Energy Stats Founder Mick Wall: Why Bills Matter
Some people fall into the world of retrofit because they inherit an old house, or get stung by a gas bill. Mick Wall, founder of Energy Stats UK, got curious about a kilowatt-hour.
Seven years ago, Mick was just another homeowner in Sheffield, sitting in a 1930s semi with no clue what a kWh actually was. Fast forward, and he’s running one of the most trusted independent data hubs in the domestic energy world. Not bad for someone who admits:
“I didn’t even know what a kilowatt hour was. You just pay your bill, don’t you?”
Today he’s got 16kWh of battery storage sitting beneath a 5.1kW solar array, a heat pump that runs off his roof for half the year, and a website that has become essential reading for the retrofit-curious. His life, built around charts, tariffs, firmware bugs, and octopus tentacles of smart data - offers a lens into a bigger question: what actually makes homeowners care enough to change?
Gamers and Grid Rebels
When I asked Mick what got him down the rabbit hole, he shrugged:
“You’ve got solar pumping out two kilowatts from the roof. Why aren’t you using it?"
That’s the moment most people don’t come back from. The penny drops, and suddenly you’re Googling U-values, arguing about heat loss, and wiring up a battery management system in your spare time. From there? EVs, induction hobs, and tireless service to Facebook retrofit groups.
But beneath the tech nerdery, there’s a human truth that retrofitters ignore at their peril: it’s all about cost.
“People can have all the green credentials in the world, but most react to price signals and cost. If something’s cheaper and better? That’s an easy win.”
And there it is. Yes, heat pumps need better narratives, and batteries need better integration. But for Mick, and thousands like him - it's the £450 energy bill for the entire year, including EV charging, that turns heads. Not the COP score.
Mick Wall
Mick's Website Mick WallMM
Bottlenecks and Batteries: What the Industry Still Doesn’t Get
Mick’s not under any delusions. The tech is moving quickly, but the infrastructure isn’t keeping up. Especially when we talk about the sexy innovators (one of my favourites) bidirectional charging, vehicle-to-grid, powerpack bundles, that Octopus/BYD deal where you get unlimited mileage, a battery, and a tariff for £299 a month.
They’re brilliant. But…
“Imagine ten of us in a street sending seven kilowatts back to the grid at 5pm. The district network operator will have kittens.”
We can build the heat pumps and wheel the batteries in, but local substations still trace decisions made 15 years ago, when an extra pad or frame was deemed “too expensive” to build into future capacity. Now, the grid is a pinch point, not a platform.
Tariffs, Trust, and Tipping Points
Mick’s site exists because the information homeowners need isn't where it should be: with installers, policymakers, or even mainstream media. Most people have no idea what the difference is between a smart tariff and a standing charge. They just know their bills are going up.
So they ask Mick. Things like:
- How much can I save with a heat pump?
- Why does Octopus have six different EV tariffs?
- Is it worth binning my gas meter?
- Can I charge my car at night and sell to the grid in the morning?
And his answers always circle back to the same principles:
“Make the story interesting. Make it fun. Let people feel the benefit. Gamify it. Reward the behaviour. Don’t preach.”
He's right. People love games. They hate lectures. They’ll change behaviour if they get to press buttons and watch numbers fall. Or rise. Or turn green.
The Naked Truth: Retrofits Aren’t a Conversation - Yet
There’s a stark moment in our chat that sticks:
“I go out for a curry, and we talk football. No one asks me about my heat pump. I’m just the nerd in the corner.”
For all the energy we put into reports, frameworks, strategies, and front-loaded subsidies, retrofit still isn’t dinner table stuff. Not even for curious, cost-conscious homeowners. Not even when gas is 6p/kWh and electricity is four times that.
That didn't make me misty eyed about the past. It made me think about what Mick was describing - an opportunity.
Retrofit isn’t something people want to think about. It’s something they need to feel, they need to see their bills plunge, their home warm up, their smart meter applaud. They need to see their neighbour's EV power the street at 6pm.
We have to turn every home with a heat pump and a solar array into a story people want to retell. Or even better: show off.
What Next? Mick’s Big Three
So, what’s the punchline? What do people need to get started?
- A simple explanation of unit prices
No more “average household bill” noise. Talk to people in kWh. - A reward for shifting behaviour
“Tell someone they get paid to do laundry at 2pm, and they’ll do it.” - A narrative that makes energy exciting
Gamify it. Visualize it. Compete with your mates over whose house is “winning.”
It’s time to make retrofit feel like a moment of joy, not a rant.