My Story
70s and 80s - Childhood
I grew up in a house with a coal fire, and winter visits to my grandparents — who had no central heating — meant going to bed in a freezing room. It was character‑building!
Early 1990s – Education and Career
I graduated in the early 90s with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and went to work at my dad’s financial planning firm. I learned the ropes, eventually bought the business, and ran it with a wonderful team and equally wonderful clients. Engineering and financial planning both rely on logical problem‑solving, and those years taught me a huge amount about how to run a business.
2010 – First Solar Panels
We installed solar panels in 2010 — not because we were ahead of the curve or trying to save the planet, but because someone we trusted said it was a good idea. They were right. The Feed‑in Tariff (FIT) was incredibly generous, and those panels have paid for themselves several times over. They also opened our eyes to the magic of free summertime electricity, even if energy bills were much lower back then.
2020 – Going Gas‑Free
Fast‑forward to 2020. An unexpected windfall meant my wife and I could finally remove our gas boiler and install a Tepeo ZEB heat battery. We’d been talking about going electric for a while but weren’t convinced a heat pump would suit our home. The ZEB required far less disruption, cost less, and had strong reviews. We did our research and — with hindsight — took a leap of faith. It worked brilliantly. We added a few infrared panels too. They’re fantastic for heating people rather than rooms. The one above the sofa keeps us perfectly warm in the evenings without heating the whole house. When the gas board finally disconnected our supply, I felt a ridiculous amount of joy. No more gas standing charge.
2022–2023 – EVs and Home Battery
Those decisions sparked a growing fascination with green home technology. In early 2022 we swapped our diesel Jeep for a Hyundai EV. The running‑cost savings were obvious. As a lifelong petrolhead, it took me a bit longer to switch my own car, but I did in 2023 — and between the two EVs we’ve now driven more than 85,000 miles on electricity. If we had our time again, we’d have switched sooner. In the summer of 2022 we added a 9.5 kWh home battery to store cheap off‑peak electricity in winter and excess solar in summer.
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2024 – Expansion and New Beginnings
A second battery followed in 2024, taking us to 18 kWh. We sold our much‑loved financial planning business in March 2024 so we could build what has become Electrify My Home. In the meantime, I completed an Open University course in Energy and Sustainability (passing with distinction) and enjoyed my first real downtime in decades. In October 2024 our original solar panels developed a fault — not surprising after 14 years — and fixing them required removing them from the roof which gave us the chance to upgrade the system while staying within FIT rules. The old panels still had plenty of life left, so we gave them to a friend renovating on a tight budget. They’re still generating power today.
2025 – Air Conditioning Upgrade
By June 2025, with British summers getting hotter, we installed air conditioning in the lounge and bedrooms. It was an inspired decision: cool summers powered by the panels, and wonderfully efficient heating in winter.
2026 – Launch of Electrify My Home
And finally, in early 2026, we launched Electrify My Home.
My three kids and I live in an old semi-detached property with poor insulation. Budgets are very tight, and I’ve been ripped off by builders in the past. I had no idea that there were grants available and, with Dave’s help, I’m pursuing the Warm Homes grant. It would make such a difference to us if we could get some loft insulation, improve the oldest windows and maybe even get some solar panels like our neighbours have as I know this will reduce my bills. I like that Dave explains things in a way I can understand.
Nicky | Kent
Dave and his family live a few doors down from us. They’ve had EVs for several years and when we decided to get our first EV, our usual electrician didn’t seem all that confident about installing a charger due to where our consumer unit is. I talked to Dave who had faced the same challenge a few years ago, and he recommended his installer who were great, helped by already knowing how to run the cable through the ceiling void. Sometimes it’s who you know that matters!
Ken | Kent
Dave and I connected on social media through our shared interest in electric heating — we both use the Tepeo ZEB, a heat battery that mimics the behaviour of a gas boiler. He’s clearly passionate about the green energy transition and genuinely enjoys helping others in our community of ZEB owners. He’s also always learning — recently diving into Home Assistant, which is a powerful tool for anyone wanting to monitor and optimise their home’s energy use.
Tim | Reading