Local energy company says people are "desperate" for solutions
Energy Monkey claim they are unable to meet a significant increase in demand
Gloucestershire based energy storage company, says they're overwhelmed with enquires asking them to recommend solutions that will not only help them save money, but will also help them survive a black-out.
Since the National Gird announced the UK could suffer 'blackouts' this winter, Energy Monkey claims that they've seen a massive increase in demand for solar panels and batteries. However, due to worldwide shortages they are struggling to meet demand.
The combination of solar panels and batteries allows people to become self-sufficient and remove their dependence on the National Grid. Essentially, Energy Monkey say that more and more people are choosing to go 'Off - Grid'.
Energy Monkey's Technical Sales Director Paul Collins says their customers are planning for a tough winter ahead, "they may have medical issues and they need power. What do they do? It concerns everybody really.
"We see lots of lots enquires of people trying to do battery solutions to power them through the blackouts."
"People are becoming desperate"
Not everyone is trying to go 'Off - Grid', some are turning to Energy Monkey to cut their rising energy bills. Technical Sales Director Paul Collins adds they aren't able to fulfil all the enquires, "we can never get enough solar panels, that's probably the easiest way to say it.
"The more we buy, the more we sell.
"Manufactures can't produce a more solar panels, anymore batteries.
"I'd almost say that people are becoming desperate, because they want to solve their own problems.
"The industry is very busy but there's also supply issues."
People in Cheltenham could "freeze" to death
The desperation to find energy solutions isn't without cause. Severn Wye Energy Agency (SWEA) estimates that around 25 per cent of people in Cheltenham, could experience fuel poverty this winter.
This led to deputy leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, Liberal Democrat Peter Jeffries, to claim that people might "freeze" and that "there will be deaths this winter because of this fuel crisis."
The government has attempted to ease the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, by capping the price of energy for an average household at £2,500. But this saw a 27 per cent increase in average energy bills at the start of this month (October 2022).