New Solar Retrofits Cut Bills and Emissions for Council Tenants

A new solar and battery retrofit programme has launched to help Winchester council homes tenants reduce their emissions and lower their energy bills.

The scheme is being delivered by Whiteley-based solar energy company UPOWA in partnership with Winchester City Council.

New Solar and Battery Retrofits

The first homes have now been fitted with both photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery storage systems, and the council says it aims to have another 50 homes converted to solar energy by spring this year.

The scheme covers the costs of maintaining the technology by sharing the savings – once the solar panels have been in place for a year, tenants will benefit from 50% of the savings made, and the other 50% will fund maintenance costs.

James Bull, Founder and Sales Director at UPOWA, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with Winchester City Council to deliver this solar and battery retrofit programme for local households.

“This initiative is designed to put tenants first. By providing a fully managed, end-to-end service, from survey and design through to installation and ongoing monitoring, we’re helping the council future-proof its housing stock, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy costs.”

Cutting Bills and Emissions

One council tenant who recently had her home upgraded through the scheme was Sylvia Robinson, 91, of Kings Worthy. Speaking about the solar battery installation, Sylvia said: “It was really quite interesting watching the panels go up. I thought they’d be heavy but they didn’t look very heavy at all!

“The project manager kept me completely informed which was great – especially at my age. I was born in 1935, and my age group, we’ve never heard of solar panels.

“They’ve only just gone up but the project manager said to me ‘your bills will go down you know’ – I don’t have to do anything for it. We’re doing our bit for the environment.”

James concluded: “This programme is a practical step towards cutting carbon emissions while creating warmer, more resilient homes. We’re excited to support Winchester’s wider decarbonisation ambitions and demonstrate how high-quality retrofit delivery can generate lasting benefits for both residents and the wider community.”

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