GE National

06/10/2026

The price cap is going up. Your solar doesn't have to
The cap rises this month, and a further rise is forecast for January. Here's how solar and battery storage can help.

The Ofgem price cap rises from 1 October, and the forecast suggests it will keep climbing into 2027. Here's what's happening and what you can do about it.

What's happening to energy prices?

The October rise is mainly down to higher gas costs. The January figure is a forecast from Cornwall Insight, and Ofgem is expected to confirm the actual cap in late November.

The price cap limits the unit rate, not your total bill. With electricity at around 26p per kWh, the more you use, the more you pay when rates rise.

Why solar is one of the best defences

Every kWh your panels generate and you use at home is one you don't buy from your supplier. As grid prices rise, each of those units becomes more valuable.

Less reliance on the grid: use your own daytime power instead of buying at retail rates.

A hedge against price rises: the higher unit rates go, the more your own generation is worth.

Export income: surplus power may earn payments through the Smart Export Guarantee.

Evening power with a battery: store your daytime solar and use it after dark.

Solar can't remove standing charges or your winter reliance on the grid, but it can reduce your exposure to the most volatile part of your bill.

What goes into a GE National system

The panels: LONGi Hi-MO X10 (475–495W)

Up to 24.3% efficiency, so more power from the same roof space

All-black design with no visible gridlines and low glare

Built to cope with shade, with 3.2mm toughened glass for extra hail resistance

30-year product and power warranty, guaranteeing at least 88.85% of output in year 30

The battery: Hanchu 9.4kWh

9.4kWh of storage, with 95% of it usable

Safe LFP battery chemistry and an IP65 enclosure

12-year warranty

Monitor it from your phone

The inverter: Hanchu Single Phase Hybrid (3.68kW / 5kW / 6kW)

Weatherproof IP66 casing, compact and wall-mounted

Backup power during a blackout (a switchover of 10ms or less)

Solar, battery and grid managed automatically

12-year warranty

What could this mean for you?

Every home is different: roof direction, shading, how much you use and when. We'll size a system around your usage and give you honest numbers. No pressure, no jargon.

Get Your Free Quote

📧 [email protected]

🌐 www.genational.co.uk

01704 627256
07903 344025

Energy prices in this email are based on Ofgem's confirmed cap and Cornwall Insight's forecast. The January 2027 figure is a forecast and is not yet confirmed. Actual bills depend on your usage, region and tariff. Savings vary by property.

MCS-certified solar panels, battery storage & EV charging for UK homes. 5-star rated, trusted since 2015. No deposit required. Get a free quote today.

16/09/2026

Get your free solar quote from GE National 18 years trade experience based in Southport . Email [email protected] Visit www.genational.co.uk or call 07903344025

08/09/2026

Energy bills hit a 3-year high this October:

Here's the fix

Ofgem's 4% rise is confirmed. Here's how solar and battery storage change the equation.

Energy Bills Are Rising Again: Here's How to Take Back Control

Household energy bills are heading for a three-year high. Ofgem confirmed on 26 August that the price cap will rise by 4% from 1 October, taking the typical annual dual-fuel bill from £1,663 to £1,723, an increase of around £5 a month. It's the fourth cap rise in as many quarters, driven largely by higher wholesale gas prices linked to conflict in the Middle East, and several major suppliers are already forecasting a further rise in January, with one estimate putting the next cap as high as £1,855.

For the roughly 22 million UK households still on standard variable tariffs, that's real money, and it lands just as the heating season begins.

A bigger conversation about resilience

At the same time, the government has been signalling a shift in how it wants households to think about energy and preparedness more broadly. The Cabinet Office confirmed to Parliament in July that a national resilience awareness campaign is coming later this year, built on the existing GOV.UK/Prepare guidance, encouraging households to have a plan and basic supplies in place for disruptions, everything from severe weather to power cuts. The messaging from officials has been deliberately measured: the goal is general household resilience, not a response to any specific threat.

At a practical level, that kind of guidance tends to come back to a few basics: having a reliable way to keep lights and key devices running if the power goes out, a way to stay informed when the internet or mobile network is patchy, and simply knowing where your home's utility shut-offs are. None of it is dramatic, it's the kind of groundwork that makes a short disruption an inconvenience rather than a crisis.

It's a useful reminder, though, of something solar and battery customers already know: a home that generates and stores its own power is simply less exposed, to price rises, and to the grid itself.

Where battery storage and the gateway fit in

This is exactly the gap that battery storage, paired with a smart energy gateway, is designed to close:

Insulation from price rises. A battery lets you store cheaper off-peak electricity, or your own solar generation, and use it when rates (or demand) are highest, softening the impact of cap increases like October's.

Continuity during a power cut. Depending on the system, stored battery power can keep key circuits running when the grid goes down, rather than leaving a home entirely dependent on mains supply.

Visibility and control. A gateway device gives homeowners a live view of generation, usage and storage, the same "know what you're using and when" principle behind the government's own advice to understand your home's utilities.

None of this requires a crisis mindset. It's simply what a well-specified solar-plus-battery system already does, and with bills rising and the national conversation turning toward household resilience, it's a good moment for homeowners to ask whether their current setup is doing enough of that work for them.

Thinking about adding storage to an existing system, or starting from scratch? Get in touch for a straight assessment of what's realistic for your home.

👉Contact us today for a free assessment: https://genational.co.uk

📞 07903 344025

The G E National Team

MCS-certified solar panels, battery storage & EV charging for UK homes. 5-star rated, trusted since 2015. No deposit required. Get a free quote today.

28/08/2026

Your home could be running on sunshine by Christmas
Autumn is the best time to get your solar survey booked before the winter rush.

Autumn is the smart time to go solar

As the nights draw in, it's tempting to think solar season is over — but autumn is actually when we see homeowners get the best deal. Systems installed now are fully commissioned and ready to make the most of next spring's sunshine, and you'll beat the winter installation queue.

Whether you're in Preston, Manchester, Liverpool or anywhere else across England, Scotland or Wales, our MCS-certified team can get a free survey booked in and a bespoke system designed around your home.

Batteries: the piece most homeowners miss

A solar panel system without a battery is only doing half the job, you generate power all day but you're still paying peak rates once the sun goes down. Pairing your panels with battery storage means you store what you don't use and draw on it in the evening, when electricity costs the most.

It's one of the simplest upgrades for getting more value out of a system you've already got, or adding from day one if you're just starting out.

Charge your car for the price of a cup of coffee

If you're driving electric, or thinking about it, home EV charging paired with solar is where the real savings show up. Charge overnight on a cheap tariff or top up during the day straight from your panels, and you can cut your fuel costs to almost nothing.

Air Source Heat Pumps — North West homeowners, this one's for you

For anyone looking to move away from an ageing gas boiler, our air source heat pump installations remain available across the North West, with grants like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme available to help offset the cost. We'll survey your property, talk you through what's realistic for your home, and handle the full installation and commissioning.

What our customers are saying

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Gave a fair price, no deposit upfront, and the whole install was done in a day — everything works perfectly." — Peter Harris

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Friendly, professional, and completed everything in one day. I'd happily recommend GE National to friends and family." — Daniel Jacobs

Ready to get started?

Book a free survey today and see what solar, battery storage or EV charging could do for your home.

👉Contact us today for a free assessment: genational.co.uk

📞 07903 344025

— The GE National Team

MCS-certified solar panels, battery storage & EV charging for UK homes. 5-star rated, trusted since 2015. No deposit required. Get a free quote today.

27/08/2026

G E National installing an air source heat pump tank, plumbing and acutrements at a property in Banks for another very happy customer last week.

21/08/2026

GE Nationals latest installation 17 panels 8 kw system over 3 roofs, a Hanchu 7 kw inverter with 2 x 9.4 kWh Hanchu batteries. We dugout a trench to run the cables on this job using our own mini digger (thunderbird 1) with 20 years industry experience no job is to big or to small for more information please contact myself [email protected] Visit www.genational.co.uk or call 07903344025

14/08/2026

Cut Your North West Energy Bills Before Winter Hits ☀️
Local solar and air source heat pump savings for homes across Manchester, Bolton, Wigan and the wider North West.

Energy prices are creeping up again this autumn, and homeowners across Greater Manchester, Bolton, Wigan, Preston and the wider North West are already locking in savings ahead of winter, with solar panels and air source heat pumps that cut bills for decades, not just one season.

Here's what's new at GE National this month:

☀️ Solar Panels: Still Generating Even in Cloudy Weather
A common myth we hear across the North West is that solar "doesn't work" in our climate. In reality, modern panels convert daylight, not direct sun, into electricity, meaning homes from Salford to Warrington see real generation even on overcast days. If your system hasn't been checked in the last 12 months, a quick maintenance visit can catch efficiency drops before they cost you money.

🔥 Air Source Heat Pumps: Warm Homes Loan Scheme Reminder
If you're in an eligible North West postcode, the Warm Homes Loan Scheme can help cover the upfront cost of an air source heat pump cutting your heating bills while reducing your carbon footprint. Spaces are filling up for autumn installs, so if you've been considering the switch, now's the time to get a survey booked.

📍 Now Serving More of the North West
We've expanded our installation and service coverage, so if you're near Bolton, Wigan, Preston, Warrington, Stockport or Salford and haven't had a local quote yet, we'd love the chance to show you what's possible for your home.

💬 What Local Customers Are Saying
"Extremely pleased with our solar panels, inverter and ev charger installation from GE National.” — a North West customer

👉Contact us today for a free assessment: genational.co.uk

📞 07903 344025

— The GE National Team

MCS-certified solar panels, battery storage & EV charging for UK homes. 5-star rated, trusted since 2015. No deposit required. Get a free quote today.

04/08/2026

Hi, here's the second in a series of short videos to help demystify some of the aspects of solar energy, both domestic and industrial

This week's chat between Pip and John from GE National discusses batteries and the value they add and putting energy back into the grid and getting paid for it.

03/08/2026

A seemed roof installation 20 x 475w panels 8 kw inverter and 18.8 kWh battery storage system fully installed by GE National for more information please contact GE National on email [email protected] Visit www.genational.co.uk or call 07903344025

31/07/2026

Here's another of our great solar installations:

20 panels on a seamed roof,
1 x 8kw Hanchuees hybrid inverter with 2x 9.4 kWh Hanchuees batteries and we also constructed a custom outside box built for the system and have a very satisfied and happy customer.