Family escapes high winter bills
A Milton Keynes household has wiped out its energy costs by fitting solar panels, an air-source heat pump and a battery to its 1980s home, then switching to Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills tariff. The retrofit balances annual generation with use, so the family either pays nothing or earns from surplus exports.
Clare Naylor, who lives there, described the old routine: “Our heating was only ever set to 18°C [although] we might boost it if the family were coming around. Otherwise [it was] slippers, hot-water bottle, jumpers - that’s how you get through the winter.”
What the setup actually involves
Zero-bill homes combine generation, storage and efficiency upgrades. Solar panels supply daytime power and feed the grid under the Smart Export Guarantee. Heat pumps deliver around 300 % efficiency, producing three units of heat for every unit of electricity. Batteries shift cheap or self-generated power to peak times. The family’s project cost just under £20,000 after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
Better insulation and draught-proofing cut the amount of energy the systems must supply. Smart controls then schedule appliances and heating to match generation or off-peak rates.
How Fuse Energy tariffs fit in
Once the kit is installed, variable tariffs reward flexible use and exports. Fuse Energy offers smart plans that work with home batteries and solar, plus an app that shows live generation and meter data. We also link to the heat-pump survey advice we published earlier this month for anyone weighing similar upgrades.
Homeowners can get a quote direct from Fuse to see whether their property could reach the same outcome.
