A homeowner has revealed how she slashed her electricity bills from around £800 a year to effectively nothing after making the switch to solar power.
Laura Young, known online as Less Waste Laura, spoke exclusively to GB News about how installing solar panels transformed her household energy costs within just 12 months.
“At the time, it felt like a risk. Now, one year on, it feels more like a lens, a way of seeing energy, cost, and resilience differently,” she said.
In total, the system generated just over 5,000 kWh of electricity over 12 months, while her household used less than half of that amount.
As a result, the family became net contributors of energy, selling excess electricity back to the grid and earning around £370 over the year.
“We reduced what would have been around an £800 annual electricity bill to effectively £0. That’s a combination of generating our own electricity and earning money by exporting surplus energy back to the grid,” Ms Young said.
The environmental campaigner explained that she decided to invest in solar shortly after buying her home in Ayrshire, Scotland, despite initially worrying it was the wrong time to take on another financial commitment.
“When we invested in solar panels, we had actually just bought our home, so on paper it felt like the worst possible time to take on another financial commitment,” she said.
“But the tipping point was access to finance, which allowed us to spread the cost rather than pay everything upfront. That changed the question from ‘can we afford it?’ to ‘can we start now?’.”
Ms Young’s full solar system cost £11,000, including installation, scaffolding, 12 solar panels, a 5kWh battery and an inverter.
Ms Young’s family became net contributors of energy, selling excess electricity back to the grid
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GB NEWS
The project was financed through Greener Energy Group in partnership with Capital Credit Union, allowing the costs to be spread over several years.
She said: “With energy prices so volatile in recent years, it also felt like a way to take back some control over our bills rather than waiting for the “perfect time,” which rarely comes.
“With global energy markets still shaped by geopolitical instability and price shocks, from conflicts in the Middle East to ongoing disruptions in gas supply, households remain exposed to forces far beyond their control.
“Taking this step a year ago has given us a degree of insulation from that volatility, with more predictable costs and a greater sense of energy security in an increasingly uncertain system.
Ms Young said solar generation naturally drops during winter because of shorter days and reduced sunlight, meaning the household still relies more heavily on electricity from the grid during colder months.
However, the excess energy generated during spring and summer helps offset those costs over the full year.
She added that households with similar properties could potentially achieve comparable results.
Ms Young’s full solar system cost £11,000, including installation, scaffolding, 12 solar panels, a 5kWh battery and an inverter
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GBNEWS
“We live in a relatively small home with a south-east facing roof in Ayrshire, Scotland, so households with a similar setup could expect comparable benefits. Savings will vary depending on energy use and system size, but the overall model is widely applicable.”
So far, Ms Young said the system has required virtually no maintenance. The solar panels are largely self-cleaning because of rainfall, while bird protection guards help prevent debris building up underneath them.
Peter Chalmers, Managing Director of Greener Energy Group, said long-term maintenance concerns are often overstated.
“In Greener Energy Group’s twelve year existence, we have not yet had any solar customers come to us to replace any elements of their solar panels. The panels have a 25-year warranty and are unlikely to cause any issues even beyond that period,” he said.
Earlier this year GMB has criticised Ed Miliband’s plans to expand the use of heat pumps and other green technologies, warning many Scots still will not be able to afford them despite Government subsidies.
The union argued Miliband’s £15billion package to support solar panels, heat pumps and home batteries would do little to reduce energy bills for most households in Scotland or significantly cut emissions. Around £1.5billion of the funding is set to be shared between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Claire Greer, GMB Scotland organiser in energy, accused ministers of trying to “bully and bribe” Scots into installing heat pumps instead of investing in decarbonising the existing gas network.
Laura Young’s solar panels
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GB NEWS
She said: “Ministers should stop exhorting Scots to spending money they cannot afford on technology they do not need and start building Net Zero on the sector’s existing skills, experience and infrastructure.”
Ms Greer also claimed Government plans for mass heat pump adoption were unrealistic.
“The notion that millions of heat pumps will be soon be fitted across the UK has no connection with reality. It is a fantasy,” she said.
She added: “We need practical measures to cut emissions and protect skilled energy jobs today not more airy promises of a greener tomorrow.”
Mr Miliband defended the policy, saying the “cost of living crisis is the biggest issue the country faces” and arguing that “upgrading homes is a crucial part of getting bills down”.
The Energy Secretary said the investment was intended to “expand the choices that people have, so something like a heat pump or a solar panel isn’t just in the reach of the wealthiest”.