Homeowner Blog

TL;DR

Winter is when a home battery should deliver the biggest savings because electricity is often priciest and solar generation is lowest. But cold temperatures can limit charging and power if a battery cannot manage its own temperature. Look for strong thermal management, outdoor-ready weatherproofing with a suitable IP rating, and an installer who sets your system up to reliably off-peak charge.

What Is the Warm Homes Plan? Do You Qualify?

The Warm Homes Plan is the UK government’s largest ever programme aimed at upgrading existing homes to make them cheaper to run, more energy efficient, and less reliant on fossil fuels.

As the year draws to a close, it is a good moment to reflect on the breadth of solar projects delivered by Spirit Energy over the last twelve months. From large scale commercial rooftops to highly engineered residential systems, this year captures the full range of what modern solar looks like in practice.

If you are searching for a solar installer in Reading or across Berkshire, you want an installer that understands the technology, the regulations, and the real return on investment for your home. You also want an installer with a track record. Spirit Energy has installed thousands of solar panels across Reading, Wokingham, Earley, Caversham, Tilehurst, and wider Berkshire. Our installations range from small domestic rooftops to some of the region’s largest commercial solar projects.

If you want accurate solar panel quotes, a technical solar survey, and a smooth installation process, this is the exact step-by-step journey Spirit Energy takes UK homeowners through. Use our solar calculator to get instant estimates, then follow the seven steps below to understand precisely what happens next.

The Feed in Tariff encouraged hundreds of thousands of UK homeowners to install solar panels between 2010 and 2019. Many of these systems are still running today and earning very generous FiT rates. Because the incentives were so strong, the most common questions we hear are:

Can’t have solar PV on your roof? Fear not, you can still benefit from the power of solar energy through smart home battery storage. Home battery storage is fast becoming central to the UK’s energy landscape. Whether you have solar panels or not, a home storage battery lets you store cheap or renewable electricity and use it when prices are high. By 2026, battery systems will be standard across many UK homes, helping reduce bills, balance the grid, and make energy independence achievable.

When Sam installed a solar and battery system last year, he had the same questions that most homeowners do. Would solar really generate enough energy to make a difference? Would the investment pay off? And was it risky to be one of the first people in the UK to install a Tesla Powerwall 3?

Across the UK, more households are investing in renewable energy and storage to cut bills and reduce reliance on the grid. But in Aylesbury, one property has taken this ambition to extraordinary heights.

When you invest in solar panels and battery storage, the questions are always the same. How much electricity will it actually generate. How much difference does the battery make. Is there any maintenance or hassle involved. And above all, how much impact will it really have on your electricity bill. Is it a worthwhile investment.