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More Than Half of British Homeowners Say Solar Panels Are 'Daylight Robbery'

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June 09, 2011

More Than Half of British Homeowners Say Solar Panels Are 'Daylight Robbery'

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

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The majority of Britons—a full 60 percent— are not “chill” with the idea of installing solar panels. According to a research report just released by TheEcoExperts.co.uk, most homeowners believe the up-front costs are prohibitive—and another 7.5 percent believe that using solar energy would not save them much money on their annual household electricity bills.


TheEcoExperts.co.uk, a free London-based service designed to help homeowners become more energy efficient, commissioned the study in anticipation of the increase in energy bills that is set to hit the nation in the next few months, as well as to identify the main barriers to installing solar panels.

Amy Catlow, Publishing Manager at TheEcoExperts.co.uk comments; “Whilst these numbers are significant, the results are sadly unsurprising and should serve as a big wake-up call for the government. Many consumers are still misinformed about the costs of installing solar panels in the home in relation to the options that are available to them.  Many of us wrongly believe the costs are too high to counteract the initial outlay, when in reality the savings to be gained are significant and, over a certain period, will far outweigh any initial cost.

She continued, “Aside from this, there are many viable options and schemes out there for homeowners who don’t have access to the funds needed to install solar panels.  It is clear that more needs to be done by the government and its accredited companies to educate people properly if British homeowners are to start taking green energy options seriously.”

In fact, according to a blog on the TheEcoExperts.co.uk website, a “recently finalized Energy Bill [Energy Bill 2010-11]  commits Britain to … [put] aside a fund of money designated for energy efficient improvements to be made to over 14 million households across the country.”

What’s more, the Energy Bill commits the UK to produce up to 35 percent of its total electricity from renewable sources such, as solar energy or wind power, by 2020. Currently, homeowners and businesses that install solar PV panels or wind turbines can benefit from the Feed in Tariff scheme. According to the blog, “The scheme means that homeowners with large south facing roof space could make around £1,000 [about $1,200] a year in energy savings and energy production. In times of economic downturn, this is an excellent return.”

The survey also highlighted a number of additional reasons why the British public is hesitating when it comes to investing in solar power.  Specifically, 5.4 per cent think that solar panels are unattractive, 1.6 per cent think solar panels would de-value their property, and 3.6 per cent admitted they don’t fully understand how solar panels work.

For more information, visit the company’s website.


Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Rich Steeves

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