Utility company OVO Energy has today (July 15) launched a new offer that allows customers to save up to five free solar panels over the course of two years.
OVO’s ‘Beyond’ rewards programme, which launched in May, offers OVO customers savings on energy technology as well as products from brands such as Uber, Oddbox and Smol. Today’s new addition gives Beyond customers the ability to store up to five solar panels over the course of two years, which can then be exchanged for an OVO solar and battery pack within three years.
Beyond customers, who already number around half a million, can also redeem their rewards for EV charging miles, and OVO says similar incentives for air source heat pumps will be launched later this year.
Mat Moakes, Chief Commercial Officer at OVO, said: “Households are getting excited about solar energy because solar energy has the power to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, cut bills and bring more green energy into homes and onto the electricity grid. to get. Our new type of rewards program helps customers earn rewards for a greener future by offering free solar panels to install when they are ready.”
Solar energy for the home: the potential and the pitfalls
Research published by Halifax earlier this year found that 84% of households noticed a reduction in their monthly energy bills after installing solar panels, with almost as many (83%) respondents saying they would recommend solar installations to their friends and family members. Estimates from the Energy Saving Trust suggest that switching to solar energy could save the average household between £400 and £500 a year.
However, the number of people working in the solar sector needs to increase significantly to meet the 2030s renewable installation targets, including around 60,000 solar panel installers. Despite this clear need for more green training, research published in May this year on behalf of OVO Energy shows that fewer than one in ten people receive green skills training at work, despite one in five (21 %) currently requesting such training. at least one occasion. In response, OVO has announced it will upskill 15,000 green roles, including consultants, surveyors and installers.