As fuel prices have soared this Winter, an Isle of Wight couple have discovered a cleaner and cheaper way to stay warm – with help from local energy charity Green Isle of Wight CIC.
A record proportion of British households were unable to pay their energy bills by direct debit this year because there was not enough money in their bank accounts, according to official government data.
With families across the country struggling to meet rising fuel costs, Islanders are seeking practical solutions to make their homes warmer and more affordable to run.
Paul Coleman and his wife Sally, who live in Rookley, have transformed their home’s energy use by switching from an expensive oil boiler to a modern air source heat pump and solar panels – saving hundreds of pounds a year and gaining peace of mind.
69-year-old Paul says:
“When we moved into our bungalow, it was cozy but not energy efficient. The house smelled like a tractor shed when the boiler was running, and there’s always a fire and pollution risk with oil.
“On the Island there’s only one oil supplier, so with ferry delays, you’re not always guaranteed a delivery when you need it. My wife has health problems, so we didn’t want to rely on insecure oil supplies”.
After speaking with Green Isle of Wight CIC, Paul applied for a Government grant to install renewable systems that replaced the old oil setup. Before the upgrade, the couple paid around £60 per month for electricity and £1,000 per year for oil. Now, their bills are roughly £40 per month for electricity and £45-£50 per month for heating – a substantial saving.
Paul adds:
“The solar panels performed brilliantly over summer. There’s a lot of bad press about heat pumps, but they’re OK, they’re not noisy. Some of our friends are still in the dark ages with the oil boiler”.
The switch has also boosted the home’s energy efficiency rating from F to B+, with the solar panels performing especially well through the Summer. Paul also improved the property by adding his own insulation, using 75mm blanket insulation and foil bubble wrap.
Beyond lowering bills, the upgrades have made the home warmer, more secure, and attractive to future buyers.
Green Isle of Wight CIC provides local households with free and impartial energy advice, EPC and retrofit assessments, and community workshops to help residents make sustainable improvements. To date, the organisation has engaged over 8,500 Islanders and supported more than 2,000 homes in reducing their energy use.
Lisa Beaney, Managing Director of Green Isle of Wight CIC, says:
“We’re proud to be helping Island households navigate the sometimes complex world of home energy grants.
“By giving clear, impartial advice and practical support, we’re enabling people to benefit from upgrades like air source heat pumps and solar panels that cut bills and carbon emissions for years to come. It’s all about working together as a community to make homes warmer, greener and more resilient.”
Green Isle of Wight CIC received a grant from the Government’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Fund to support their energy advice work with local households. To book a consultation or find out more about Green Isle of Wight CIC’s free energy advice services, visit www.greeniow.org.uk, email [email protected] or call 01983 668900.
Sounds great, but I wonder how much the works
cost to install the new items.
It will take years if ever to claw back the original
outlay.
Not to mention winter low temperatures with no supporting solar energy and the ASHP has to run 24/7. That £40/month will be a distant memory…
Very true.
Personally I would say such investment
is throwing money away.
I would say that as long as you have Thirty Years in front of you this sound a plan however we do have Two Suppliers of Heating oil even as Solent have ceased trading with Electricity at .25p pkw hour heat pumps even at a cops of 4 on a good day need to run for many hours each and ever day
At 69 not much chance of that.
Additionally to say “When we moved into our bungalow, it was cozy but not energy efficient. The house smelled like a tractor shed when the boiler was running, and there’s always a fire and pollution risk with oil”, you gotta ask how stupid is this guy to hug a house that smells like a tractor shed! DOH!
This scam was tried back in the early 2000s at Spanners Close by Ego Island. Look at how that ended
BUY – not “hug” damn predicted
More of an advert for Green Isle of Wight than a news story
The only thing green about the island is the green grass.
The island is full of Dirty Diesel and Petrol vehicles polluting
the island.
How many EVs are on the island!!
No such thing as green “impartial” advice.
This is just an advertorial for the Shorwell two.