Gentoo Housing Group has signed a 20-year deal which will retrofit stock and fund local community projects
On the roofs of houses in the village of Penshaw near Sunderland, what look like dark glass windows shimmer against the skyline. They are PV solar panels. Kevin Garrett, who has lived in social housing in the area for the past four years, had them installed on his property in 2012. He also had solid wall insulation put in, and in just two years his energy bill has been slashed by more than half. During the day, his family benefit from free power.
To make these savings the father of two, who is unable to work due to medical conditions affecting his circulation and immune system, has to make sure he never uses several electrical appliances at once. He deliberately switches on his washing machine at 11am when the panels are at their most effective.