At first Mr A Walter wasn’t sure if the letter that came through his door was genuine.
It explained that a local Area Based Scheme (ABS) was offering to install solar panels and battery storage, and that he might be eligible.
Mr Walter decided to fill in the form, and a reassuring phone call from Changeworks helped put any doubts to rest.
Mr Walter had always thought that getting solar panels would be beneficial, but it wasn’t until he learnt about the Area Based Scheme being available where he lived in Fife that he was able to go for it. He said:
“The idea of saving money on our electric by using a natural daily source, to help our environment, was an opportunity not to be missed.”
Mr Walter added that the installation process was a lot quicker than first anticipated.
“We had a survey to begin with to help confirm if we could get the scheme, and to see how many panels should be installed.”
“I then got a call to ask if the scaffolding could go up at the weekend for works to start on the following Tuesday. Two days later and the installation was complete – I couldn’t ask for more!”
Interested in Area Based Schemes?
If you live in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Moray, Fife, the Scottish Borders, Midlothian or South Lanarkshire you may receive a letter asking you to register your interest online.
In terms of preparation or clean up after the work was carried out, Mr Walter was pleasantly surprised with how this was all taken care of.
“I thought I was going to have to empty the attic, however the electricians told me it was all good and worked around my stuff, even getting the cabling behind boards that were previously installed. There was no tidying up required.”
When asked about the overall service by the installers themselves, Mr Walter mentioned that the solar panels were fitted with little to no disturbance, and the electrician wired it all up as tidily as possible.
Mr Water said:
“I couldn’t be happier.”
Mr Walters’ panels were installed in November, and even though he has only had them through the winter, he has already seen the benefits that they can provide.
“When we’ve had a sunny day, I could see that I was using no electricity from the grid. So that is a big win!”
When asked what advice he would give someone who may be considering installing solar panels and a storage battery, Mr Walter said
“Go for it! They help the environment; they help your pocket and at the end of the day they just sit on your roof collecting and storing power. They are not ugly looking like I was concerned about, but actually blend in with the grey roof I have rather nicely.”