HOW does the prospect of cutting your energy bills by up to 80 per cent sound?

That’s the enticing prospect offered by Woking-based ARK Charge, which specialises in bespoke solar and electric vehicle charging solutions.

“We see this as very much a business of the future,” said Kelvin Franklin, who owns and runs ARK Charge with James Smale.

Kelvin met James about 25 years ago while on a course, and took him on as an apprentice. “Then he talked me into giving him a job,” Kelvin said.

James later struck out on his own doing work for lettings agents, until the pair came together again in 2011 with ARK Charge.

“ARK Charge runs alongside ARK Group, which caters for our more day-to-day business in the property management sector, delivering contract and maintenance work,’’ Kelvin added.

“ARK Charge, though, we see as the driver of growth. Our customers are more sensitive than ever to renewables and green solutions to their energy needs, and that’s where we come in.

“People are absorbing the green message that’s coming from the Government and want to use the sun as a source of power. From there it’s a natural progression to solar panels.

“Vehicle charging points are also becoming more popular with the increasing number of electric vehicles.

“If a customer gets in touch with us about vehicle charging, we can generally make a site visit very quickly and assess the situation. If all goes well it can be not much more than a week from the initial contact to having the charger installed.

‘‘Solar panels can be a lengthier process, depending on how much the customer already knows about what they want. For someone who is already pretty well informed we can do it in a matter of weeks. The less certain they are, the longer it will take for us to guide them through the process.

“A vehicle charger can be around £1,000, but solar panels can cost far more, although customers should ideally view them as an investment.

“It’s natural that customers want more time to think through their commitment to it, but an important part of our service is to explain the payback period of the panels, which can help customers  make up their minds and, just as importantly, we make sure they are comfortable with their decision.

“And we explain how the advances in battery storage technology can help them get even more out of solar panels.

“Vehicle charging is primarily residential because customers see the ease of charging at home as a big plus.

 ‘‘Our message is simply for people to give us a call or visit our website and we’ll put them at ease, discuss their situation in detail and help them decide on the best way forward for them.

“We pride ourselves on the time and effort we put in to every job and want to do the best job we can at a reasonable price. 

‘‘What we want is happy customers.”

For more details, visit www.ark-charge.co.uk.