Group-buying solar scheme in Cheshire 

Solar Together Cheshire and Warrington offers residents support in installing solar panels with optional battery storage and EV charge points. 

Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Warrington Borough Council are working in partnership with independent experts iChoosr, to help make the transition to clean energy as cost effective and hassle-free as possible. They’re the latest local authorities to sign up to the successful Solar Together scheme that’s already been operating across the UK for the past six years. 

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel

The process is simple enough. Residents can register their interest in the scheme – for free and without obligation – on the Solar Together website. This results in a volume of interested residents all in the same geographical location. That means suppliers and installers can work more efficiently and savings can be made, benefitting everyone involved. 

Once households are registered, pre-approved UK solar PV suppliers participate in a reverse auction in which they bid to provide installation services. When this auction has been completed, registered households are emailed a personal recommendation specific to their needs – which they specified in registering. If the household accepts the recommendation, a technical survey is conducted to confirm the specifics of the installation of the solar PV system. A date is then set for the work to be done. 

As well as the installation of solar panels, there’s the additional option of battery storage and installing charge points for electric vehicles (EVs). Residents who have already installed solar panels can benefit from retrofit battery storage to get more from the renewable energy that they generate and increase their independence from the national grid. 

What’s more, a range of support is provided for those taking part in the scheme, with telephone and email helpdesks and information sessions.  

Cllr Matt Bryan, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Energy and Green Spaces at Cheshire West and Chester Council, says: ‘This is a great opportunity for residents who may be considering installing solar PV in their home to find out more about the process and get a quote from pre-approved installers in the area. By using group-buying power, residents can expect a more competitive price compared to the open market and once installed they can help cut future energy bills.  

‘It’s really simple to register online and there is no obligation to accept the recommendation made.’ 

Marie-Louise Abretti, UK Solar Manager at iChoosr, adds: ‘With energy prices remaining high, residents in Cheshire and Warrington are looking for opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions, save on energy bills and increase their independence from the grid. The Solar Together group-buying scheme offers a straightforward way to make an informed decision and to access a competitive offer from a trusted, vetted provider.’. 

The Solar Together scheme has already run across the UK for six years, delivering more than 22,000 installations with an estimated total saving in lifetime emissions equivalent to 460,000 tonnes of carbon. The councils currently participating are: Ashford, Babergh, Basingstoke and Deane, Bath and North East Somerset, Breckland, Bristol, Broadland, Broxbourne, Canterbury, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Dacorum, Dartford, Dover, East Hampshire, East Hertfordshire, East Suffolk, Eastleigh, Fareham, Folkstone & Hythe, Gosport, Gravesham, Great Yarmouth, Halton, Hart, Havant, Hertsmere, Ipswich, King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Knowsley, Liverpool, Maidstone, Medway, Mid Suffolk, New Forest, North Hertfordshire, North Norfolk, North Somerset, Norwich, Portsmouth, Rushmoor, Sefton, Sevenoaks, South Gloucestershire, South Norfolk, Southampton, St Albans, St Helens, Stevenage, Swale, Test Valley, Thanet, Three Rivers, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Warrington, Watford, Welwyn Hatfield, and West Suffolk.