Milton Keynes family eliminates energy bills with home upgrades
UKPulse News Desk
A family in Milton Keynes has eliminated their energy bills for five years after retrofitting their home with solar panels, a battery, and a heat pump. This comes as millions of British households face increased energy charges.
- The Naylor family's four-bedroom home in Milton Keynes was retrofitted with 17 solar panels, a heat pump, and a large battery.
- The upgrades allow the family to use an Octopus Energy tariff that guarantees no bills for heating, lighting, or devices for five years, within a "fair usage" limit.
- The retrofitting project was funded by Santander as part of a study into financing energy efficiency improvements.
A family in Milton Keynes will not receive an energy bill for the next five years, despite millions of British households facing a 4% rise in the price cap from today, 1 October 2026, and predictions of a 16% increase in January.
Clare Naylor's four-bedroom detached home, built in the 1980s, was retrofitted with 17 solar panels, a heat pump, and a large battery in the garage. This technology allows the house to operate like a mini-power station, feeding excess energy back to the grid.
The family qualifies for an Octopus Energy "Zero Bills" tariff, which guarantees no charges for heating, lighting, or devices, provided they stay within a "fair usage" limit. To qualify, homes must have no gas, meaning the Naylors' gas boiler was removed.
The retrofitting work, which would have cost just under £20,000 after a government grant, was funded by Santander as part of a project exploring how to finance energy efficiency improvements in homes. Octopus Energy is testing the "Zero Bills" tariff in older, retrofitted houses, having previously operated it in hundreds of new-build homes.
Why this matters: The project demonstrates a potential pathway for older homes to achieve energy independence and avoid rising energy costs, which are a significant outgoing for many households.
What this means for you: If you own a home, particularly an older one, this initiative highlights potential future financing options and technologies that could help reduce or eliminate your energy bills.