broadband internet. We know our energy needs are sorted and future-proofed.

Our Vaillant 3.5kW ASHP is installed, we’ve got 11 solar panels, a 13.5kWh GivEnergy All in One Battery and GivEnergy Car Charger. This system is all described as the ecosystem – it’s ‘smart’ in switching between battery filling, usage and exporting to the grid… as well as kicking in if there’s a power cut.

The single malt of solar panels

Now, we do get excited about the panels, and not just because they look good. They are monocrystalline, which means they have only one source of silicon… they’re like the single malt of solar panels. They generate nearly double the amount of electricity than others the same size (over 400 Watts peak per panel).

We were then able to pick an energy provider to work alongside all the kit and found the Intelligent Octopus tariff. We’re able to choose when and how we store, use or export our electricity to match with off-peak prices. And then we checked the prices each company pay for energy exported back to the grid using the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) (here you can compare SEG export prices).

So here we are, with no gas, generating our own electricity, an electric car… and a warm home!

It can’t have been all sun and no rain. Were there any barriers you faced?

For sure. But each of them was overcome with the right attitude and the right team. What springs to mind is the choice about whether to upgrade the pipes in our house to maximise the ASHP. Cue a ‘deep breath’ moment, as the house was new and the plaster fresh. We’re really glad we have.

We had found a contractor to work with our heating engineer and integrate the GivEnergy ecosystem and panels. Unfortunately, he fell ill in January and was unable to continue with the project.

So, what happened?

Well we’d started, so had to find a replacement.

We needed a contractor who shared our passion for the project and shared our values about low-cost energy. We needed a project manager who could oversee the many moving parts of the plan. And… we needed someone who could work alongside the other contractors already involved and ‘pick up the project.’ Not much to ask at short notice!

Enter stage right, Matt Hilton and Brimstone Energy UK. We found Matt on the GivEnergy website and he was local. It felt like right person, right time.

Tell us about working with Brimstone Energy UK and Matt Hilton.

We count ourselves lucky to have found Matt – we were immediately interested in his career journey from the Army to business owner. He was unphased by our plans and was excited by the specifications we talked about.

‘Getting our ducts in a row.’

We needed to complete work under the ground first, making sure wiring to the ASHP, battery storage and car charger was in place, ready for the panels. Brimstone was pivotal in getting ‘our ducts in a row.’

The scaffolding also needed careful thought and planning. Again, Matt coordinated it all. From there, the work proceeded at a great pace. I guess efficiency isn’t a surprise for this project, but in just over a week the scaffolding was up and the panels were in.

Matt is a man of his word. There was a standout moment when we needed our drive clear by a certain time. Matt promised he would sort it and he did, personally ensuring it was clear. Peace of mind comes in the small things.

And now it’s done. How do you feel about your low-cost energy?

Proud is the word. We did it. We were ambitious and had to swim against the tide, but we’re now in a gas-free house producing our own electricity and running an electric vehicle. It’s a nice feeling to charge our car on a super-cheap rate overnight and run our house off the battery in the day.

From a seed, to an idea, to a decision, to now. It’s a great feeling.

There will be lots of people in the position you were in a year ago. What would your advice be if they want low-cost energy?

We’d say, sustainable, low-cost energy is in reach if you decide to go for it.

• Do enough research to ask people specific questions.
• Listen to people who’ve done it, not just what you see in the media.
• Start. An ASHP and full system might be too much straight off, but don’t rule out panels and a battery.
• Bringing in expertise and a company with values is crucial for peace of mind. Brimstone Energy UK was this for us.

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Isn’t it inspiring to see an ambitious project become reality? At Brimstone, we walked alongside Richard and Jane throughout and share their pride.

The pathway to sustainable, low-cost energy is becoming more and more clear. We want you to be next. At Brimstone, we truly believe these energy savings are ‘for the many, not the few.’

What next for you and your energy?

Get in touch with Matt at Brimstone Energy if you have any questions. We’d love to chat.

Are you researching? The following web pages will also help you take the next step:

Distribution Network Operators – Find out who looks after your electricity network?
MCS certification – The accreditation system for solar panels and contractors.
Viridian – ‘In roof’ mono-crystalline panel supplier.
Heat Geek – Useful information on all things sustainable energy.
EV-Man – Useful information on all things electric vehicles.
GivEnergy – Supplier of the battery and car charger ecosystem in the project.
Intelligent Octopus – The energy tariff described in the project.
Smart Export Guarantee – Export prices – A comparison of prices paid for exported energy.

We are delighted that a version of this article has been featured in Renewable Energy Installer magazine.

Find out what makes Brimstone Energy UK unique. Read the Brimstone Manifesto:

Learn about the basics of solar power here. Start with What is Peak Power in Solar Panels:

Find out about the Economics of Battery Storage and understand how they can earn you money.

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