Cashing in on fear

Energy bills are rising, mostly because the energy minister is an enviroloon who still believes in global warming climate change whatever the hell they're calling it this week. So energy providers are being hit by carbon taxes to subsidise useless green power in the shape of bird choppers and solar panels. And because these methods are subsidised by all us tax payers, people are checking out to see if they can get a hold of them.

Express.

CANNY home owners are avoiding huge rises in energy bills by turning to solar power.

With British Gas and npower respectively increasing their tariffs by seven per cent and 5.1 per cent, leading solar panel installer HomeSun said hits on its website have risen by 72 per cent.

The number of people registering with the firm to see if they qualify for free panels has tripled.

HomeSun is set to install and maintain 100,000 units for free under a scheme where customers keep all the power they need and the installer receives fees from energy suppliers, known as Feed-in Tariffs.

HomeSun estimates its panels can cut energy bills by up to 40 per cent.

Chief executive Daniel Green said: “Even on the shortest day of the year, with bleak overcast skies, solar panels will generate enough energy to light your Christmas tree.”

They really are talking total bollocks, most solar panels don't work when covered in snow for one thing, don't work at night, need regular cleaning (despite claims from the companies selling them) and lose efficiency over the years. Most household use more power than a set of Christmas tree lights too, the average set running at about less than an amp, or 40 watts depending on if they are filament lamps or more often these days low powered LED's. Assuming you get more power in the summer, I still can't see families saving that much, so I reckon it's some kind of con and saving 40% likely to be on a cloudless day on the summer solstice. I might be wrong though, I'm sure that someone will put me right if I am. So quick calculation time, I reckon on about 1500 KWh/ year and a payback of about 8%, not the 40% claim, might be more, might be less depending on how many panels are fitted.

Well the catch is of course  is this, the company offering the free solar panels gaining a 41.3p per Kw incentive. They will be using your roof to take a government grant off you. This is the equivalent of taking your chicken lunch off you and throwing you the wish bone to chew on. most people so inclined to go for solar power will wish they had installed them yourself.
Yes they'll get small savings off their electricity bills, but will lose out on the thousands of pounds government grant, the grant that's coming out of the taxpayers pocket.
So is it worth it? Only for as long as the government can screw us with carbon taxes, even then you'll get a minimum return on your investment if you buy them yourself.