Get the most out of your photovoltaic panels
If your property has photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on the roof, these will generate electricity from the sun and help you save money on your electricity bills. With energy prices remaining high, it’s important you know how your solar panels work and follow our top tips to get the most out of them.
Your panels convert energy from the sun into usable electricity in your home. Performance is best when the sun is at its highest in the sky and cloud cover is low, but they can generate electricity even on cloudy days.
Top tips to reduce your energy bills
Run washing and drying cycles during peak daylight hours
Most modern machines will be programmable or have delay features. So even if you are going to be out of the house most of the day you can set your cycles to run during daylight hours, even in the winter!
Charge devices during peak daylight hours
Most households have several gadgets which need charged almost daily including laptops, phones, tablets and smart watches. Ensuring you charge these devices during daylight hours will help keep your costs down.
Use your immersion heater during peak hours
Gas prices continue to rise so make sure you use your immersion heater to heat water during peak sunlight hours. Your high efficiency hot water cylinder will be able to hold this water for use that evening or even the next morning.
Use electric goods where possible
Spring through to Autumn is the time where garden maintenance is most needed and where solar capacity is at its peak. Try to use electric lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, strimmers etc or charge their batteries during peak daylight hours.
Simple checks to ensure your system is working
Your generation meter (pictured) is usually situated beside your consumer unit / fuse box which is normally under the stairs. This meter should continuously rise during daylight hours.
If you have noticed the meter is no longer going up after a day or two, you should check the isolation switch (pictured). It will usually be located beside it and should always be in the ‘ON’ position. If it is in the ‘ON’ position and the meter still isn’t generating, then contact Apex Property Services team on 028 7130 4800.
The final thing to check is your immersion heater. You can control this from your immersion boost switch in your kitchen. To test this is working, simply boost your immersion to heat the water and check that you have hot water after an hour. It is best to wait until you have no hot water before carrying out this test.
If you have no hot water following this immersion test, please contact Apex Property Services team on 028 7130 4800.
