Feed in tariffs are available for solar heating panels and evacuated tubes through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
The basics
Under the scheme, homes with solar heating panels and evacuated tubes will be paid 8.5p for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of heat generated and the annual payments are free from income tax and are index linked, similar to the very successful PV solar electric tariff.
Generate and sell energy and join the growing army of investors installing solar panels.
- Solar heating panels tariffs pays owners for the heat energy they produce even when used.
- 20 years of tariff payments with 30-40 years panel lifespan.
- Available to UK home owners.
- Tax free and index linked.
How does the scheme work?
You will be paid 8.5 pence per Kwh of heat generated for a guaranteed 20 year period, whether you use it or not. Just like the feed in tariff scheme for PV (electric) solar panels you will receive annual payments from your energy supplier based on the performance readings of your solar panels.
For this reason we recommend evacuated tubes which give a much better performance especially in the winter months than many flat plate systems. However if you do prefer the aesthetics of flat plate panels then they will still work perfectly fine.
The schemes payments are tax free income and index linked which means your payments will always stay in line with inflation. In addition you will also reduce your household fuel bills in the long term, thus protecting yourself from future energy price rises and reducing your carbon footprint.
Who qualifies for the Feed In Tariffs?
Home owners who have a solar heating panels fitted on or after 15th July 2009 and have up to a 20 kW or smaller system will qualify for this Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. Ofgem will oversee and administer the running of the scheme and your current energy supplier will be responsible for your annual payments.
Did you know - Investing in solar panels reduces dependence on increasing energy costs with an additional increase in your property value.
Why are the government doing this?
99% of domestic heat is generated from expensive fossil fuels such as coal, oil, electricity and gas, which makes up a staggering 55% of the national total of emissions, so the government has targets of 15% to meet by 2020 to reduce our dependence on carbon intensive fuels.
Taking advantage of this Renewable Heat Incentive will help our country meet these ambitious targets as well as saving you money long term on expensive heating bills and not to mention doing your bit for the environment.
Government Guarantee
The Government will guarantee your feed in tariff scheme for the next 20 years. This will allow time for you to get a return on your investment which is usually about 14 years on a technology that will still be serving you in 30 years. This guarantee of a long term income adds weight to the belief that investing in solar panels may add value to and improve the sellability of your home if you need to.
Where’s the catch?
The government will be raising funds through a general increase in electricity prices to the standard consumer and European funding. This scheme will be part of the money our government put aside to meet legally binding climate change obligations, so there is no catch.
How to apply?
It's really simple to apply for these incentive schemes. Simply, get a quote, get installed by an MCS accredited solar panels installer, then once the system is fully installed you will receive a commissioning certificate which you give to your current energy supplier. Easy eh?
Earlier adopters will receive more reward than later adopters.
Quotes from MCS solar installers >>Why today and not tomorrow?
The overall aim of the feed in tariffs scheme is to promote the use of solar energy and create a snowball effect on solar take up, so the rewards will decrease as uptake increases.
Be aware also, that global demand for this type of technology is huge, so price increases for the technology, due to this massive global demand, will push up prices in the future, giving another reason why it has never been so good to install solar panels now.
Ask our MCS solar installers for details:
Learn about solar heating panels >>Learn about evacuated solar tubes >>Solar panels quotes
Solar panels including installation quotes are as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Simply click on our 'Get a quote' button and arrange a FREE home survey and consultation appointment which should last around 1 hour. Appointments with questions and answers sessions may take longer.
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Expert & Author - Stuart Lovatt
Want to reduce fuel dependence? This is probably the closest you will get.
