UK homeowner achieves zero annual electricity bill with solar power

There is a persistent and widespread rumour that photovoltaic systems aren't financially worthwhile. 

“An annual electricity bill of zero blows that idea out of the water.” Says David Lee, owner of a 5.76 kW system in Buckingham, United Kingdom.

This is when you take both the cost savings and export tariff that the family receive from their energy company into account. The small electricity bill that occurs in the winter months, when there is less sun to generate energy, is balanced out by export payments made by the energy company in the summer when more excess PV is generated. They will have broken even in just a little over six years*. They are currently two years in.

*With 2023 electricity and import tariff prices.

“The first thing we realised was how much credit we were in with our energy company. We got a refund, and drastically lowered our monthly payments,” says David. “That’s when we really started noticing the savings. What’s more, we have the same provider for gas, so export payments we get are credited to the account and therefore contribute towards our heating bill.”

The family have also ensured that the system is future-proof, opting for a Fronius GEN24 Plus should they wish to introduce battery storage, EV charging or hot water heating at a later date. 

“We are looking to move over to EV in the next couple of years, so will be able to use our excess solar to charge our vehicles.”