Free Hot Water Thanks to Solar Panels

Residents in Huntington, near Cannock, have been given the chance to save money and the environment, thanks to a pilot scheme which has seen solar panels installed on two bungalows.

Thanks to their landlord South Staffordshire Housing Association, two residents will have the chance to heat their water using solar power to prove that saving the world doesn’t have to cost the earth.

The solar panels and equipment have been installed on two bungalows at a total cost of £7,000. The gas bills of these and the surrounding properties are being monitored to see how much energy and money can be saved over the next 12 months.

Director of Operations, Sue Rowley said: “Energy is expensive – we want to make our homes cheaper to live in and promote the benefits of energy efficiency to our customers.

“This project will allow us to assess the benefits of installing equipment for residents that saves them money long term and helps the environment. If energy bills for tenants go down we will look to install more solar power in the future.

“We work in a number of ways to help the environment and hope using technology in this way will help secure a better South Staffordshire for future generations.”

Research from the Energy Saving Trust shows that solar panels can provide around a third of a household’s water requirements per year.

(Released 29th August 2007.)