A ground-breaking energy scheme is set to bring cheap, renewable solar power directly to tenants living in blocks of flats.

Clean-tech innovator Allume and energy supplier E.ON Next have officially launched FlatSave which combines rooftop solar PV, communal battery storage, and smart grid flexibility in a bid to slash electricity costs for residents while paying them directly for supporting the national grid.

With annual household energy price caps forecast to remain near or above £2,000, fewer than 1% of the five million households living in flats across England and Wales currently have access to solar power. FlatSave aims to resolve this inequality by transforming entire apartment blocks into shared, eco-friendly energy assets.

How FlatSave works

The system utilizes Allume’s proprietary SolShare technology, which distributes power generated from a single rooftop solar array and a communal battery directly into individual household meters.

The communal battery automatically charges when grid electricity is cheapest, and exports stored power back to the grid during peak times.

Key advantages for landlords and tenants include:

• Substantial bill reductions: Residents can cut their electricity bills by up to 60% using shared solar and battery power

• Direct cash returns: On top of bill savings, households earn up to £160 per year in guaranteed grid flexibility payments

• Complete freedom of choice: The system requires zero in-flat equipment, so tenants retain full savings without being forced to switch energy providers

Proven success in Stevenage

The technology has already been successfully trialled at Peabody Homes' Harper Court scheme in Stevenage.

Rashida Kutubu, Senior Retrofit Manager at Peabody, comments:

"Before SolShare and FlatSave, we didn’t know how to bring solar to our blocks of flats. With the addition of grid flexibility, we’re not just reducing bills, we’re putting money back in residents' pockets too."

A timely call to action for housing providers

As local authorities and housing providers prepare for upcoming Budget decisions and allocated Warm Homes funding - a government initiative that provides grant funding directly to regional councils and social landlords to deliver energy-efficiency upgrades, lower energy bills, and tackle fuel poverty - Allume and E.ON Next are calling on housing associations and local councils nationwide to roll out FlatSave across their housing stock.