Add solar panels to your home

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Photo of house with solar panels on roof

A great way to reduce the pollution created from your electricity, signal to your neighbors the importance of clean energy, and even save money in the long-run! Adding solar panels to your home contributes to the amount of renewable energy available in the UK, while saving you money on your electricity bill - rooftop solar panels typically pay for themselves after less than 6 years.

When installed in your home, solar panels power your electricals, and any power left over can be either stored (if you have additional storage capacity) or exported to the grid.

In the long run, this should lower your electricity bill. The saving depends on how much electricity you normally use, and when you normally run your appliances.

To maximise your savings with solar panels, use your electrical appliances - such as running the washing machine or dishwasher, recharging batteries or doing the ironing etc. - when the sun is shining rather than later in the day.

Climate Impact

The energy payback time (the time it takes for solar panels to eliminate the same amount of emissions it took to make them) is about three years, and most solar panels should last you twenty years, so that's 17 years of emissions-free energy!

Next steps

Get advice and information from the Energy Saving Trust

Love graphs? Have a look at the country's energy meter and see live how much energy is renewable and how much is fossil fuel powered. If you have a household income under £39,000 (or £31,000 in Oxford)

If your primary heating doesn’t use mains gas (such as storage heaters, an oil boiler, coal fire, etc), find out if you're eligible for fully funded solar panels through the Home Upgrade Grant:Oxfordshire County Council- contact Welcome the Warmth on 0800 038 6775 or the online application form via this link. Oxford City Council - contact Agility Eco on 0800 107 8883 or the online application form via this link. General advice on retrofitting in Oxford can be found in the Council's web guide.
If your primary heating system does use mains gas (such as a boiler), please contact the Better Housing, Better Health service on 0800 107 0044, use the online referral form via this link or email bhbh@nef.org.uk.