26
Aug
SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR HOME?
From propertytalklive.co.uk
As many as half of Britain's homes could earn around £600 a
year from roof top solar panels with some earning as much as
£1000.
Research carried out by British Gas suggests that over 12
million households have roofs that could benefit from solar panel
installations which would produce enough electricity for up to half
their household needs.
By cutting their electricity bill and earning money through the
Government's Feed-in Tariff scheme - a scheme that pays owners of
solar panels for the ‘renewable' electricity they generate -
the average household would be better off by around £600 a
year and those with bigger systems could benefit by up to
£1000. Collectively, British homes could be £7bn a year
better off.
The market for solar installations and other microgeneration
technology in the UK is expected to grow rapidly with the new
Government support scheme. British Gas predicts that within a
decade, one quarter of households will have small-scale
microgeneration technology in their homes.
Solar energy will also enable millions of consumers to benefit
from carbon savings. An average rooftop could save up to 692 kg of
CO2 each per yeariv. As a nation, this means we could make a saving
of over 8.5 million tonnes of CO2.
Having been piloting the technology for some time, British Gas
is announcing a major ramp up of its solar offering for British
homes. Through, mySolar Energy, British Gas will provide an
end-to-end solar installation service, carrying out a thorough
energy assessment of the home, installing the panels, providing all
customers with a CEPP (Certificate of Expected Panel Performance)
to demonstrate the expected value of the panel if customers were to
sell the property, and helping its customers apply for the
Feed-in-Tariff. The performance of the solar PV panels are
guaranteed for 25 years and all work will be carried out by fully
trained British Gas staff.
British Gas is ramping up its activity in two ways. Firstly,
customers can choose to have the panels installed at no upfront
cost under its innovative "rent a roof" scheme. Under this scheme
the householders will benefit from the electricity they generate
although they will not own the panels and so British Gas will claim
the Feed-In Tariff. The deal will only be open to British Gas
customers and be limited to 1500 installs to begin with.
Alternatively, customers can also buy the solar panels outright and
keep the Feed-In Tariff income themselves. To help our customers
buy the panels, a two year 0% APR finance deal is being
provided.
Financial expert, Jasmine Birtles, has joined forces with
British Gas to help consumers maximise their investment in solar
energy:
"Installing solar panels will create a regular, tax-free income
for homeowners. Not only that but the income is index-linked and
guaranteed by the Government for the next 25 years. As it typically
gives returns of 5-8% it's potentially far better than most current
bond or gilt investments. It is also a great way to keep your
electricity bills down. It seems like a win-win situation to
me!"
Jon Kimber, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy,
said:
"Solar power will revolutionise the way British homes generate
and use energy. British Gas, the largest energy supplier in the UK,
is leading the way, helping our customers reap the benefits of this
technology to cut their electricity bills, reduce their carbon
footprint and earn a yearly income. British Gas is already one of
the largest installers of solar panels in the UK, and we intend to
be the leading player in this sector."