How Snugg simplified retrofitting: Ariel's journey to a greener, more sustainable home

Ariel Edesess and her family of three live in a modern four-bedroom detached house in a quiet residential area of Midlothian. Having moved there as recently as 2023, Ariel - a sustainability professional - saw the move as an opportunity to go green...

“As the head of sustainability of my company, I’m always looking for ways to be more eco-friendly,” says Ariel. “We’ve wanted to move away from gas for environmental reasons for a while.”

After initially looking at an air source heat pump as a potential solution, Ariel was put off by the idea by potentially high upfront costs. So she started looking at solar panels instead.

“We thought there might be a grant available for solar panels,” she says. But this wasn’t to be the case.

“We found a local installer with good reviews who’d installed panels on some nearby homes,” Ariel explains. “But when they visited, they told us that the solar panel grant was no longer available and confirmed that we could, in fact, get one for a heat pump.”

This was the first time Ariel learned there were grants for air source heat pumps.

Navigating misinformation with Snugg

While Ariel was doing her own research and speaking with installers, Ariel discovered Snugg through a personal connection.

“I was already considering solar when I first used Snugg, but it made everything feel much more manageable,” she says. “Although I work in sustainability and have even written about heat pumps, I didn’t fully understand how it would work in practice or what the day-to-day impact would be.”

Ariel appreciated how Snugg complimented her own research and corrected the various myths and misinformation she came across online.

“There’s a lot of anecdotal misinformation about heat pumps,” she says. “So it was reassuring to see Snugg include lots of information and data with its recommendations.”

Another important revelation came from using Snugg...

“Until I used Snugg, I didn’t realise that you could fund an installation using your mortgage,” says Ariel. “If grants hadn’t been available, I would have explored this option. I think cost is the biggest consideration for most people, so it's good to see Snugg raise awareness of the different financing options available.”

Happy with a greener solution

Having received guidance from Snugg and having spoken with an installer, Ariel felt confident moving forwards with both solar panels (coupled with a battery) and an air source heat pump.

“We asked our installers so many questions,” says Ariel. “I’d recommend that to anyone – make sure that you understand everything that’s being done because the installation can be quite disruptive.”

Despite some initial challenges, like higher energy bills after installing the systems in January, Ariel’s thrilled with the overall outcome.

“We’ve been exporting energy to the grid for a few months now,” she says. “I’m confident that costs will balance out and become cheaper in the long run.”

But for Ariel, the benefits go beyond just cost savings.

“I really like the knowledge that we’re self-sufficient,” she says. “It outweighs the initial inconveniences.”

With their solar panels and air source heat pump in place, Ariel and her family are looking forward to a sustainable future in their Midlothian home.

“I’m really keen to advocate for these changes,” says Ariel. “A lot of people want to do these things, but the learning curve is steep. Tools like Snugg make the whole process much more manageable. They helped me feel like everything was achievable.”

If, like Ariel, you’re finding it hard to sort through all the information, Snugg can help. Get your free energy efficiency plan from Snugg and discover the options that work best for you.