Solar Panels

Are you looking to generate solar power for your home or business and earn money for any excess you export back to the national grid? With rising energy costs solar power is becoming more viable than ever, as well as helping to protect the environment. The government's renewable heat incentive scheme means you'll be earning money for all the energy you generate, even if you use it yourself!

We've prepared several handy guides to help you better understand solar panels. They explain the important details such as the costs involved, regulations for installation, and the financial benefits.

We recommend asking an installer for a quote. By using our solar panel quotes service, you'll receive up to four free 'no obligation' quotes from vetted installers. Don't be caught out by rogue traders, and find out how much you could earn with solar PV.

Amount
Average annual payment from the Feed-in Tariff scheme £398
Average annual earnings from exporting back to the grid £58
Annual savings on your electricity bill £173
Total annual earning and savings £628
Total 20 year benefit £12,560

Solar Guides

Boiler replacement

If your boiler is broken or you notice a problem with it such as varying boiler pressure or strange noises, you may need to have it replaced. It might also be helpful to have your boiler replaced if it is old and inefficient. For example, by replacing an old G rated boiler you could see an annual saving on your energy bill of £300.

When choosing a new gas boiler there are two standard options: regular or combi. A regular boiler has the advantage of being able to deliver hot water to more than two places in the house at once, suitable for large families, whereas combi boilers can deliver hot water at any time of the day, not needing to rely on a hot water tank.

Boiler replacement typically costs around £2,300 but it is a good idea to speak to an installer before you buy. By filling in the UKPower.co.uk boiler replacement form you will receive up to 4 free quotes from local, vetted, boiler installers.

Old boiler rating Annual saving*
G ( < 70%) £300
F (70–74%) £200
E (74–78%) £150
D (78–82%) £105

Home Insulation

A typical house can lose half of the heat through the walls and loft. If your home is currently without loft insulation, you could see a saving of £180 per year on your energy bills by installing 270mm deep mineral wool insulation (based on a gas-heated, semi-detached home with three bedrooms). With an installation cost of less than £300 the insulation will pay for itself within two years.

With cavity wall insulation you could see a saving of £140 on your energy bills. So long as your walls are not exposed to driving rain, are in good condition and unfilled, and the cavity is 50mm wide, they will likely be ideal for filling.

Why not see if you can save with home insulation?

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Double Glazing

Double glazing helps you save money on your energy bills by stopping heat from escaping through thin windows. The type of glass that provides the greatest protection is known as low emissivity or Low-E glass. Special gasses such as xenon can be used to fill the panes to provide an even higher level of insulation. Be sure to look out for warm-edge pane spacers, for minimum heat conduction.

By filling in the UKPower.co.uk double glazing form you will receive up to 4 free quotes from local, vetted, double glazing installers.

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What is energy efficiency?

  Energy efficiency is all about doing more with less - in terms of energy efficient households, this means getting as much useful power out of appliances while using as little energy as possible, and not letting any go to waste.

For instance, while old-style lightbulbs produce a lot of light, they also produce a lot of heat, which is a waste of energy. Energy-efficient lightbulbs produce the same amount of light, but very little heat, which means there is less energy wasted. This is the case with all energy-efficient household appliances.

You can also make your house more energy efficient by installing loft and cavity wall insulation to reduce the amount of heat that is lost through walls and the roof - simply improving your home's insulation could cut your annual energy bill by up to £390 per year.*

*£390 savings a year figure is for a 1940s 3 bed semi-detached home with a ten year old gas boiler and a gas price of 3.73p/kWh, when cavity wall insulation and loft insulation are installed. More modern homes save less. Individual savings depend on a large number of factors and the £390 quoted should be treated as a guide. †Based on installing a new A-rated condensing boiler and full set of heating controls in a gas-heated, semi-detached gas heated home with three bedrooms.

Are there any alternative ways to power your home?

Biomass

Biomass is a type of organic matter, often referred to as 'bioenergy' or 'biofuel', which is used as an alternative, green source of energy.

Biofuels are produced from organic materials, either directly from plants or indirectly from industrial, commercial, domestic or agricultural products. These materials fall into two main categories:

  1. Woody biomass includes forest products, untreated wood products, energy crops, and short rotation coppice (SRC), e.g. willow.
  2. Non-woody biomass includes animal waste, industrial and biodegradable municipal products from food processing, and high energy crops, e.g. sugar cane and maize.

Find out more at our guide to biomass heating for your home.

Hydro power systems

Hydro-power systems are used to convert the potential energy in water which is stored at height, into kinetic energy (the energy used in movement). This then moves a turbine, which, in turn produces electricity.

Find out more in our guide to domestic hydro-electricity

Domestic wind turbines

Small-scale wind power is particularly suitable for remote off-grid locations where conventional methods of supply are expensive or impractical. Most small wind turbines generate direct current (DC) electricity. Off-grid systems require battery storage and an inverter to convert DC electricity to AC (alternating current - mains electricity).

You will also need a controller to divert power to another useful source (e.g. space and/or water heaters) when the battery is fully charged. Find out more at our guide to domestic wind turbines.

Ground source heat pumps

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) transfer heat from the ground and into a building to heat radiators and hot water. They can also be used to power boilers to pre-heat domestic hot water. Find out more at our guide to ground source heat pumps and our blog on what are heat pumps?

How can you make your home more energy efficient?

Making sure your home is properly insulated is a great start when it comes to energy efficiency. Find out more in the sections below 👇