As of April 1^st, households with green energy production systems such as solar panels and wind turbines were being paid for any energy they fed back into the National Grid. As the first week of the new scheme passes, many homeowners have already started earning but the initial costs may put potential adopters of green technologies off.  The average cost of installing solar panels at home is between £10,000 and £12,000, a lot even when earning money back each month.

The Energy Change & Climate Secretary, Ed Miliband, laid out the payment structure of the new feed-in tariffs back in February stating that people installing these systems could earn up to £1000 for the electricity they generate. Government figures outline that a typical solar panel system should offer annual income of around £900 as well as saving around £140 a year on electricity bills. The Government could also introduce a similar incentive scheme this time next year to motivate the public to adopt low-carbon heating systems in the home.

Also, a number of leading energy suppliers have began trials of a ‘Pay As You Save’ scheme in conjunction with the Energy Saving Trust. This will allow 500 households nationwide to test a scheme where the upfront costs of green technologies will be paid back through savings on their bills. Despite the initial outlay, interest in the new tariff scheme seems to have been high and according to a leading renewable energy company enquiries have quadrupled since February.

Although expensive initially, the figures sound promising for these renewable energy technologies. However double glazing and other traditional eco home improvements are the first thing homeowners should bear in mind on their journey to improved energy efficiency and lower bills.

Author:  Thomas Davies

Mail to a friend  |   Print this news  |  Contact Us  |  About Us

Publish our Green issues articles on your own site!

All our Green issues articles are available for republishing, provided the links in the content remain intact. You can also use our RSS news feed to republish all of our Green issues articles.