Try before you buy solar panels

Solar panels being installed
Solar panels on a roof

Get free solar panels with the option to buy them later

Get the best of both worlds – try solar panels for free with the option to buy them later on. Cut your electricity bill by £176 and earn up to £677 from the Feed-in Tariff if you decide to buy.*

With try before you buy you can do just that - give them a try before you decide whether or not you'd like to buy them outright.

Find providers in your area:
Cost Free
electricity		 Earn with
Feed-in tariff		 Free
installation		 Roof
direction		 Minimum roof size
From £4,000 Yes Yes Yes South,East and West Any
How big
is that?
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more info
NewDay Energy Services are a company specialising in independent surveys and renewable energies. Based in the North East and our mission statement is ‘Putting people and the environment first’, NewDay has been built on the foundation of putting the customer first “no one likes to be sold too”. In addition to the cost free option you can purchase your system from as little as £4,000
How long is the guarantee and lease? Maunfacturer Guarantee
Is it suitable for a flat roof? Yes
Is it suitable for listed buildings? Subject to relevant planning approval
Is it suitable for conservational and areas of natural beauty? Subject to relevant planning approval
Is there a free consultation and survey? Yes
Can I 'try before I buy'?
(This means you can choose to buy your solar panels later on.)		 Yes
Is there a yield guarantee?
(This means that there's a guarantee you'll get a certain amount of free electricity from your solar panels)		 No

What are solar panels?

Solar panels are made of photovolataic (PV) cells, which turn sunlight into electricity. This electricity can then be fed into your home's mains electricity supply.

Is it sunny enough for them to work in the UK?

Yes. Solar panels don't need direct sunshine – they even work in cloudy or overcast weather.

Is my home suitable for solar panels?

The following questions will help you work out if your home could be suitable for solar panels:

  • Do you own your home?

    If you rent your home, you can't install solar panels (unless you negotiate this with your landlord). If your property is leasehold, you'll need to get permission from the freeholder.

  • Do you live in a flat?

    If you live in a basement or mid-floor flat, then solar probably won't to the right solution for you.

  • What direction does your roof face?

    South-facing roofs tend to be the best, but some schemes accept other roofs.

  • Is your roof in the shade?

    Heavily-shaded roofs aren't ideal.

  • How big is your roof?

    There are different solutions for different sized roofs, but the more space you have, the better.

  • Do you live in listed building, or in a conservation area?

    Regulations can sometimes pose a problem.

Remember, there are exceptions to every rule, so the best way to check if solar is right for you is to get in touch with the company in question. They'll talk you through your options and do a survey if necessary.

* Based on the average user, consuming 3300kWh of electricity a year, at a cost of £526. A system with 12 solar panels will generate 2960kWhs of electricity per year (figure from HomeSun). The average household will use 37.5% of the electricity the panels generate. (Based on figures from the Suncities Monitoring Data Review, Kirklees Council, 2007, which found that households use between 25% and 50% of the electricity their solar panels generate.) The average household will use 1110kWh of electricity from their panels, meaning they buy 33.64% less electricity and make a saving of £176.93. In addition, by signing up to the Feed-in Tariff, you can earn 21p for every unit of electricity generated (£621.60), plus 0.03p for every unit sold back to the Grid (£55.50p) meaning total Teed-in tariff earnings of £677.10. By adding together the savings on electricity and the earnings on the Feed-in tariff, you get a total saving of £854.03. Over the 25 year lifetime of the solar panels, this means total income of £21,350.68.