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Hundreds of homes to get solar panels under trial

BBC A man dressed in grey with a white hard hat is turned away from the camera, standing on scaffolding and working on a solar panel, which is fixed to the roof of a bungalow. BBC
Homeowners pay a monthly fee under the scheme with no upfront costs

Hundreds of homes in Oxfordshire are set to be fitted with solar panels under a multimillion-pound government-backed scheme.

The county is trialling an approach where homeowners pay £40 a month for the upgrade - rather than having to pay out thousands of pounds upfront.

Oxfordshire County Council said it could save residents more than £300 a year.

Four hundred homes will get solar panels as part of the trial, with plans to install Air Source Heat Pumps for a further 200 properties.

A woman in a checked yellow jumper and yellow polo neck stands in front of a bungalow, which has scaffolding on the front.
Barbara Hall has had solar panels installed under the scheme

Barbara and John Hall are among the first residents to have panels installed under the trial at their home in Upper Tadmarton.

Ms Hall said: "This scheme is just brilliant because you're not having to pay out a big lump sum but you're getting all the benefits."

Mr Hall said the technology would not have been affordable for them otherwise.

"We've been keen on solar panels but the cost has always been prohibitive," he said.

"The pay back of 10-12 years just didn't make financial sense. And now with the scheme through the council, it does."

John Hall stands in front of brown fencing in his front garden. He is wearing a purple zip up jacket and glasses.
Homeowner John Hall said solar panels would not have been affordable without the scheme

People can register their interest in the trial through Oxfordshire County Council's Energy Saver App.

The authority received £5.3m from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for the scheme, which runs until April.

It is working with government to extend the trial into the next financial year.

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