Eco-minded home owners are put-off by price of solar panels

A green consultancy has found that most home owners currently have no plans to add solar panels to their home, even though they would like to reduce their energy use and utility bills by using renewable technology.

Research commissioned by TheEcoExperts.co.uk has shown that 60 per cent of eco-minded home owners feel solar panels are too expensive to buy and install, while 7.5 per cent believe that installing solar panels would do little to reduce their household energy costs.

While most eco-minded home owners surveyed on behalf of the green firm admitted that cost was the main barrier to adding solar panels to their home, 5.4 per cent of home owners also admitted that they found solar panels to be unattractive and 1.6 per cent worried that adding panels would devalue their home.

3.6 per cent of home owners polled also confessed that they did not fully understand how solar panels work.

The news comes just as the government has outlined official plans to make funding available to home owners looking to add renewable heating systems such as biomass boilers and solar thermal panels to their home through renewable heat grants.

According to DirectGov.uk, funding will be available for 25,000 household installations from August 2011.

Many home owners are expected to take advantage of government's grants given that a YouGov survey recently revealed that 78 per cent of British home owners would rather improve their property than move in today's difficult economic climate.

Insurance experts have encouraged home owners undertaking any green home improvements or installations to make sure that they have home insurance which also covers their new renewable systems against damage.

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 06:37:00 GMT