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With the climate and cost of living crises at the front of our minds, many of us are looking for new ways to save money and reduce our environmental impact.
Luckily, solar panels offer a great solution to both of these challenges.
More and more people are looking to the sun to provide their households with energy. In fact, according to government data, over 1.3 million homes in the UK now have solar panels – and it’s not difficult to see why, as they come with plenty of benefits.
With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with Heatable, a Which? Trusted UK-wide installer of solar panels that are optimised for British weather, to bring you nine benefits of adding them to your home. Heatable are also offering Rest Less members £200 off solar installation with the code SUN200.
1. Solar panels can save you money on electricity
With energy prices soaring in recent years, one of the main reasons people are adding solar panels to their homes is that they can reduce household bills. This is because, once your system is installed, all the energy you gain from it is essentially free.
While the initial installation cost is typically quite high, you can save significantly over time. How much will depend on various factors – including your electricity usage, how many solar panels you have, and the amount of sunlight your home receives.
However, according to Heatable, a typical customer with high-quality panels (for example, Heatable’s exclusive REA Fusion2s) can save 80% on their electricity bills.
Below are some of Heatable’s estimates of what you can expect to save…
Courtesy of Heatable
Note: The number of solar panels needed for your home will depend on several things – including energy demand and property size. But Heatable estimates that the typical household needs between 10 and 15. Check out their blog post on the subject to find out more.
2. Solar panels can earn you money
More good news is that under the government-run Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme, you can feed any electricity you don’t use back into the grid and get paid for it.
This scheme isn’t as generous as the previous one, which stopped accepting applications in 2019. But, you can still receive regular sums that add up over time.
According to Heatable, it’s possible to earn up to £10 per day (that’s £3650 a year) from the Smart Export Guarantee scheme. That said, according to the Energy Savings Trust, most households are more likely to earn between £220 and £320 annually. How much you can receive for your excess energy depends on constantly changing rates set by energy suppliers.
To take part, it’s worth remembering that you’ll need to have your solar panel system installed by an MCS-registered installer like Heatable. Check out this blog post from the Energy Saving Trust to find out more.
3. Solar panels can help to reduce your carbon footprint
Here in the UK, we’re striving towards ‘net zero’ by 2050. This means that, by then, we’re aiming to cut carbon emissions so that no extra greenhouse gasses (which cause global warming) are added to the atmosphere.
To achieve this, we need to use fewer fossil fuels (like gas and coal) to generate electricity, and more clean, renewable power sources, such as solar. While 2023 was the greenest year on record for the UK’s grid, we still have a long way to go, with 33% of our electricity being generated by gas and coal stations.
However, by installing solar panels, you can reduce your individual carbon footprint and help protect the environment from the devastating effects of climate change – giving you peace of mind that you’re contributing to a better future.
“The bill savings are important to us but the real benefit is the feeling we’re doing our bit for the environment and future generations.”
– James Burke, Heatable customer
4. Solar panels are a renewable source of energy
Not only does solar power not produce any harmful pollutants or greenhouse gasses, but it’s also a renewable energy source.
In fact, according to the U.S. government, the amount of sunlight that hits the Earth’s surface in 90 minutes is enough to provide the world with enough energy for a whole year.
By contrast, fossil fuels are limited. As our reserves of things like gas and coal decrease – along with inflation and increased demand – energy prices could rise even further. By generating and storing your own solar energy, you can help protect yourself from these trends.
Staying largely independent of the energy grid also means that you can stay powered even when there’s a local outage, offering a sense of security.
Note: While you’re unlikely to be able to go completely off-grid with solar panels alone, as Heatable explain, “a well-designed, high-performance solar system will reduce your grid dependency by up to 75%.”
5. Solar panels are efficient year-round
A common myth about solar panels is that they’re only effective during summer. While it’s true they lose some efficiency during the colder months because of shorter days and overcast skies, this drop might not be as steep as you think.
While solar panels are most efficient during direct sunlight, they still work on wintery, overcast days. This is because some sunlight still passes through clouds, even on particularly dreary days. Plus, a little rain can even help our solar panels to function more efficiently by giving them a clean.
However, as Heatable tells us, it’s worth considering that cheaper solar panel options (for example, ‘P-type’ or ‘PERC’ panels) need lots of direct sunlight to generate energy. Therefore, if you want to stay efficient year-round, it might be worth investing in more premium models. Heatable’s exclusive REA Fusion2 panels are designed to work efficiently in lower light conditions, which is ideal for the UK’s climate.
For more information on how solar panels work during the winter, check out Heatable’s blog post on the subject.
Note: Choosing a battery as part of your solar panel system means that you can store energy for use when the sun isn’t shining – for example, at night. It also means that you can keep hold of energy and sell it at more profitable times. Heatable tells us that 99% of their customers decide on battery storage for solar panel systems.
6. Solar panels are low-maintenance
Another benefit to consider is that, once installed, solar panels are relatively easy and cheap to maintain. This is because they have minimal moving parts that can wear out over time.
Plus, if you choose to have your solar panel system installed by Heatable, your panels will come with a 25-year guarantee. So you can be safe in the knowledge that they’re built to last for decades.
One thing solar panel owners will need to think about, though, is cleaning because, if your panels become dirty, dusty, or covered in debris like leaves, their performance will drop. Due to their precarious position on our roofs, we recommend hiring a professional to do this.
As Heatable tells us, premium solar panels with high-quality self-cleaning glass (such as the REA Fusion2s) need cleaning far less often than lower-quality panels (five to seven years as opposed to two to four years). This is because they generally have a lower-quality coating and don’t have self-cleaning glass.
7. Solar panels can increase the value of your home
One benefit of installing solar panels that many people overlook is their potential to increase the value of your home. In a world where people are more thrifty and eco-focused than ever, they can make your property an attractive prospect to buyers if you ever decide to sell.
In fact, a report published by Solar Energy UK, which analysed over five million properties, found that a typical set-up could increase a property’s value by over £2,000 – making solar panels an impactful investment.
8. Solar panels can charge your electric vehicles
Your home isn’t the only thing you can power using a solar panel system. If you have one, you can also use it to charge your electric vehicle (EV), saving you more money and helping you to reduce your carbon footprint even further. However, for this, you’ll also need to invest in a solar car charger. Heatable has a list of some of the best ones in the UK here.
According to Heatable, a typical domestic solar panel system can charge an average EV in eight hours. If you have battery storage, you can plug your car in at night and wake up to find it ready to go.
But it’s worth bearing in mind that if you’re also using your solar panel system to power your home, not all the energy you generate can be used for your EV. That said, a solar expert, like the ones at Heatable, can help you design a system to meet your needs.
9. Installing solar panels is easier than you might think
When considering whether or not to install solar panels, many people assume that it’s a bit of a faff. But the truth is, it’s simpler than you might think.
For starters, you don’t typically need planning permission to install solar panels on the roof of your home.
However, you do need to send an application to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO), which is the organisation responsible for managing the power supplies in your area. Luckily, when you choose Heatable to install your panels, they take care of this for you.
Installation may also be quicker than you think, with a standard home system with battery storage usually taking around one or two days.
With Heatable, you don’t even need to have a salesperson come to your house to get a quote. Instead, you can simply use their unique online tool to get an instant price and see your savings. You can find out more about the process here. Then, you can expect your solar panel system to be installed four to six weeks later.
“The installation took around two days and was relatively painless”
– James Burke, Heatable customer
Final thoughts…
As this article has hopefully shown, there are plenty of reasons to consider adding solar panels to your home. From reducing your carbon footprint to slashing your energy bills, harnessing the power of the sun can come with many benefits.
While the upfront costs of solar panels can be steep, the potential rewards can make it a worthwhile investment. Plus, you might be eligible to receive funding to help you install them – for example, on the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
If you’re considering this popular home improvement, why not head over to Heatable’s website to get a quote and see how much you could save? Or, if you’d like some more information, check out their comprehensive help and advice section.
Are you considering adding solar panels to your home? Or have you done so already? If so, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.