• •
You need a south-facing roof: Panels need to be on a south-ish facing roof, which isn’t usually shaded.
You need a grade D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): An EPC rates a building on its energy efficiency from A - highly efficient - to G. If you haven’t got grade D or above you get a lower feed-in tariff making it not worth it for most. Go to
www.gov.uk/find-an-energy-assessor to find an accredited assessor.
•
You can still switch supplier: Don’t think this locks you into your energy provider. Your energy supplier doesn’t need to be the same supplier as the one that pays your feed-in tariff, so you’re free to switch. And with many people already overpaying by £250 a year that’s definitely worth doing – do a full comparison via my www.
cheapenergyclub.co.uk or any Ofgem.
gov.uk confidence code site.
•
The further south you live, the more you can make: The Energy Saving Trust estimates that you could earn £720/ year in London, £635 in Manchester and £595 in Edinburgh – as the south gets more daylight. To predict the likely return for your home use the calculator at
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/solar.
•
Planning permission isn’t usually needed: The big exception is if you’ve a flat roof, your property’s listed or it’s in a conservation area – you may need to get approval from your council’s building team so check with your local authority.
•
Ensure your fitter’s a member of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. You can check at www.
microgenerationcertification.org.
Aren’t they an eyesore? Will it impact the value of my house?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people worry that ugly panels plastered all over their roof and the fact that you’re tied in to a contract that remains with the property once you’ve left could push the price of their house down or put off buyers.
And the aesthetics are worth considering, though there are ways to fit panels more discretely. Equally, a more efficient home generating its own energy and paying a feed- in tariff could attract buyers.
If you may one day sell the property, I wouldn’t let it put you off. If you’re selling soon, it’s unlikely to be worth doing as you won’t have time to recoup the amount you shell out and it’s unlikely to add a similar amount to your house value.
Don’t some firms advertise free solar panels?
Some companies offer to fit panels free – but do that and they keep the bigger feed-in tariff payments. You just get the £100ish electricity savings, though prices are predicted to rise massively over 20 years. The firms also maintain the panels and pay for insurance.
Yet you may not be able to buy out your contract, so bear this in mind – especially if you’re likely to move house – as this could be very unattractive to a future purchaser. I’ve full reviews of the free solar providers at www.
mse.me/freesolar.
@MoneySavingExpert 79
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