FAQs

M&S Energy brings you electricity and gas for your home. You can choose from dual fuel or electricity only.

As part of Plan A, we are committed to reducing energy usage. Through M&S Energy we can help customers to save energy and reward them for helping the environment.

Fair pricing & customer service – Their commitment to fair pricing and award-winning customer service is proven by top ranking in numerous independent customer satisfaction surveys.^*

Environmental commitments – They champion environmental responsibility, working hard to cut carbon emissions and reduce energy use – which helps support our Plan A commitments.

Renewable energy – They’re the UK’s largest generator of renewable energy with 50 hydro power stations.*

^*Scottish and Southern Energy has been voted Best Value for Money, Best for Customer Service, Best for Transfer Process and Overall Best Energy Supplier in the 2006 and both the 2007 uSwitch satisfaction reports.
*Based on the fuel mix disclosure of the 6 major energy suppliers for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. Source: http://www.fuelmix.co.uk/

M&S Energy shows you easy ways to help you use less energy and save money. Our average dual fuel customer, paying by monthly direct debit, could save over £100.^* We reward you with M&S vouchers^* for joining and for reducing your annual energy use by 10% . You can also earn a reward for switching to paperless billing and for each year you stay with us.

Switching is really easy. We take care of everything, from contacting your old supplier, to telling you when your supply will begin.

To join us, please apply online here.

It can take 4-6 weeks to register a supply. We will contact you to tell you when you will become our customer.

Basingstoke, Cardiff, Perth and Portsmouth.

Switch to M&S Energy and show you easy ways to use less energy and save money (our average dual fuel customer, paying by monthly direct debit, could save over £100^*). If you reduce your annual our energy use by 10%, we'll reward you with an M&S voucher.^*

You can contact us by phone, email or letter. We recommend you speak to us directly so we can resolve your query quickly. Find our phone numbers here or contact us online.

Dual fuel is the term used when you are receiving both gas and electricity for the one supplier. It is a much more convenient option for customers in terms of managing their utilities and taking advantage of the best deals available.

MPAN stands for Meter Point Administration Number. It is the reference number unique to the supply of electricity at your property.

MPR stands for Meter Point Reference number. It is the number unique to the gas supply at your property.

Yes, if you pay by fixed monthly Direct Debit you will get a 5% discount off your bill.

Yes, simply select "View bills" from the account menu on the left and select the bill you wish to print. This will open up your bill in PDF format and from there you can print the bill.

You will receive email notification when your new bill is ready to be viewed.

Yes, you can pay your bills and manage your account online by registering for paperless billing.

If your change of supply reading is amended, we must agree it with your previous supplier. Once it has been agreed, they will update their records and send you an amended final bill. This can take up to six weeks.

It can take 4-6 weeks to change your supply. Once your account is with us, we will send meter readings to your previous supplier. It can take a further 4-6 weeks for you to receive your final bill.

After your supply transfers to us, it can take up to six weeks for your previous supplier to send a final bill. If you transferred to us more than six weeks ago, please contact us.

MPAN stands for Meter Point Administration Number. It is the reference number unique to the supply of electricity at your property.

MPR stands for Meter Point Reference number. It is the number unique to the gas supply at your property.

You can contact us by phone, email or letter. We recommend that you speak to us directly so we can resolve your query quickly. Find our phone numbers here or contact us online.

We’ll review your account at least once a year to make sure you’re not paying too much or too little.

Yes, you can give a meter reading online. This will help give you a more accurate bill when we change the prices on 14 September. It will be more accurate if we receive the readings nearer to the 14 September but any readings at any time make our estimates even more accurate. Click on My Energy Account to log into your online account and follow the instructions to enter your meter readings.

The price change takes effect from 14 September. Anything you use before this date will be charged at the old prices and your usage thereafter will be at the new price. This will be clearly shown on your bill.

No, that’s the benefit of having a fixed rate, your prices stay the same until the end of your fixed price period. We’ll write to you before your fixed price is due to end so you can choose another product.

We’ve made a promise not to increase our prices until 1 August 2012 at the earliest. We’ve also introduced a fixed price product to give you peace of mind.

There are several ways you can save money on your bills. From 14 September our monthly Direct Debit discount will increase to 6%¹. We’ve also introduced a new fixed price product to help give you peace of mind. Another great way to save money is to reduce how much energy you use. We’ve got lots of helpful tips and advice to help you reduce your energy use.

¹ Effective from 14 September 2011. If you are billed prior to the 14 September 2011, your monthly direct debit discount will be calculated at 5%.

An increase in the unit cost of energy does not have to mean paying more for your bill. Improving energy efficiency is the fastest and most cost effective way of reducing energy costs. There are lots of simple measures you can take to help reduce your usage, take a look at our energy saving tips.

Since M&S Energy was launched in 2008 we have never increased our electricity prices. Our last gas price increase was in December 2010.

There are three main things which have caused an increase. The first is the cost of using the energy networks to distribute electricity and gas to our customers’ homes ². This cost is determined by Ofgem and it’s 14% higher than it was a year ago. Second is the cost of the mandatory environmental and social schemes that suppliers are required to fund, like the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Warm Home Discount ³, is 11% higher than it was a year ago. And the third is the wholesale cost of electricity has gone up by around 25% and gas has gone up by around 40% since our last gas price increase in December 2010.

² Distribution costs as published April 2011 Vs April 2010.

³ Environmental and social schemes at April 2011 Vs April 2010 – including CERT, CESP, FITs, EU ETS, ROCs, and Warm Home Discount

We’d like to speak to you before you leave. We’re confident we are still competitive on price and would like the opportunity to find a product that suits your lifestyle. If we can’t do that, then we can talk you through the steps required to make sure you leave without the impact of the price increase on your final bill.

No. There is no cost for the initial assessment and there is no obligation to sign up on the day. Our M&S approved assessors will give you the option of returning the paperwork at a later date.

Our call centre is open 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am -12pm Saturdays. We also have a UK based out of hour’s service contactable on the same number, where we can take a message for you to pass to our call centre to address during office hours. Or if it’s an emergency we can provide details on who to call.

Our Call centre is UK based and our M&S advisors will be able to assist you with your query in a clear and professional manner.
Call us on 0800 0 106 106.

Our approved installers use mineral wool or glass fibre. However you can discuss the type of material with your approved assessor when he visits.

Loft insulation saves about 25% of your heat loss or on average £175 per year on your fuel bills.
Cavity wall insulation saves about 35% of your heat loss or on average £135 per year on your fuels bills.

(Information sourced from Energy Savings Trust website. Annual savings are estimated figures based on insulating a gas-heated, 3-bedded, semi-detached home.)

No. An accurate assessment will highlight if your property may be vulnerable to damp – if so then we will not recommend you proceed with the insulation. However the vast majority of all properties assessed are deemed suitable for insulation and therefore will not be subject to resultant damp issues. Ultimately your approved M&S assessor will identify if your property is at risk of damp as a result of filling its cavities, and if it is deemed it may be, then insulation would not be recommended.

EST has found that incidents of damp in filled cavities is just 3.5%, where as incidents of damp in unfilled cavities is higher, reaching 8%.

Insulation from M&S only uses recommended assessors who can thoroughly assess your home’s suitability for insulation, and we only use certified insulation installers, all of whose workmanship are covered by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency for 25 years after installation.

No, it is not a good idea to compress the material. This is because it is not the material that insulates your home, but the air that it traps. Compressing the material will reduce its ability to reduce heat loss.

Loft insulation is laid to building regulations standards, cross-hatched, firstly between the joists and then over them at right angles up to a minimum of 250mm (which is approx 10")

Unfortunately we do not provide insulation grants for DIY work.

Our M&S approved installers drill Injection holes of 22mm or 25mm diameter (This is about the size of a 10p piece) at a predetermined pattern/distance in the walls of your home from the outside about 1.5m apart in all directions.

They then gently blow the material into the cavity which is usually a 50mm-75mm gap between the walls.

In most cases properties built before 1935 do not have a suitable cavity to accept insulation, however, it can be possible and there are instances where cavity walls have been found in properties built before 1935. Our approved assessors will look at the suitability of your property during a free no obligation survey.

We can insulate cavity walls in properties built up to, and including the year 2002 in many cases.
Properties built later than this were normally insulated to a sufficient standard during the construction process. We can check this for you as part of your free no obligation assessment.

Unfortunately, bats are an endangered species and our installers are unable to carry out insulation when bats are in residence. Please contact either English Nature 01733 455 000 or the Countryside Council for Wales 08451 306 229 who will be able to help.

Our call centre will take your application over the telephone and if convenient book your assessment date at this time.
We will use reasonable efforts to carry out an Assessment at your Property within 7 working days of your request (so long as you have provided us with all of the information required by us to carry out the assessment).

We will use reasonable efforts to carry out your Installation within 8 weeks of receipt of your signed Customer Declaration Form and Assessment Form (as long as you are able to arrange a time to give us access to your Property).

Some flats are just like houses, so they are possible to do. However, in order to complete a job on flats, all the walls need to be filled. This means that all of the residents in the block will also have to agree to the work.

Tower blocks, custom built flats with metal frames and flats where access problems are an issue are not normally possible.
Your M&S approved assessor will be able to advise you.

No charges will be incurred without your approval.

Walk boards, loft ventilation, pipe insulation, cold water tank insulation and cavity core vents will be included within the price.

Additional charges will apply for the following items and these will generally be advised by the assessor:
Scaffolding - All installers will carry some access equipment where it is required to overcome obstructions such as conservatories when carrying out cavity wall insulation. But in some cases the only safe method of accessing certain parts of properties may be by using scaffolding. This will be highlighted at your assessment and our approved M&S installers will provide a quote.
Extra wide cavities – Generally the majority of cavities are between 50mm-65mm wide but in some cases a property may have extra wide cavities which will require more insulation material to fill. There are additional charges where this is the case and these will be priced individually depending on the width of the cavity.
Loft hatch – If you require a new loft hatch or enlargement of your current loft hatch then the assessor will advise you of this during your assessment and our approved M&S installers will be able to provide quotes prior to any work being carried out.
Loft clearance – If you require any help in clearing your loft then we will be able to provide this service also. The Installers will be able to provide a quote prior to any work being carried out.
Extra meterage - If your property exceeds a maximum meterage there will be an additional charge of £5 per m² for the area above the maximum allowed for your property type. For more information about maximum meterages for your property type please email or call us direct on our number 0800 0 106 106.

But please note all quotes are subject to change.

Insulation from M&S is currently only available in mainland Great Britain and the Isle of Wight, but we do have plans to expand on this.

If you live in Northern Ireland, Ireland, the Scottish Islands or the Isle of Man and have applied or would like to apply, please register your interest and we will be in touch when we can service your enquiry.

A solar photovoltaic (PV) system provides electricity from sunlight. A grid connected solar panel system is connected directly into a building's existing mains supply. On a sunny day, the power generated by the PV system reduces the amount of electricity that needs to be purchased from your electricity company and you will be paid for the electricity your solar pv system produces. At times, when the electricity being generated is not required in the property, the surplus will be exported out into the grid and you will also be paid for this.

Solar pv systems use solar cells in a panel to convert the energy from the sun into electricity to power electrical appliances within a building or to be exported to the national grid.

The technical term for a solar electricity system is Photovoltaic or "pv". The term "photovoltaic" comes from the Greek f?? (phos) meaning "light" and "voltaic" meaning electric from the name of the Italian physicist Volta. Literally speaking it means electricity from light.

Solar pv generates electricity from daylight. When two different conductor materials touch, and light shines on them, a potential difference is created. This is known as a voltage, and is what creates the current which flows along a wire and causes the transmittance of electromagnetic energy. The more light that shines on the panel each year, the more electricity it produces.

An inverter converts the electricity from DC to AC for use in the home. When the solar pv system is producing more power than is needed within the home it is exported to the grid and you receive money from your electricity company. At night, when the solar system is not producing any electricity, or at a time when more electricity is required within the home than is being produced by the solar system, electricity is imported from the grid in the normal way.

A more technical explanation: A pv cell is made up of two thin layers of semi-conducting material (silicon) that generate electricity when exposed to daylight and when light shines on a pv cell the material absorbs some of the light particles called photons. When a photon is absorbed, an electron is released within one layer of the semi-conducting material. These ‘free’ electrons will be attracted towards the other layer of semi-conducting material so they move across the boundary between the layers and this movement creates a flow of electricity between the two layers within a cell.

Both Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) are a flow of electrons, but direct current is steady, flows in one direction (hence, it flows directly) and remains at a constant level while alternating current rises and falls as the electrons continually change direction (hence, it alternates).

A simple way to think of AC and DC is to consider an upside down bicycle wheel. DC would be you spinning the wheel in one direction very quickly, while AC would be you spinning the wheel quickly one way and then the other. Either way, the energy generated by this movement will make your fingers hot when you touch the wheel.

With a solar pv system you could:

- reduce and future proof your fuel bills – sunlight is free so once you have paid for the initial installation, your bills for producing electricity will be significantly reduced (depending on the size of the system) for the lifetime of the system.

- generate income – with the introduction of the M&S Energy’s/SSE Feed-in Tariff in April 2010 you can be paid by your electricity company for the electricity your system generates at above-market rates (see Q14 relating to feed-in Tariffs).

- cut your carbon footprint – solar pv uses the renewable resource of the sun and reduces the release of harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants.

In addition:

- Solar pv requires very little maintenance as it has no moving parts and is silent in operation and once installed, you should be able to benefit from the free electricity it produces for your household.

- PV cells are estimated to have a lifespan of 30 to 35 years on average, therefore repaying their embodied energy tenfold over their lifetime.

A solar pv system is made up of a number of different components including the solar electricity (pv) panels themselves (usually located on the roof of a building) plus the framework on which it sits; an inverter that converts the direct current (DC) produced by the solar panels into alternating current (AC) required by the electrical system within a home, a total generation meter, some switchgear and some wiring.

This is dependent on a number of factors, especially the total size of the solar panels installed, the type of panels used, the orientation of the solar panels (due south facing is best), the angle of the solar panels from the horizontal (ideally 30° - 45°), and whether the proposed location for the solar panels is subject to any shading.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average 3-bedroom house uses 3,300 units or kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year although this is an average and will vary from property to property. Each kWp (kilowatt peak) of solar electricity produces between 800 and 1,200 kWh per year depending on the factors listed above.

Therefore, to produce all of the electricity required for an average household, the pv system would need to be around 3 - 4 kWp. However, it is not essential to provide all of your home's electricity needs from a solar electricity system as you will still be connected to the national grid.

No, the system is connected to the national grid. During the night, when the cells are not generating energy, electricity is imported from the national grid in the normal way. Any excess electricity generated during the day, for example when you are at work, is exported back to the grid.

This will all be done for you as part of the installation. Permission is required to connect a system to the distribution network but this is usually not a problem for any system up to 4kWp.

Yes you get paid. All electricity suppliers in the UK are working hard to provide more and more of their electricity from renewable sources and will purchase the electricity generated by householders. The government has introduced a new 'Feed-in Tariff' which came into effect in April 2010. Electricity suppliers are obliged to buy renewable electricity at a fixed rate above the overall market rates. M&S Energy’s partner SSE can provide your FiT by calling 0800 9 754 754.

The Feed-in Tariff (FiT) was introduced in April 2010 to incentivise householders and businesses that install microgeneration technologies. Under this new Feed-in Tariff energy companies are obliged to purchase renewable electricity at fixed above-market rates which are set by the government. The structure of the new Feed-in Tariff is as follows (based on a domestic installation of less than 4kW):

The householder will receive a payment for all electricity generated, whether consumed within the home or exported to the grid – this is known as the generation tariff and the rate is currently 21 pence per kilowatt hour. The rate of the generation tariff is currently set and guaranteed for a 25 year period. However, households installing solar pv systems in future years will get a reduced rate as the government intends to decrease the tariff each year from 2012 because they expect the cost of solar electricity systems to fall as a result of the increased demand. In order to receive the best possible Feed-in Tariff rate a solar electricity system will therefore need to be installed before April 2012.

The householder will also receive an additional payment for every kilowatt hour exported to the national grid – this is known as the export tariff and the rate is currently set at 3.1 pence per kilowatt hour. Currently, in most cases, households will have their export estimated at a rate of 50% of all the electricity generated, until smart meters, which will record the actual export, are rolled out in the future.

The benefit of consuming the electricity you produce on site is the avoided costs of electricity you would otherwise have had to purchase from the grid. The cost of purchasing electricity from the national grid varies from supplier to supplier but a current average is around 12 pence per kilowatt hour. For more information please visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.

Each utility company is able to choose how it wishes to organise its billing and generation (FiT or cash back) and export tariff arrangements. For example, one utility company will deduct the amount from the amount owed on the electric bill, whilst others may bill as normal and provide a personal cheque for what they owe the householder in quarterly intervals. It is best to check with the utility company that you obtain your Feed-in Tariff from and obtain their policies in writing.

If you are an M&S Energy customer and you have been registered for FiT's, your account will be set up ready for payments to be made to you in the next available billing quarter.
Payments will be made on a quarterly basis on receipt of a valid meter reading.
Payments can be made either directly to your bank account, by cheque, or payments can be transferred to your M&S Energy account to offset your bills. If we transfer your FiT payments to your M&S Energy account you will see the payment transfer clearly displayed on your next energy statement. If we send your payments to your bank or by cheque, you will receive a statement which outlines your payment details.

Whenever your panels are producing more electricity than your home is using, it will be exported back to the national grid. As long as you have an arrangement with your energy company, you will be paid for this electricity so you can be sure that your energy bills will be even less and none of your clean, renewable electricity will be wasted. M&S customers can contact our partner SSE on 0800 9 754 754 or visit www.uswitch.com to check what arrangements can be made.
It's simple to switch to M&S Energy. And it's simple to save too. We'll show you easy ways to use less energy and save money – M&S Energy will reward you when you do. If you are interested in switching your electricity (or gas) please call 0800 9 754 754 or apply on line at www.mandsenergy.com.
Please note that under the new Feed-in Tariff all exported electricity will be paid at an agreed set rate irrespective of the energy supplier who purchases that electricity. This is in addition to the tariff for the total amount generated by the pv system.

The installed costs of a solar pv system will depend on a number of factors, especially the size of the system installed and the type of panel used. It should also be noted that most installations will require scaffolding to access the roof.

M&S solar pv systems start from £6,399 for a 1.41 kWp system. A typical 2.35 kWp system which will produce approximately 50% of an average household’s electricity needs will cost from £7,999. With fuel costs certain to rise over its lifetime, a solar electricity system can be seen as an economic investment as well as an environmental one. Please note that prices will vary from property to property and a more exact quote can be provided for any specific building once a full assessment has been carried out, call 0800 0 106 106 for details.

No, previously you could access a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, but the government has now stopped this and introduced the new Feed-in Tariff which offers longer term benefits.

Most domestic properties do not require planning permission. However, there are some exceptions to this, if the property is a listed building or is situated in a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or in a conservation area. In all cases you will need to contact the planning department of your local authority for clarification. Some local authorities may charge approx £30-60 to check if you are able to have a solar installation. Please contact your local authority direct for further clarification of permission and costs if applicable.

Each kWp requires an area of approximately 8m².

Shading is critical and even minor shading can result in a significant loss of energy being produced by the solar array, so it is best to avoid shading wherever possible, especially from any trees or buildings to the south of the array. This is because the cell with the lowest illumination determines the operating current of the series string in which it is connected and shading to even just one cell can reduce the power output to 50% of its full available value. This is one of the areas covered in the suitability assessment carried out before any installation, to ensure that the building is suitable for a solar pv installation.

Once a survey has been completed and the householder agrees to proceed, the assessor will give you an indication of how long it will take to install, depending on the size of the installation and your property.

Our solar pv system panels have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years with an expected lifetime of up to 30 to 35 years on average.

It is estimated that the performance of the pv system will decrease by less than 1% per year, with the manufacturers guarantee that the electricity system will still perform at 80% of its installed efficiency 25 years after installation. Inverters are generally guaranteed for at least 5 years, although this is extendable, and workmanship is guaranteed for 2 years. If you choose a solar pv system from option 2, your inverters have a 25 year warranty.

Solar pv systems are silent in operation, have no moving parts and require very little maintenance. However, during the lifetime of the system, the inverter (which converts the DC electricity produced to AC electricity) may need to be replaced.

In most cases solar pv systems for homes are entirely grid connected. If there is a power cut the solar pv system is automatically switched off as a safety measure, designed to stop electricity leaking on to the national grid and to protect individuals who may be working to restore the power supply.

The solar pv system will have instructions on how to turn it on again if this is necessary.

If your demand for electricity should increase in future years a solar pv system can be expanded with the inclusion of additional panels although some other components of the original system may also need to be upgraded.

The systems currently on offer under M&S Energy home services will not be sufficient to provide space heating on their own. There is five times more energy from the sun in the warmest months of summer than in the coldest months of winter and the majority of the energy received is during the period April to September so current systems would be insufficient for space heating when required in the winter months. To provide any useful contribution to space heating when it is most required in the winter months a much larger system would be required.

However, it may be possible to expand your system in the future to meet the higher demands. A technical assessment would be required to make sure your property is suitable.

Due to the seasons – longer summer days, and shorter winter days – solar electric energy output will vary.

Yes, the important thing to bear in mind is that solar power depends on the intensity of radiation, not necessarily direct sunlight, and electricity will still be generated even on cloudy days though at a lesser rate than on days with full sun. The pv system will take in direct sunlight and diffuse (through cloud) sunlight. Even in mid-summer diffuse can actually be greater than direct, so clouds are not an issue.

By installing a solar pv system you will be producing your own renewable electricity, therefore offsetting the production of carbon dioxide from electricity generation using fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal. The amount of CO2 saved is dependent on the size of the system installed - a typical 2kWp solar electricity system will save almost 1 tonne of carbon dioxide each year (based on the emission factor used by the UK government of 0.43kg of CO2/kWh).

Yes, you can have this arrangement. However it will be usually twice the price as you will require an additional pump and control system and you may need a slightly larger system to deal with the losses. Please note that more exact information can be provided for any specific building once a full assessment has been carried out.

Yes, as long as the garage roof is suitable, the system can be fitted to the garage in most circumstances. Please note that more exact information can be provided for any specific building once a full assessment has been carried out.

Installing solar pv is a big investment. Monitoring it is therefore an important part of all 3 of our solar pv packages and we have selected a system to ensure accuracy of the data. Our monitoring service makes sure you have sight of your installation’s performance by taking generation data from your generation meter. We monitor it too – via the internet. This means that if generation performance reduces at any point, we can notify you quickly (you set the rules for contact – but it could be by email or by phone) and support you in addressing the issue.

You will be able to view the performance of your solar pv installation on the in room display and also monitor the performance online.

Solar thermal systems use the heat of the sun to warm a liquid that flows through solar panels (usually situated on the roof) which in turn heats water in a storage cylinder producing hot water at the taps or for a shower.

Solar thermal systems use the radiation from the sun to heat a liquid (usually a mixture of water, antifreeze and a corrosion inhibitor) that flows through a solar panel, often sited on the roof of a building, which in turn heats water contained within a storage cylinder via a heat exchanger for use at the taps/shower etc within a building. A solar thermal system does not produce electricity. A conventional boiler or immersion heater is generally used as a backup to heat water within the hot water cylinder in order to reach the temperature set by the cylinder’s thermostat when the solar system is unable to heat water to the required temperature (for instance, during winter months).

With a solar thermal system you could:
- reduce and future proof your fuel bills – sunlight is free so once you have paid for the initial installation, your bills for producing hot water could be significantly reduced for the lifetime of the system (around 25 years).
- cut your carbon footprint – solar thermal uses the renewable resource of the sun and reduces the release of harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants.

A solar thermal system includes the panels, a new hot water cylinder (either to replace an existing cylinder or to be coupled with an existing cylinder) a control system as well as all the pipe work and connection with your boiler.

M&S is using a flat panel system.

Ideally the panels should be south facing, usually on the roof of a building or they can be mounted on a frame attached to a wall of a building or even ground mounted. However, there is a good deal of tolerance with solar thermal systems and their efficiency will only decrease by a small amount if the panels face anywhere between south east and south west. If you only have east and west facing roofs, panels can still be installed on each of these roofs but costs will increase as you will require more panels than would be the case on a south facing roof. North facing roofs are not conducive for solar thermal systems.

A good rule of thumb is that, for each occupant of the household, approximately 1m2 of solar panel is required. Therefore, for the average family, the solar thermal panels will require 3-4m2 of roof space. (NB usually sited on the roof but can be wall or ground mounted). Although pipework from the panels will normally have to run through the loft space, this will not prevent you using your loft.

In the UK a solar thermal system can never be the sole provider of hot water as there is simply insufficient sunshine in the winter months to heat water to the required temperature and you therefore need to have a conventional water heating system as well, such as a gas, oil or wood fired boiler (or even a back-boiler on a wood stove). This is required to top up the heat from the solar system when necessary and to provide hot water and space heating in the winter. You can add a solar thermal system to most existing hot water systems, although you will usually have to change your existing hot water cylinder to a twin coil cylinder (to allow for water heating from the solar system and from the conventional boiler) or, as an alternative, add an additional water cylinder to pre-heat the water from the solar system to feed into the original cylinder. You will also need a pump to circulate the water around the solar system and some regulating equipment to prevent overheating.

Combi boilers take water direct from the mains and provide instantaneous water and space heating without the need for a hot water storage cylinder and most combi boilers are not designed to take pre-heated water from a solar system. Connecting a solar system can present some problems and it is always recommended that the householder checks with the manufacturer of the combi boiler to establish if it can be used with a solar thermal system. Generally there will be an increase in cost for installing a solar thermal system with a combi boiler. All solar systems require a hot water storage cylinder.

In the majority of solar thermal installations the existing hot water cylinder (where the heating is from a conventional boiler or possibly an immersion heater) is replaced with a new twin-coil cylinder so that the water it contains can be heated by the solar system and by the conventional boiler when that is required as a back-up (e.g. in the winter months). The twin-coil cylinders are generally taller than a normal cylinder so you will need to have sufficient space (usually in an airing cupboard) to house it. An alternative is to fit a new ‘pre-heat’ dedicated solar cylinder alongside the existing cylinder though this will require more space and is also considered to be slightly less efficient than using just one cylinder.

This is purely dependent on the age and condition of your existing boiler and, in most cases, a new boiler is not required. However, if the boiler is old, it is likely that it will not be working very efficiently and a replacement with a modern efficient boiler would be recommended. An assessment of your property will determine if you require a new boiler.

This is dependent on a number of factors, especially the size of the system installed and the type of fuel that traditionally heated your water, but savings can be between £50 and £85 per year^* depending on your heating fuel type.
^* EST figures – All savings are approximate and are based on the hot water heating requirements of a 3 bed semi detached home with a 3.5m squared panel.

Most domestic properties do not require planning permission provided the solar panels do not project more than 200mm above the surface of the roof covering and do not project above the ridge of the roof. However, you may need permission if the panels are of an unusual design, they project significantly beyond the roof slope, or your house is a listed building or is situated in a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or in a conservation area.
Some local authorities may charge approx £30-60 to check if you are able to have a solar installation. Please contact your local authority direct for further clarification of permission and costs if applicable.

M&S Energy only use fully MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) accredited installers for the installation of solar thermal and solar pv systems. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme is an independent scheme that certifies microgeneration products and installers in accordance with consistent standards and is designed to evaluate microgeneration products and installers against robust criteria providing greater protection for consumers. An MCS approved installer must be used in order for the householder to qualify for the government grant. See the following website for further information http://www.microgenerationcertification.org.

This is dependent on the size of your property and the size and type of system. Your assessor will give you an indication of how long it will take to install on completion of your assessment.

With M&S Energy home services all solar panels are guaranteed for 10 years, cylinders for 5 years and all other parts and labour for 2 years.

A well installed solar thermal system should only require servicing by an accredited installer at 3-5 year intervals although it may be advisable to couple this on a more regular basis with the general servicing requirements of your boiler. During the lifetime of the system (approx 25 years) it is possible that some minor components may need to be replaced (for example, the pump).

The systems currently on offer under M&S Energy home services will not be sufficient to provide space heating on their own, however it is possible to expand the system in the future to meet the higher demands and a technical assessment would be required to make sure your property is suitable.

Many parts of the UK have annual solar radiation levels equal to 60% of those experienced at the equator, and this means a solar thermal system in the UK can produce up to 70% of the annual hot water requirements for an average household. Most of the sun’s radiation will be received over the period of April – September when a solar thermal system can produce up to 100% of the hot water required within a household, but a system can still provide some useful hot water even on overcast days during the winter months.

Yes, you would simply have a larger system. It may be twice the cost though of a conventional system.

If the garage is within 25 metres of the property then this will be possible. However, it is always best to have the shortest distance between the panel and the tank as possible.