Purchasing a new boiler, heat pump, solar thermal system, or solar panels with battery storage is one way of doing this. A new product offers cutting edge technology and greater efficiently, and is a big investment, one you would have spent a while considering.

It’s a big step towards a more efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective home. And with your new product running so smoothly from the outset, it can be tempting to let things run untouched for a few years. Afterall, you don’t want another expense!

We look at this differently, we recommend servicing from the outset – stay with us! Here’s why.

Protect Your Investment

Heating and renewable energy systems are complex, and, like any high-performance equipment, they need regular attention to keep performing at their best. Servicing helps to:

• Maintain efficiency – keeping your system in top condition saves energy and lowers running costs.
• Prevent breakdowns – spotting small issues early helps avoid unexpected (and expensive) failures later.
• Prolong system life – regular maintenance extends the lifespan of your equipment.
• Ensure safety – safety checks are vital, particularly for gas appliances, to guard against risks like carbon monoxide.
• Keep warranties valid – most manufacturers require annual servicing to maintain the warranty.

How Often Should You Service Your System?

Here’s our recommended schedule:

• Boilers – Annually. It’s essential for safety, efficiency, and warranty compliance, especially before winter.
• Heat Pumps – Every year. Ensures your system runs efficiently in all seasons.
• Solar Thermal Systems – Checked every year to maintain efficiency and prevent costly damage, with a fluid top-up/replacement every three to five years.
• Solar PV & Battery Storage – A health check every 1–2 years keeps performance and safety on track.

Why Gregor?

We’ve been a trusted name across Bristol, Bath, and the Southwest for over 35 years. With Gregor Heating and Renewables, you’re not just getting a service, you’re getting the backing of a team that genuinely cares about keeping your home warm, efficient, and running smoothly.

Here’s why customers choose us year after year:

We’re a Which? Trusted Trader

This means we’ve passed a rigorous assessment and adhere to the high standards set by one of the UK’s most respected consumer organisations. We were also recently awarded Which? Trusted Trader of the month for July 2025. It’s your reassurance that we’re committed to honest, high-quality service every time.

MCS Approved Installer

We’re certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, which means our work on renewable technologies (like heat pumps and solar systems) meets government-backed industry standards.

Local expertise

Our team of engineers are experienced, friendly, and responsive, backed by decades of local trust.

Servicing for all systems

From gas boilers to advanced renewable technologies, we’ve got the skills to service it all. We can service and maintain your Air Source Heat Pump, Ground Source Heat Pump and Solar Thermal Systems. The team can service all leading makes and models including Daikin, Mitsubishi and Vaillant.

Ask About Heat:Plan – Simple, Reliable Boiler Care

For boiler owners, we offer Heat:Plan, a convenient monthly plan that covers your annual boiler servicing and gives you peace of mind all year round. With Heat:Plan, you get:

• Your annual service included
• Priority breakdown response
• General Plumbing Jobs
• Access to our local, responsive team
• Fixed monthly payments – so there are no surprises

It’s the hassle-free way to keep your boiler running efficiently and reliably.

Our advice is to always be prepared! Don’t wait for something to go wrong. Protect your investment, your comfort, and your peace of mind, and your wallet with regular servicing from Gregor Heating and Renewables.

Contact us today to book your service or find out more about Heat:Plan and our renewable system support.

The post Why Servicing Your Heating & Renewable Systems Matters – And Why Gregor Should Be Your First Call appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

As energy costs continue to rise and environmental concerns grow, forward thinking UK businesses are increasingly turning to renewable energy solutions to reduce expenses and enhance sustainability. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy storage solutions.

At Gregor Renewables, we’ve helped businesses transition to a more environmentally friendly energy solution resulting in not only financial savings, but energy security, and a whole host of other benefits. Read on to find out the potential benefits for your business.

Cut Energy Bills and Reduce Operational Costs

Simply put, installing solar PV panels allows businesses to generate their own electricity, significantly reducing reliance on the National Grid. This leads to lower energy bills and protection against unpredictable energy price increases. By producing your own energy, your business can enjoy long-term savings and increased financial stability. By adding in one of our solar energy storage batteries you can also capture and store excess solar energy and use it when you do need it – think a sunny weekend when you are closed!

Offset National Insurance and Business Rates Increases

With recent increases in National Insurance contributions and business rates, companies are facing higher operational costs than before, which is having a real impact, especially on small and medium sized businesses. Investing in solar PV can help offset these rising expenses by reducing your energy spend and taking advantage of government incentives. Additionally, commercial properties with renewable energy installations may benefit from business rates exemptions, further easing financial pressures.

Government Incentives and Tax Benefits

The UK government offers several financial incentives to encourage the adoption of renewable energy, making solar PV an even more attractive investment:

• Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): Businesses can earn money by selling excess electricity back to the grid, creating an additional revenue stream. You can find out more about that here:
• VAT Reduction: Solar PV installations benefit from a 0% VAT rate (valid until the end of March 2027), reducing initial installation costs.
• Business Rates Exemption: The removal of business rates on green technologies, including solar panels, enhances the financial benefits of solar investment.

Legal and Policy Context: Moving Toward Net Zero

While there is currently no blanket legal requirement for all UK businesses to be carbon neutral, there is growing pressure from both government policy and market expectations. The UK Government has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and this target influences regulatory and financial frameworks. Larger businesses are already subject to environmental reporting obligations such as the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) and Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). By installing solar PV now, you are on the front foot in case policies change and are moving towards business expectations in terms of reducing your carbon footprint.

Companies that move proactively toward carbon neutrality often gain competitive advantages, particularly in supply chains, public procurement, and investor relations. Installing solar PV is a sure step businesses can take to align with national goals and stakeholder expectations.

Improve Energy Independence and Stability

If the last few years are anything to go by – global uncertainty is becoming the norm!  Generating your own electricity provides greater energy security and reduces dependency on external suppliers. This protects businesses from energy price volatility and supply chain disruptions, ensuring more predictable budgeting and operational planning.

Enhance Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Image

Switching to solar energy demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and reducing your company’s carbon footprint. Not only does this align with corporate social responsibility goals, it also strengthens your brands reputation, attracting environmentally conscious customers, investors, and partners.

Increase Property Value and Attractiveness

Installing solar PV can enhance the value of commercial properties by making them more energy-efficient and cost-effective to operate. Businesses that own their premises can benefit from increased asset value, while tenants can enjoy lower utility costs, making solar-equipped properties more attractive.

How to fund your Solar PV Project

You’ve seen the benefits of installing Solar PV, but how do you fund it? The good news is, there are many financial incentives which aim to reduce the financial barriers for businesses looking to adopt solar energy. This is a constantly changing market so it’s worth doing your research.

• Barclays Green Loans for Business: Offers discounted interest rates for businesses investing in eligible green assets, such as solar panels. They also provide green commercial mortgages for energy-efficient buildings with an EPC rating of B or above. 
• NatWest Green Loans: Aims to help eligible UK businesses finance assets like solar panels, electric vehicles, or heat pumps on commercial premises.
• Co-operative Bank Renewable Energy Funding Scheme: Provides up to 100% loan funding for renewable energy projects, including solar panel installations, to improve business sustainability and energy efficiency.
• Commercial Green Grants: There are some grants available for businesses – all with their own criteria. In the West of England, small and medium sized business and organisations can apply to West of England Growth Hub before the end of 2025.
• You can also search here on the gov.uk website.

• Green Loans for Business: Many leading banks are offering loans to eligible UK businesses for assets like solar panels, electric vehicles, and heat pumps, subject to eligibility.

As you can see, the installation of solar PV systems offers UK businesses a range of benefits, from significant cost savings and government incentives to enhanced brand reputation and energy independence. At Gregor Renewables, we’ve been advising on and installing solar PVs for almost 20 years. We will work with you to design and installing a bespoke solar solution tailored to your business needs.

Contact us today to discover how solar PV can benefit your business and take the next step toward a more sustainable and cost-effective future.

renewables@gregorheating.co.uk

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Solar PV

As one of the most tried and tested technologies around Solar PV is a safe bet.

First to deal with a little urban myth. The hotter the day the greater the performance, right?

Wrong.

Did you know that an air temperature of between 18 and 22 degrees range is optimum for Solar PV. Anything hotter than that and you really won’t get maximum performance from them.

At high temperatures they, in fact, generate their own energy shield to protect from temperatures over 30 degrees so don’t work efficiently in really hot weather at all.

Another common misconception is PV can run heat during winter months but it can’t although this is where storage options such as batteries come into their own.

That said, it still is a sensible choice to consider solar panels. Let’s face it if our winters are getting milder, during the lighter, better days the generation from panels is going to increase compared to even 10 years ago.

On a clear, sunny, warm day the average 3KW system will generate 3KW or operate at maximum capacity. This will drop to 95% with wispy clouds and if warm but cloudy to around half or 1.5KW energy, this is still enough to keep things running.

Choose solar PV:  if you have a south facing roof free from obstructions (e.g. large chimney or a big tree). Get a free quote by filling in questionnaire 

Heat pumps

What many people don’t understand about heat pumps is that they work best on low temperatures. It’s a big job to undertake and your property must be properly insulated before even considering putting in heat pumps.

Heat pumps operate at an average 45 degrees (compared to boilers at an average 70 degrees) so need bigger a surface area to process.

Another sticking point is the insulation. In order to qualify for the existing BUS grant of £7500 towards a heat pump installation you have to have insulation.

Be that cavity wall insulation, double glazing or decent roof insulation or all three, in an ideal world. If your EPC suggests insulation is needed, this must be addressed before you proceed with heat pump installation.

If your property has solid walls you would need to internally insulate or externally clad or else the heat loss will be too high for the heat pump to operate efficiently.

Another thing to take into account is that if you are retro-fitting an existing property and heating system you need to consider most of radiators will be need to up-sized. Many people do not realise the extra considerations needed here.

Installing heat pumps is a science in itself. Any good surveyor needs to calculate the potential heat loss of the building, determine the size and make recommendations for a feasible way forward.

Choose Heat Pump if: you have the correct insulation and the space to expand. Get a free survey by filling in our questionnaire.

Whatever heating solution you cboose, the renewable team’s top energy saving top tip is…

“Ensure your Radiators have thermostatic bulbs. Use energy saving controls and have decent level of roof insulation. If you can envelope your house if heat and do your best to ensure it’s not escaping, it will help reduce the costs.”

For more information about renewable heating solutions visit our specialist website 

The post Which renewable technology option is best for my property? appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

Earlier this year, we worked with this customer in Bath who has had a Solar PV system for seven years and was looking for help to lower their electric and gas consumption and keep their carbon footprint in check.

After a face-to-face consultation with our renewables team to look at the existing solar panel system, our experts went through all the potential options to come up with a total install package to help meet this customer’s objectives.

We identified that they could harness the excess solar power generated from their PV panels by using a battery backup system with a Solar Diverter.

In this instance the best solution was to use My Energi products due to the versatility in using a battery & hot water storage and also possible future demand for car charging.

We also recommended looking at alternative energy suppliers to help keep costs low.

For example Octopus Energy provide reasonable off-peak rates during the hours of 00:30 until 4am* meaning the battery can be topped on days where excess solar gain is not possible.

The installation of these products require support from qualified electricians and this is where having an all-service team of heating engineers and electricians means we can provide the installation both quickly and easily.

For a project like this, the installation typically takes only one day on site.

Our electrician attended to install the My Eddi (which is linked with My Hub, an app monitoring) and put in a 8.2 Giv Energy linked to a Giv Energy 3.6 AC coupled inverter, to ensure this wouldn’t affect the current feed in tariff. This package will also include a dedicated power supply in an event of a power outage.

In this case the customer works from home two days a week, so the team prioritised the hot water to be charged in the morning with any excess solar power generation to be diverted to the battery.

The battery discharge times can be set so the home benefits from maximum usage from the battery at times convenient to them, helping to consistently reduce running costs.

Once the system is set up, the customer can download the My Hub App onto their chosen smart device and is shown in detail how to monitor and use the system for maximum benefit.

We check in on the customer one month after fitting the system to see how they are doing.

In this case we are pleased to report that their energy costs have been significantly reduced by reducing gas consumption as well storing excess electricity into the batteries for night time use. They reduced their electricity by 50% in a month.

They haven’t explored the off-peak tariffs available yet but said its next on the list to do.

This is all part of the service and why people choose Gregor Heating to help them make the right home heating choice.

Through the Gregor Guarantee, you are guaranteed expert and friendly advice and service to find the right solution to keep you and your home warm & cosy.

Check out our Which Trusted Trader for reviews and recommendations.

*Tariffs quoted at time of writing.

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When the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) was introduced in 2010, it did a good job of creating a solar industry and reducing the installed cost of systems. It did this by offering an incentive of receiving payments for generating their own electricity.

It is estimated that almost 1 million homes in the UK now have solar panels fitted (source: Solar Trade Association)

When the FIT scheme came to an end on 31 March 2019 it sparked rumours that solar may no longer be such a hot option.

The current government is looking into replacing the feed-in tariff under its Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and from 1st January 2020, the large energy companies are obliged to offer tariffs for solar.

This is good news for the industry and means you should definitely consider solar panels as an option, if you still need convincing, here are three great reasons why.

1.    Save money

The cost of solar panel installation has come down considerably in the years since the introduction of FiT.

Fitting solar panels is now, on average 25% of the cost of when the tariff was first introduced in 2010 when it was around £20,000 to buy and install panels, but now it’s about £5,000.

And long term it’s a great investment. Using the sun to generate your energy will payback over time in some instances reduce your energy bills by 50% and more.

The even better news is that the installation of solar panels is classed an ‘energy efficiency measure’ and will raise the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of your property, which can increase the value of your property.

2.    Future proof your home

The technology is getting better and better. Lots of the main suppliers including LG and Panasonic have improved the technology meaning that with regular care – we recommend that solar panels are cleaned twice a year –  they can last for up to 25 years (with a slight degradation of performance of around 20% over 25 years)

It also provides the bedrock of a great system that you can build on and be able to use additional energy created for your own need.

With FiT, homeowners were generally restricted to installing 4GW but with these restrictions now lifted, you can go bigger and installing 5.2GW on a roof can generate up to 5000kWh per year on an unshaded south facing roof.

The benefit of this is that you can build onto it in the future with extras including storage batteries, charge hot water cylinders, electric car chargers and heat pump technology.

Household solar batteries allow people to consume their own electricity rather than export it, and could provide power in the event of a power cut (back up battery systems)

Electric Vehicles are growing in popularity, the number of new cars registered increases month on month energy generated through solar panels could power an electric car charger – no more expensive fuel bills.

An air source heat pump runs on electricity and is a good alternative to LPG or oil or electric heating. You could use some of your solar power to run the heat pump, on sunny cold days.

3.    Making a clean choice

If you have concerns regarding the future of planet Earth, you will be conscious that every day we continue to use fossil fuels to provide energy the more we are adding to our carbon footprint and the climate change crisis.

Renewable technologies like solar power, give you a choice. It is estimated that once 10 million people have solar power in the UK one third of households could be utilising solar energy meaning 40% of the total volume of electricity would be generated from the sun in the summer.  How fantastic would that be?

Generating your own energy means you will reduce your dependence on fossil fuels and protecting you from rising energy costs.

Solar panels need to be installed on your home by an MCS certified (or equivalent) installer and the average installation can be done in one day.

And with companies like Nationwide Building Society earmarking £1billion to give customers cut-rate ‘green’ mortgages and loans for eco-home improvements it could be a more affordable option for more people.

If you are interested in installing solar panels call our renewables team for a free survey and quotation.

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