A Win-Win for Tenants and Landlords
Millions of social housing residents across the UK face rising energy costs, often without the ability to make home improvements like solar panels themselves. Octopus Energy’s Tenant Power initiative is helping change that by bringing cheaper, greener electricity to tenants, with no upfront cost. Tenant Power is a first-of-its-kind energy plan designed specifically for social housing, offering tenants potential savings of up to £200 a year on electricity bills compared with standard variable rates. The discount applies year-round, including during the higher-usage winter months.
At Smart Energy Homes, we are proud to be a trusted installer for Octopus Energy, helping roll out Tenant Power across social housing communities. We install solar panels and battery storage in homes, enabling tenants to generate and use their own renewable energy. Surplus electricity can be stored or automatically sold back to the National Grid when demand is high, helping balance the system and generate additional revenue.
How Tenant Power Works
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Solar panels and batteries are installed by Smart Energy Homes on behalf of the landlord – tenants don’t pay anything upfront for the technology.
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Tenants are placed on Octopus Energy’s Tenant Power tariff, receiving a fixed annual discount on their electricity unit rates.
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Smart systems optimise energy use, storing surplus power in batteries and selling excess electricity back to the National Grid when it’s most valuable.
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Housing associations benefit financially from the shared technology and income model, receiving payments for exported electricity. These funds can be reinvested to deliver further renewable upgrades across more homes.
Breaking Down Barriers to Green Technology
A major challenge in social housing has been the upfront cost of installing renewable technology like solar panels and battery storage. With Octopus Energy’s Tenant Power, landlords can achieve a financial return from selling surplus electricity back to the grid, making renewable upgrades more economically viable. Meanwhile, tenants benefit from ongoing energy savings without needing to install any equipment themselves.
As a trusted installer for Octopus Energy, Smart Energy Homes ensures that smart controls are set up to automatically optimise energy use, storing electricity in batteries and exporting surplus power at the most valuable times. Combined with the fixed year-round tariff discount, this provides tenants with stability and lower bills, even during high-usage winter months.
What This Means for Residents
For households participating in Octopus Energy’s Tenant Power scheme, the impact can be substantial. Tenants enjoy lower energy bills while benefiting from clean, locally generated electricity. Many early adopters also report a sense of empowerment and control, knowing their homes are using renewable energy efficiently, all installed and managed seamlessly by Smart Energy Homes, a trusted Octopus Energy partner.
Looking Ahead
Tenant Power provides a scalable model that other housing associations and local authorities across England could adopt. As more social landlords install renewable infrastructure with the support of Smart Energy Homes, this approach can cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions, and make low-carbon electricity more accessible to thousands of households nationwide.
GET IN TOUCH
If you’re a housing provider, local authority, or organisation interested in reducing energy bills and delivering affordable, low-carbon power for residents, we’d love to hear from you.
