Customer story: Dorina

How much are you expecting to save with Sunsave Plus?

Our savings on energy bills will be around £50 per month (after the cost of Sunsave Plus). We're happy with that.

What made you choose Sunsave?

There were quite a few reasons why I decided to choose Sunsave.

The duration of the contract is 20 years, with a fixed-price guarantee. So throughout the contract, we’ll only pay a fixed amount of money each month, and that’s not subject to inflation.

Sunsave also coordinates everything: the installation, the scaffolding, and the support going forward. For the next 20 years, their support is guaranteed. If there are any issues, we can give them a call and they will try to help us fix it.

They also include a replacement inverter and battery. Normally, batteries need to be replaced every 10 or 15 years, but that’s also covered.

So we have peace of mind now. We are happy that for the next 20 years, we are guaranteed to have a functional solar panel system.

Would you switch to solar right now if Sunsave Plus wasn't an option?

No – a lot of companies provide a finance option, but they don't provide the support.

Once the solar panels are installed, most providers only offer a guarantee for up to two years, and that only covers the installation, not necessarily damage to the panels, the battery or the inverter.

So if there were any issues, we would have to deal with the manufacturer. Their response could take months, and if it wasn’t covered by the warranty, then we’d have to pay an additional cost.

And if there were any issues with managing the system, we wouldn’t have anyone to call, to guide us through it.

Why did you choose Hive?

We were looking for a system that could control the whole house, and the first thing we looked at was controlling the heating. Rather than just relying on physical access to the thermostat, we wanted to control it through an app.

Hive was one of the top solutions that we came across. We were looking at what it can do compared to other providers, and for us, it fitted the bill.

So we now have Hive valves throughout the house, on all the radiators, and we’re quite happy. It is very easy. You don't have to be physically in the house to control it, so you can go out and about, access the app, and start the heating.

How did you find out about Hive solar?

When it comes to managing solar panels, there are quite a few apps on the market.

I watched tutorials on the internet to see an overview of what Hive does, and it seemed like an app you can use to manage everything.

It gives you a central place where you can see what your solar panels are producing and what the battery is doing, and decide whether you want to charge it or not. You have the heating there as well, so it's one app for everything.

How was the Sunsave sales process?

The person we talked with a lot was Obed. We had quite a lot of questions on how the whole process works and what the 20-year contract includes, and he was really helpful.

He explained step by step how it was going to work – the whole process, from installation all the way to switching energy providers, including what the best energy provider will be, how to look for the best quote on the market, and what Sunsave’s support will look like going forward.

What did you think of the Sunsave proposal?

I got a few proposals with different configurations. We wanted to get an overview of our savings if we had a bigger battery, fewer panels, or more panels. In the end, we had four or five proposals made, which helped us to get the best outcome.

The proposals were comprehensive in terms of what the system would be, what inverter and battery we’d get, and the warranties for all of them.

When we had any questions, it was straightforward to call Obed, and he explained to us in detail all the different types of issues that could occur, and how Sunsave could support us going forward.

How has the installation process been?

Everything went as advised by Pippa. She guided us through it, step by step.

She was really respectful of our wishes to have the solar panels installed on our schedule. We wanted the end of February or beginning of March. It’s now the beginning of March, and the solar panels are being installed.

She was really proactive in terms of keeping us up to date with everything that was going on, including which approvals were required, and whether they had been accepted yet or not.

She was also patient with us as we got the right paperwork in place. We had to make some changes and get approvals from the site manager that they were happy with us getting solar panels, for example.

The electricians and everyone on site here during the installation have also respected our wishes, for instance in terms of where they put the cables, and they were helpful in explaining the process and where everything was going to go. Overall, we’re happy.

Do you have any tips for anyone who's considering the switch to solar?

Do your research. Find out what can be fitted, how efficient the solar panels are, how much you consume per day, and how much your electricity bills are. Your roof’s orientation can also be a big factor.

You should get an overview of how many panels you’ll have installed, and think about whether you should have a battery installed or not. Consider how much you’d save with different sizes of battery, and look at the system’s warranties. 

Also, think about how and when the parts will need to be replaced, and the cost of replacing them.

What would you say to anyone who thinks solar isn't worth it?

I would recommend they do their research. Solar panel efficiency is now a lot better, so even during a very cloudy day where the light is reduced, a 5kWh battery will still charge in around two, three, or four hours. In summer, I think it takes around one hour to charge.

So even if it's really cloudy, the sun still produces energy – even if there's no direct sunlight – and the battery will still charge.

Would you recommend Sunsave?

I would definitely recommend Sunsave to my friends and family, because they give you a guarantee for the next 20 years. I have no worries about it. And the overall savings going forward will be significant, I'm sure.