The Free Solar Panels UK blog

March 2012

Shocking Facts About Your Energy Bills

Fri, 9 Mar 2011 13:39:00 GMT

I get emails more or less daily from people with all sorts of questions about solar. Sometimes I don't know the answer so I have to dig around to try and find it and this often turns up some shocking facts. One I turned up the other day was about how a typical household energy bill is broken down, keep reading as you are going to be amazed.

Read: Shocking Facts About Your Energy Bills

January 2012

What's The Deal With Free Solar?

Fri, 27 Jan 2011 20:00:00 GMT

There has been a lot in the new recently about the solar tariffs and a lot of confusion about what is going. This lead me to thinking about how people perceive solar and what they really think the free solar deal is? Find out why this offer exists and what it means.

Read: What's The Deal With Free Solar?

January Heating Offers

Thu, 19 Jan 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Not wanting to tempt fate it looks like we might get away with a slightly warmer winter this year. Hopefully for most of us this will mean lower gas bills but what about when it gets really cold again. So this month we look at RHI premium payment vouchers, energy switching cashback and how to cut your water bills.

Read: January Heating Offers

Free solar panel advice for 2012

Thu, 5 Jan 2011 20:07:00 GMT

You may or may not have already had solar panels installed, you may be waiting to hear from your installer or still trying to get approved. We are now into the third year where solar panels have been available for free and I predict some exciting things happening in the solar market over the coming year.

Read: Free solar panel advice for 2012

December 2011

Free Heating Is What We Need

Fri, 9 Dec 2011 10:10:00 GMT

Whilst free electricity from solar is great what we really need this time of year is free heat, it's just a shame that the renewable heat incentive (RHI) is unlikely to spawn any free heating offers. There are parts of Iceland where homes get free heating from all the geo-thermal energy, they even heat the streets! In the UK however the closest we will probably get is free heat from heat pumps.

Read: Free Heating Is What We Need

November 2011

Is Solar Still A Good Deal?

Tue, 25 Nov 2011 15:16:00 GMT

No doubt you have been following the news on the FIT cuts and how it is going to affect everyone. The cuts have now been finalised so that means the tariff rate is now 21 pence per kilowatt down from around 43 pence. So what does this mean for anyone looking at getting a solar system installed?.

Read: Is Solar Still A Good Deal?

Taxpayers Paying 2.5 Billion A Year To Subsidise Fossil Fuels And Nuclear

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 21:06:00 GMT

You may have watched Panorama the other day where they were basically saying fossil fuels such as coal and gas were good because they were cheap. They compared this to offshore wind which was more expensive, almost 2.5 times more expensive to generate the same amount of power. The programme was all very factual except they missed out a few facts.

Read: Taxpayers Paying 2.5 Billion A Year To Subsidise Fossil Fuels And Nuclear

What Do The FIT Cuts Mean For Free Solar

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 08:18:00 GMT

I get quite a few questions about solar, some questions are quite unusual whilst others you can guarantee you will get the same question asked at least once a week. I thought it might be useful to clarify a few of those questions and hopefully give you some useful answers to queries you may have about solar.

Read: What Do The FIT Cuts Mean For Free Solar

October 2011

Your Questions About Solar Panels Answered

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:57:00 GMT

I get quite a few questions about solar, some questions are quite unusual whilst others you can guarantee you will get the same question asked at least once a week. I thought it might be useful to clarify a few of those questions and hopefully give you some useful answers to queries you may have about solar.

Read: Your Questions About Solar Panels Answered

What Solar Companies Can You Trust?

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:18:00 GMT

There are many solar installers in the UK offering to install free solar or selling solar systems so that you can claim the feed-in tariff or solar panels grants. As with any industry there are rogues among the good honest companies. How do you know if you are dealing with a rogue solar company or that you are dealing with a genuine company providing a good service. Often it can be a case of finding out too late so what can you do to ensure you are dealing with a legitimate and genuine company?.

Read: What Solar Companies Can You Trust?

Energy Watchdog Claims Energy Companies Making Too Much Profit

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:35:00 GMT

It looks like The UK energy watchdog Ofgem has been calling for the big six energy suppliers to play fair by simplifying their tariffs. The call has come after Ofgem has shown that the big six UK energy suppliers are now making more than 8 times more profit from each customer compared to June. So what does this mean for the average householder?.

Read: Energy Watchdog Claims Energy Companies Making Too Much Profit

The Optimum Type Of Home For Solar Panels

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:45:00 GMT

Not every house has a suitable roof for solar panels, there are several factors that make a home more suitable for a solar photovoltaic system. The main factor is roof direction but other factors can also be important such as roof pitch and shading. We will take a look at the factors that can determine how suitable solar is for your home.

Read: The Optimum Type Of Home For Solar Panels

Is The Future Of The Governments Solar Grants Scheme Safe?

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:35:00 GMT

The governments solar grant scheme known as FIT's or Feed-in Tariff was introduced in 2010 to encourage the take up of the green solar photovoltaic technology. You may not be aware but a government review of the scheme has recently finished reviewing the amount of tax free tariff payments that you get if you invest in solar. This review caused much concern and worry that the plug may be pulled on the scheme.

Read: Is The Future Of The Governments Solar Grants Scheme Safe?

Solar Panels On Radio 4 Moneybox Live

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 16:38:00 GMT

If you listened to the October fifth show of Money Box Live on Radio 4 you would have heard a question and answer session on home energy and energy saving. The discussion answered callers questions, some of which were on the solar photovoltaic installations and a particular question on why someone had been refused free solar.

Read: Solar Panels On Radio 4 Moneybox Live

October Loft Insulation And Unethical Solar Companies

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 13:26:00 GMT

It's October already and the year seems to have passed by so quickly, a sign of getting older I guess or that time really is passing more quickly. So this month as winter closes in on us, barring the hot spell last week, I have topped up the loft insulation ready for what could be a long and cold winter with the highest levels of heating bills expected to hit us. We will also look at some of the unethical tactics some solar installers use and what to look out for.

Read: October Loft Insulation And Unethical Solar Companies

September 2011

Are You Confused By Solar?

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:32:00 GMT

A lot of the conversations that I have with people indicate that there is still a lot of confusion about solar. I have spoken to people who are adamant that solar just does not work in the UK and no matter what I tell them they refuse to change their mind. They in turn have spoken to others and convinced them that solar does not work. The problem is that when people get half the story or outdated information it means they are missing out on an opportunity that is only going to be available for a short time.

Read: Are You Confused By Solar?

Cutting Heating Costs In Winter

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:29:00 GMT

In the UK we hardly use our central heating for half the year then we use it a lot during the winter. For most of us this means low heating bills in the summer and very high heating bills in the colder winter months. We like to be able to sit comfortably in our homes in our t-shirts even in winter which means having the heating up high. It never used to be this way, we used to just put on more clothes to feel warmer.

Read: Cutting Heating Costs In Winter

Solar Panels On Watchdog

Sat, 25 Sep 2011 08:31:00 GMT

BBC's Watchdog recently ran a story about solar panels as a result of complaints about a company, Energy Savings Group. The complaints came after people had paid £500 for the promise of having solar photovoltaic panels fitted. From the Watchdog story it seemed that people were paying the money but not getting the systems installed.

Read: Solar Panels On Watchdog

Solar Panels And How They Affect Energy Tariffs

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:36:00 GMT

There have been a lot of questions recently about how your current energy tariffs from your energy company would be affected if you had solar panels installed. Some people have asked about how their current tariff will be affected or whether they can change to a different provider.

Read: Solar Panels And How They Affect Energy Tariffs

Facts And Figures About Solar

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:59:06 GMT

It is surprising what people do and don't know about solar which means that fiction quickly becomes fact. Some things that people thought were true were not and vice versa. The truth is that there are lots of fact and figures about solar PV that we are not really sure of. What we do know is that solar PV is now the most popular renewable technology in the UK and because of this, thousands of jobs have been created and a lot of clean green energy is going to be generated for years to come.

Read: Facts And Figures About Solar

Cut Your Heating Bills This Winter

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:23:23 GMT

It looks like the weather is starting to turn and no doubt many people will be thinking of switching their central heating on. If we get a cold winter like the last one it looks like many of us will be giving our gas boilers a good workout. Many people will not be looking forward to the long cold winter nights as many individuals and families will be worried as to whether or not they can actually afford to heat their homes.

Read: Cut Your Heating Bills This Winter

Why You Need To Get Solar Before The March 2012 Deadline

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 22:46:14 GMT

If you install a solar photovoltaic system then you get a guaranteed income from the feed-in tariff. This is a tax free payment to the owner of the solar PV system that is guaranteed for 25 years. This incentive was introduced by the government to encourage home owners to invest in solar. So if you invested £14,000 in a 3.96kWp system today you would earn a tax free income of £66,000 over a 25 year period (based on an RPI of 4.5%).

Read: Why You Need To Get Solar Before The March 2012 Deadline

Using Solar To Protect Yourself From Soaring Energy Bills

Fri, 3 Sep 2011 08:49:04 GMT

Did you see Thursdays episode (1st September 2011) of Watchdog on BBC one? It had a report on the recent energy price rises where recent price hikes have been in the double digit figures. The reason as always for the rise is claimed by the big 6 energy suppliers to be due to increases in the wholesale market price.

Read: Using Solar To Protect Yourself From Soaring Energy Bills

August 2011

Solar Panel Costs Falling Again

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:43:22 GMT

If you have a suitable roof the best investment available at the moment is with installing a solar photovoltaic system. Paid solar is not for everyone but if you have money to invest it is a guaranteed way to get a good tax free return on your investment. I call it an investment as the money is guaranteed and the main reason people are installing solar is because of the high level of return they represent.

Read: Solar Panel Costs Falling Again

Doorstep Solar Salesman

Sun, 27 Aug 2011 12:01:19 GMT

I have said it before and it needs to be said again, do not entertain salesman on your doorstep. Politely tell them that you are not interested and close the door. If you have elderly parents then make sure that they are aware so they know how to handle doorstep callers. If you are unsure you should answer the door on the latch, I know it seems unfriendly but some salesman can be very difficult to get rid of and will quite literally out there foot in the door. Always ask for some form of identification before you engage in any sort of conversation.

Read: Doorstep Solar Salesman

Free Solar Offers A Year On

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:52:03 GMT

It has been over a year since companies have been offering free solar in the UK and we have seen the number of companies go from one to nearly 40 companies across the UK. Over the same period we have seen the market for commercial systems fall due to the government reducing the tariffs for anything larger than a domestic system.

Read: Free Solar Offers A Year On