Shared Purchasing

Solar Together

Solar Together is a shared purchasing scheme for residents, businesses and community buildings to achieve solar panels, batteries, and EV chargepoints at collective rates.

Solar Together uses a group‑buying model to help households install solar PV (and battery storage) at a lower cost. The scheme brings residents together so that installers can bid for a large volume of potential solar installs at once — which drives down prices and ensures high quality. The process follows these stages:

1. Free Registration
Residents sign up online for free and without obligation. You provide basic details about your home, roof, and energy use. You can express your interest here https://solartogether.co.uk/maidstone/home

2. Reverse Auction (Group Purchasing Stage)
All pre‑vetted, accredited installers take part in a reverse auction, where they compete to offer the lowest price for the whole group. The lowest bid wins and sets the price for everyone.

➝ Bigger group = more competitive pricing.
Installers must meet strict quality criteria before being allowed to bid.

3. Personal, Tailored Recommendation
After the auction, each participant receives a personal recommendation, tailored to their roof and electricity usage.

4. You Choose Whether to Proceed
There is no obligation to go ahead. If you decide to accept the offer. A small deposit is paid, and your details are passed to the winning installer.

5. Technical Survey and Final Quote
The installer conducts an on‑site roof survey to confirm final requirements, final price is confirmed and installation is scheduled.

6. Installation and Aftercare
Once everything is agreed, the installer completes the installation.

Switch Together

Switch Together is an extension of the Solar Together shared purchasing scheme for residents, businesses and community buildings that goes beyond solar panels, batteries, and EV chargepoints at collective rates to include heat pumps and green tariff switch.

In a similar process to Solar Together, Switch Together are also taking expressions of interest for residents, businesses and community buildings looking to install a heat pump in future. Maidstone residents can register their interest here https://switchtogether.co.uk/heat-pumps

Switch Together are also offering collective purchasing for the switch to renewable electricity tariffs, to unlock more competitive green energy rates. Maidstone residents can register their interest here https://switchtogether.co.uk/energy/maidstone/home