Nest real life stories: Mrs Edwards from Newport

Before contacting Nest, Mrs Edwards lived in a property that was not connected to the mains gas network. For years, she relied on electric heaters, which were expensive to run and made it difficult to keep the whole house warm.

During the winter months, the family often had to focus on heating just one room while the rest of the house remained cold. 

"In winter we would have one room warm and the rest of the house was hard to heat. We relied on lots of blankets and the house was difficult to keep heated."

Finding a sustainable solution

Concerned about rising energy costs and looking for a more sustainable way to heat her home, Mrs Edwards began searching online for support and discovered the Nest scheme.

After speaking to our friendly advisors, the property was assessed and approved for a new heat pump and solar panels. 

Once installation began, Mrs Edwards was impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of the contractors carrying out the work.

"They were brilliant when they came. It was all textbook. They were courteous, respectful and professional throughout."

Creating a more energy efficient home

These improvements have completely transformed how Mrs Edwards manages and uses energy.

Using the Solarman app, Mrs Edwards can monitor how much electricity her solar panels are generating and adapt day-to-day activities to make the most of the renewable energy being produced.

"I'm obsessed with the Solarman app! We now use the washing machine and other electric-heavy appliances when we're generating the most solar power.”

The app has also helped Mrs Edwards visualise the environmental impact of the installation.

“I can see how many trees we've effectively planted through our carbon savings. We're already at 99 trees."

Lower costs and greater peace of mind

The impact of the improvements was felt almost immediately. After registering with her energy supplier, Mrs Edwards was able to monitor both the electricity being generated and the amount being exported back to the grid.

"Within a few days we could see that we were exporting more electricity to the grid than we were using."

The household's monthly direct debit payments have reduced by around 50%, while weekly electricity costs are now less than £10. The family is also earning money by exporting surplus electricity back to the grid.

"Our bills aren't even £10 a week now. Come winter we'll have enough buffer in our account, and I can't wait for the house to be toasty warm.”

“It's made a big, big difference to us. Thank you to everyone involved and a particular thank you to Sian, who kept me informed and got the ball rolling."