For the last few years, we have all seen the effects of a volatile energy market on our electricity bills. Turning down the heating and switching off appliances all help to reduce the amount of energy we use but if you want to make a big impact on your bills, you will need to invest in energy efficiency measures and renewable energy, but the savings from these can be substantial.
Generating your own energy
As prices are predicted to rise again in autumn, you might be interested in generating your own energy. Solar PV is one of the most popular and versatile renewable energy sources for households in the UK.
Whether you have a pitched roof or a flat roof, there are mounted solar system solutions available that can be tailored to fit most roofs. The key requirement is that your roof faces in a favourable direction to get the maximum sunlight and it doesn’t suffer from shading. Contact us to find out if your roof is suitable.
Are solar panels worth it in the UK?
For most homes, the answer is yes they are worth it as you will get energy bill savings straightway and a return on your investment typically within 5-9 years. Plus they will continue to save you money for around 25 years. The savings you can make from solar PV varies depending on your household habits and home, this includes factors such as your energy consumption and usage patterns. But the main influence is the suitability of your roof as mentioned above and how much light the panels will be exposed to.
A typical home in the UK can save up to 70% on their electricity bills and with rising energy prices the savings will continue to increase throughout the lifetime of the solar PV system. One of our larger installs is seeing fantastic returns on their solar panels just after one year, read our case study to learn more about them.
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How much could solar PV save you?
The savings on electricity bills vary, but if we take an average three bedroom house in a South-East UK location with medium electricity usage, a saving of over £1,000 per year on electricity bills could be achieved.
A typical solar PV system with battery storage solution for a house of this size would be 12x 410W solar panels combined with a 5.12kWh battery, which can generate 4,728.12kWh each year. With battery storage you can benefit from more of the electricity you generate rather exporting it to the grid which can create a saving of £1008.47. This figure is made up of £771.75 electricity bill savings and £236.72 in export payments for unused electricity.
Based on the household having a medium electricity usage of 3,500kWh per year, on a tariff charging 24.5p/kWh and a standing charge of 60.1p/day. The annual electricity bill without solar would be £1076.86. This solar PV with battery storage solution can last 30 years and based on inflation on electricity prices the predicted average annual savings over the 30 years are approximately £2431.15. A total saving of £57,689.37 could be achieved over 30 years which takes into account the system costs and replacement parts.
Is solar PV worth it if I’m away from home at work all day?
Solar PV generates electricity during daytime hours, which for many homeowners is when they are out of the home. If this is the case for you, don’t dismiss solar PV as you can either benefit from exporting the electricity generated or you can include battery storage as part of your system.
Solar PV with a battery storage solution allows you to store the electricity generated until you can use it. This means that it doesn’t matter how much you generate or when you use the electricity as you’ll get the most from the electricity generated and make the maximum savings on your energy bills.
If you want to reduce your electricity bills battery storage is an important part of the solution and there is an interesting energy tariff from Octopus called Octopus Flux that enables you to utilise your battery storage further and make money by storing energy for the grid and exporting it at peak times when it is most needed.
Next steps…
If this sounds like a worthwhile investment for your household contact us for a no-obligation quote and learn more about how your roof could save you money now and for many years to come.
