Norbert's Green Home Story
Norbert has been with Good Energy for energy supply and Feed in Tariff since 2012, and last year boosted his solar earnings by joining our export tariff.
Keen to take even more action on climate change, this year he’s opted to install a heat pump, Tesla Powerwall and EV charge point with Good Energy – and switched to our Smart EV Tariff too.
Norbert shares a review of his experience with Good Energy and how all the products work together to keep his energy bills low.
What motivated you to get a heat pump?
“Our main motivation for getting a heat pump was concerns about the environment. The government can only do so much to combat climate change – I believe individuals have a responsibility to take action too, and we were in the fortunate position to be able to make these upgrades to our home.
Our home was heated by a gas combi boiler. To us, it didn’t make sense to wait until our boiler had broken down – we wanted to act now. We already had solar panels, so a heat pump that runs off electricity made sense.”
How was your heat pump installation?
“We got our heat pump installed in April 2024, and altogether it was a very positive experience. The installation team was kind and very accommodating – taking time to explain each evening what they’d done that day and the plan for the next day, including which rooms they would be working in.
Our 1980s home was already well insulated, with loft and wall insulation and double-glazed windows. However, it did have microbore pipework throughout. Good Energy removed all of this and replaced it with larger pipework so that the heat pump would run efficiently.
This additional work meant that our install took two weeks, whereas a typical install takes around one week. Good Energy supplied us with two electric heaters while the work took place, but parts of our home did get quite cold.
Ever since our heat pump has been installed, it has kept our home a constant comfortable 20 degrees. We also saved waste by donating our gas combi boiler to a friend.”
Adding a Tesla Powerwall and EV Charger
“In August 2024, we decided to add a Tesla Powerwall and a myenergi zappi electric vehicle charger to our home.
We had another very nice and reliable team from Good Energy complete the work. The installation took place mainly outside our home and didn’t disturb us. Early on, the team discovered a material that they feared was asbestos, so work was stopped for safety reasons.
Good Energy sent off a sample for testing, and fortunately it was just normal insulation – meaning that they could come back to our home and finish the installation in around two days.”
Completing a sustainable home with a Smart tariff
“The final piece of the puzzle is Good Energy’s Smart EV tariff – which has a very low rate between midnight and 5am. During this time, we charge our electric car and our Tesla Powerwall – which then works alongside our solar panels to provide much of the electricity used by our appliances and heat pump throughout the day.
All of the products from Good Energy are working together to keep our energy bills very low.
In September 2024, our total bill was just £31 – that includes heating our home at a constant 20 degrees, charging our electric car and all of the usual appliances!
It’s brilliant to see those savings and know that we’ve hugely limited our contribution to climate change too.”
Advice to others considering green upgrades
“For people who can afford to install a heat pump, solar panels and battery, I would advise to do it as soon as you can. There are government grants in place to help with the upfront cost, and it’s well worth the investment when it brings your monthly energy bills down.
And for people who can’t afford it or aren’t able to upgrade their current homes, choose a green energy company like Good Energy. With 100% renewable electricity and green gas, you can basically go green without all the investment. I’ve only had good experiences with Good Energy. You can quickly get someone on the phone who understands your requests and helps you to solve issues, and I hope it will stay that way.”
