Why 2023 Is the Time for Solar Panels to Shine

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With UK energy prices set to rise yet again this April to an average of £3,000 per household, long term solutions to reduce energy bills are needed more than ever. 

Leading renewable energy authority The Eco Experts states that by installing solar panels, homeowners can reduce their bills by 54%, helping to ease the burden of future energy price increases. While the installation cost for the average three-bedroom UK home is £5,420, the savings to bills means that they pay themselves off in just 10 years. 

Additionally, 2022 saw the UK receive 9% more sunshine than average and was also the hottest year on record. It’s clear that the time for environmentally friendly ways of generating energy is now. 

And UK homeowners are reacting already. 2022 saw the largest yearly orders of solar panels – totalling 130,596 installations – since the UK Government removed the subsidies for them in 2015. As reported by The Eco Experts in August 2022, UK Google searches for ‘solar panels’ reached a peak popularity of 100 – the first time they’d ever done so.

For more insights on why 2023 is the year that solar panels are set to become more commonly installed and used by UK homeowners, The Eco Experts have just launched their new Solar Panel facts piece. Here are more of the key Solar Panel findings:

• The cost of solar panels has dropped by 82% in the last decade
• They work in all types of climate, not just in direct sunlight where they operate best
• They have a tiny carbon footprint (14-73 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour from manufacturing) that cancels out after 3 years of usage
• Since 2021, solar energy has been the cheapest form of energy 
• New solar panel technology is set to more than double panels’ efficiency rates
• They’re low maintenance. We provide tips on how to efficiently look after your solar panels to reduce the cost of solar panel repair over time

The Eco Experts writer and researcher Josh Jackman stated:

“The global energy industry is gradually transitioning from dirty fossil fuels to clean renewables – and solar panel technology is at the forefront of this movement. As solar panels continue to improve while also getting cheaper – and as household bills rise to unprecedented levels – we’re confident that more homeowners and businesses will make the swap to cleaner energy. 

“You can cut your home’s energy bills by 54% and break even in 10 years, on average. If I had to recommend one eco-friendly improvement to make to your home, it’d be solar panels every time – the maths is just too good.

“And with the solar industry evolving at such a rapid rate, we can expect innovations to make domestic solar panels even cheaper and more efficient in the near future.”

Here are Josh’s five pieces of advice for homeowners that are interested to install solar panels onto their homes:

1. Use our solar panel calculator to get an idea of how many solar panels you should get, how much it’d cost, and when you’ll break even.
2. Check your roof. See if there’s enough space (about two square metres per solar panel), and check which direction it faces. South, east, and west are fine; north isn’t.
3. Compare at least three solar panel quotes to get the best deal.
4. Decide which company’s Smart Export Guarantee tariff to sign up to, so you can sell your excess solar energy. British Gas currently offers the best rate, unless you already get your electricity from Octopus.
5. Strongly consider not getting a solar battery. You’ll use 30% more of your solar energy, but the upfront cost means it’ll delay your break-even point by nine years.