Ofgem: Solar panel surge seen in August

There was a considerable rise in the number of homes installing solar panels last month, the latest figures show.

Energy regulator Ofgem revealed that 2,257 homes installed the panels in August, up from 1,700 in July and 1,400 in June.

It is believed that the uptake has been boosted by the government's feed-in tariff scheme, which provides up to 41.3p for every unit of electricity generated.

This can either be used in-house or sold back to the National Grid, as the scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency of the UK as a whole.

Figures from the Energy Saving Trust suggest that the average solar panel system would cost a homeowner £12,000, with greater savings made by bigger projects.

Prince Charles was recently given the go-ahead to install solar panels at Clarence House, but will ensure they are properly disguised to be in-keeping with the history of the property.

Posted by Ruth Bradshaw