Find out how renewable technology can help you do your bit for the environment, and the savings you could make on your energy bills.
Renewable technologies harness natural energy from the sun, earth, water or wind to generate electricity or heating for homes and businesses. There are two main kinds of renewable technologies available: electricity or heat generating.
Any electricity or heat you generate with renewable technology goes directly into running your home. Generate enough, and you won’t need to buy energy from a supplier.
The government has renewable energy grants that could help offset the cost of installing the technology.
Some energy suppliers also offer tariffs that pay you for any excess energy you generate and export to the national grid – it’s called the smart export guarantee (SEG).
All renewable technologies have a payback period - the time it takes for them to save you an amount equal to installation costs. But how long it takes varies between technologies.
For example, a medium efficiency 3kW solar panel system could cost £5,400 to buy and install. If that system saved you £270 on your electricity bills per year, it’d take 20 years to make back the cost of the system. But, if you manage to sell back excess energy into the grid, or get a grant from the government to help with the costs, you’ll break even a lot quicker.
To be completely dependent on your own power sources, or reduce your bills substantially, you’ll need to generate enough energy for your building.
This can be difficult if:
The Energy Saving Trust has a wealth of comprehensive information on all aspects of renewable energy, including advice on finding a suitable energy company and installer.
The government also has the most up-to-date information available on the latest funding and financial incentive schemes.