E.On claims war in Middle East has created huge increase in solar panel sales
New figures from E.On show ongoing conflict in the Middle East is driving Britons to move away from fossil fuel-based energy. The electricity supplier reported a 62% increase in solar panel sales this month compared to the previous year; Website visits to the solar energy page also increased by a similar amount in the first week of March.
Chris Norbury, CEO of E.On UK, said: “There has probably never been a more important time to bring products to market that have the potential to make a significant difference to residential customers’ energy bills.
“The bottom line is that what all our customers are clearly telling us is that they want solutions that will help lower energy prices not just temporarily, but sustainably and permanently.”
E.On, one of the UK’s largest electricity suppliers, has announced the launch of a new service that uses automation to reduce bills for homes equipped with solar panels and batteries.
The tool, called Next Optimise, connects to wholesale prices and uses automation to charge batteries when wholesale prices are low and use or export stored energy when prices rise.
The technology has been used in 80,000 Australian homes; Sunnier weather here has helped push solar uptake ahead of other countries, including the UK.
Dan Adams, managing director of Amber Electric, which has partnered with E.On to provide the technology, said he thought this shift made Australia “less exposed to some of these big shocks due to increased solar uptake”.
E.On’s Mr Norbury said: “As a country we are in a better position than in 2022 but there is still much work to be done.
“We have an opportunity to do this work quickly to continue decarbonizing our energy system, which will ultimately protect us from fossil fuel-driven events like this.”
He argued that electrifying home energy such as battery and solar power should be done quickly and would benefit households that are more vulnerable to price fluctuations.
This development comes as crude oil and natural gas prices have risen sharply in recent weeks in response to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to energy infrastructure in the Middle East.
Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey said: “Events in the Middle East remind us that our clean, domestic energy mission is vital to our energy security.
“Solar energy will play a crucial role in this mission and it is clear that the British people recognize this.
“That’s why we’re also making it possible for consumers to buy rechargeable solar power in stores within months – helping people save money on their bills and protecting them from volatile fossil fuel markets.”
