Marks & Spencer (M&S) is launching a range of Solar PV and Solar Thermal water heating solutions to “help customers cut their carbon emissions and reduce their energy bills”.
M&S is one of the first retailers to offer solar energy packages that enable customers to take advantage of Feed-in-Tariffs.
Through the M&S Energy partnership with SSE these tariffs are available to new and existing M&S Energy customers. They allow Solar PV customers to earn money and a tax free return for every unit of electricity they generate over the next 25 years.
Under the scheme every unit produced will earn customers 41.3p from their energy supplier, with an additional 3p offered for every unused unit that is exported back to the national grid.
M&S will offer two solar packages, Solar Thermal and Solar PV, which will both include the installation of roof mounted solar panels that will contribute to customers’ home energy needs.
Solar Thermal works by collecting daylight energy to heat a customer’s water supply, for use throughout the day and night. Customers can choose from three different sized panel systems, allowing users to save up to £85 a year on hot water heating bills, meeting up to 50% of an average household’s hot water requirement. Packages will be available from £3,999.
Solar PV works by collecting daylight energy and converting it into electricity for use within the home. With different sized panel systems on offer, users will be able select the most appropriate solution to help reduce their energy bills by generating free renewable energy for their homes – with combined saving and earnings customers could be over £1,000 a year better off. Packages will be available from £7,999.
All M&S solar packages will include a free assessment to determine the best solution for each home, and a full panel and system installation by an M&S approved installer accredited by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
Richard Gillies, director of Plan A & sustainable business at M&S, said: “This is the latest example of M&S offering our customers efficient solutions to their home energy needs.
“We’re committed to meeting the challenges of climate change both within our own operations and through encouraging customers to reduce their own carbon footprints. Installing a solar solution will help customers save money over the long term by reducing their energy bills and will lead to significant cuts in customers’ carbon emissions.”
Building on the success of the M&S Energy brand, which has signed up over 300,000 customer accounts, M&S launched an M&S Energy home services division in February 2010. As well as solar energy packages, M&S Energy offers a home insulation service, which has insulated over 3,000 homes in its first six months since launch. Prices for M&S Energy loft or cavity wall insulation start at £149.
Stephen Langford, head of M&S Energy, said: “Utilising solar energy at home saves you money on your heating and electricity bills and helps tackle climate change. We’ve brought the M&S quality standard to this service to make it easy for customers to get the most out of solar energy.
“We’re committed to selecting the best installers, and delivering the best lead times on the market. Each solar package will be tailored to a customer’s individual needs, ensuring they receive the high level of service they expect from M&S.”
Customers can find out more about M&S’ new solar offer by calling 0800 0106 106 and about M&S Energy by visiting www.mandsenergy.com.
Source: M&S
