To think now is the time to bring back solar panel grants?

[malificent7]

We would love to get solar panels given climate change and the energy crisis but cannot afford the £6,500 to fund this.

I understand that there used to be grants but they were scrapped...why?

If there are going to be more heatwaves surely most houses should have them and they must generate enough if you can make a few hundred quid by selling energy back to the grid.

Anyone?

I really wish they would we want panels and battery but the cost upfront is off putting.

The government should definitely be putting money into funding clean energy rather than subsidising fossil fuel companies! I would also love to get solar panels but the cost is too great.

Yes, definitely.

God yes

At the very least it should be 0% financing options for any eco-friendly home improvements.

I'm looking at quotes right now. If I go for it, it would take all my savings. Yet if i put it on finance, the interest payments would far outweigh any savings on my electricity bill rendering it pointless.

If people could split the cost of solar panel installations over 3-4 years, it would become so much more accessible.

Solar panels have never been cheaper and from October each kWh that you generate will be 43p(ish) saved. The pay back time will be remarkably short now.

I think cheap/ 0% loans should be made more easily available though.

Actually that's not quite true, they were cheaper a year ago.

No, when the subsidy went the prices came down in line. You should be looking to pay much less than £6.5k unless you've a humongous roof! Government would be better supporting apprenticeships and training, as existing providers can't meet demand anyway atm, and what the country needs is well paid green jobs.

We got ours just before they scrapped the feed in tariffs. Ours are a god send now; cheaper electricity and a payment every quarter. Why they scrapped the funding and feed in tariffs in a climate emergency is completely beyond me. Ours were £4125 4 years ago but have already saved us thousands. Green energy + help with cost of living crisis, just what households need right now, surely a simple way for the government to help people would be to bring back FiT an/or loans/grants towards installation.

If there are going to be more heatwaves surely most houses should have them and they must generate enough if you can make a few hundred quid by selling energy back to the grid

Sorry, should have put this earlier. Solar panels like the sun but they don't work at their most efficient with the hot surface temperatures you see in a heatwave. Cool and sunny is the sweet spot.

I had this conversation with DP the other day. Imagine how much energy could have been generated over the last week or so with the temperatures being so high?

A grant from the government would definitely entice us to have them. At the moment the initial outlay and dent to our savings is not something I’m prepared to put up with.

my biggest issue right now is that I've been quoted for solar panels and the battery. If we install them both at the same time, its 0% VAT. But if we choose to install the battery at a later date, we have to pay 20% VAT because the battery isn't classed under the rules.

This is what's putting me off about the upfront costs, because the addition of the battery literally doubles the installation price. The quote I've had for panels alone is £5.5k but depending on the size of the battery, that cost rises to between £9.5-£11.5k which is a fucking enormous leap

In my ideal scenario, I'd rather just say yes to the panels now and see how we get on and how much of a difference it makes rather than doubling the price. But the way it works is so prohibitive.

It is a leap. Although you can use a home battery to import cheaper electricity from the grid if you have a time of use tariff, so you can mitigate those additional costs through the winter months when you will be generating less solar.

They could start by mandating that all new builds come with panels and also a windmill as standard.

I completely understand how it works. But my point is, whats the likelihood of having an additional £5-6k spare to invest in the battery? There's a huge difference between me spending 50% of my savings, and spending ALL of my savings with nothing left over whatsoever

They should be doing everything possible to make solar panels as accessible as possible.

why not make them free? the Govt can do deals with power companies re Nuclear Plants that will cost £billions and guarantee a price for nuclear energy even though the plant (Hinckley Point) hasnt been built yet. the money is there but perhaps free to the public isnt as sexy as paying WeSaySo Corp lots of public money (ie taxpayer money)

We own ours and get money back off them quarterly.Worrh every penny.

If you are in during the day and are going to use plenty of power then, don't worry about the battery, it won't add much value. @thebellagio