This is an average saving of up to 145 per cent on the average annual electricity bill – in some cases making bills zero – with businesses saving up to 47 per cent and payback periods of as little as one year.
The new platform, accessible via a user-friendly app, will be available from this month for customers with – or looking to install – a solar and battery system. Using AI, it will allow customers to earn money through participation in energy market trading. Users will have access to unique analysis of their energy usage, the weather, and the needs of the grid, increasing energy transparency and putting the power and control into the hands of households and businesses.
The first customers are expected to join in the coming months, with the platform forecast to deliver a collective £120 million in savings to 40,000 households over the next five years. With UK seeing a record number of installations of solar panels, batteries and heat pumps – 170,000 in the first six months of 2025 – this rate of adoption could mean over a million homes reap the benefits of the platform by 2030.
PBE research shows that interest in solar and renewable energy is primarily driven by financial considerations rather than sustainability. Many households miss out on the long-term savings of renewable energy because they don’t fully understand the benefits. This has led some providers to scale back green energy options, including tariffs, even though small systems could save money over time.
Joulen and PBE’s partnership will save the average UK household over £1,100 – with savings of up to 145 per cent on the average annual bill, in some cases making bills zero – by reducing customers’ reliance on the grid and protecting them from energy price fluctuations. Household payback periods will be reduced from seven years to four, making onsite clean energy one of the most affordable options on the market.
With UK energy bills currently higher than any other country in Europe, and the Government’s recent Warm Homes Plan committing £13.2 billion to energy efficiency measures like residential solar panels, the new platform marks important step in making clean energy systems affordable for all.
For businesses, the opportunities are even greater. Companies will be able to cut their energy bills by around 47 per cent – for example, a reduction of £53,000 per year for an average primary school, or over £54,000 for a manufacturing business – while shrinking payback periods to as little as one year.
In periods of high energy demand, such as early evening, businesses will be able to unlock new revenue streams, selling surplus clean energy back to the grid at peak prices. Additionally, by using renewable energy more effectively, organisations will see a carbon emissions reduction of up to 40 per cent, supporting corporate sustainability targets and the UK’s net zero transition.
Business customers will also have access to a preferential tariff from Npower, giving them energy rates that have until now been reserved for larger enterprises or accessed only through brokers. This combination of lower costs, faster ROI, reduced emissions, and tailored tariffs, means the platform will be a transformative tool for organisations seeking to future-proof their operations.
“This partnership will introduce energy flexibility to a mass market, demonstrating how green technology in homes and on business sites, such as solar PV, batteries, and EVs, can significantly reduce bills, generate income, and support the grid’s transition to a clean electricity system” said Chris Doherty, Managing Director at Joulen. “Together, we’ll empower homes and businesses to become beneficiaries and participants in the future electricity system, rather than bystanders. Our collaboration with Project Better Energy represents a strategic alignment between two forward-thinking organisations. We’re excited to continue working with the team to help customers unlock savings and new revenue streams. By promoting an inclusive journey to net zero, we’ll accelerate the UK’s energy transition.”
Unlike large-scale renewable projects that can take up to a decade to connect, the platform enables households and small businesses to contribute to the grid immediately. By using AI-optimised energy trading, it will balance supply and demand in real-time, reducing the UK’s reliance on imported gas while cutting national carbon emissions.
By spreading energy generation and storage more widely across the country, the platform will both increase the grid’s resilience and stability and ensure that the benefits of clean energy are seen by households and businesses.
The partnership between UK-based businesses builds on the UK’s long-standing leadership in battery storage and AI-powered innovation.
Following this initial launch, the platform is set to include management of all smart technologies. By integrating optimisation of EV charging, heat pumps, and smart devices into its easy-to-use, all-in-one app, the platform will make energy transparency and control the norm, empowering citizens and businesses to play an essential role in the country’s net zero journey.
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