Solar households could slash bills by up to £100 a month with E.ON Next
Solar households could slash bills by up to £100 a month with E.ON Next
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1 April 2026
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Households using E.ON Next reported savings of £18 per month, on average, with others saving £100
The system was piloted under Next Solar Max
Searches for solar on E.ON Next’s website jumped by 63% in early March as households look to counter price volatility
Next Optimise was built using technology trialed in 80,000 Australian homes
UK households with solar panels or batteries could soon be cutting their bills by as much as £100 a month after energy giant E.ON Next said it’s planning to roll out a new smart energy service.
The service, called Next Optimise, was built using technology trialed in 80,000 Australian homes and works by connecting to wholesale prices and uses smart automation to charge batteries when prices are low, as well as use or export stored energy when prices rise.
The product marks a UK first, according to Chris Norbury, chief executive, E.ON UK, as it combines half-hourly electricity prices with automated battery control and fully integrated system management.
The system, Norbury said, will allow homes to get more value from their solar and battery systems in a way that’s simple, automatic and requires no effort from the customer, or any understanding of the wholesale market. This will mean lower bills and less reliance on the grid, he said.
The service was piloted under the name Next Solar Max, and early findings showed a boost to the savings made by households with similar solar and battery setups on a standard variable tariff and part of the Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
Norbury said that every household in the trial saw its bills fall, with customers saving around £18 a month, with others achieving savings close to £100, and one home reporting a saving of £27 in one week during a period of wholesale price swings. Modelling also indicated that households could save close to £300 per year.
“It’s more important than ever that we help people take control of their energy use and lower their bills,” Norbury said.
“Consumers are showing strong interest in solar and battery as a solution, and this product adds to the savings that can be achieved by generating and storing energy at home,” he said.
E.ON Next has also waived any monthly subscription free on the first version of Next Optimise for 12 months, and the system will be delivered in partnership with Amber Electric.
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Tamara BirchNewsletters and sponsored content editor
Tamara is a journalist with more than six years experience writing about environmental topics. This includes advising small businesses on cost-effective ways tom become more sustainable, from installing to solar panels and heat pumps and reducing waste. She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment – all while reducing monthly costs. Now, she’s using this experience to advise homeowners on the benefits of installing low-carbon technologies. She is also qualified in offering innovative initiatives to improve sustainability practices in businesses, from advertising to marketing and publishing.
Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.
Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
He has represented The Eco Experts on national television several times, including the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live and ITV Tonight .
In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.
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