The majority of the British public would like to benefit from green energy and install solar panels and home energy storage schemes if greater government assistance was available, a new survey has revealed.
In total 62 per cent said they would like to fit solar panels and 60 per cent would install an energy storage device in order to generate green energy.
An even greater proportion – 71 per cent – would be interested in joining a community green energy scheme if government support was there.
Findings come as government has cut subsidies for green energy
The findings, from a YouGov survey for Client Earth, come as the government has cut subsidies for green energy across the board, capping the total at £100m by 2019.
Client Earth’s chief executive James Thornton said: “These results make it clear that the British public want action on climate change, and urgently. The government can take the lead on climate quickly by cutting off the hundreds of millions of pounds in annual subsidies to fossil fuel power stations and other schemes that are giving carbon-intensive power generation an unfair advantage over renewables.”
Home electricity generation and community green energy schemes can cut electricity bills for consumers at a time when the big six energy companies have raised their prices. The average household will spend over £1,150 a year, according to consumer watchdog, Which?.
Back in 2015, the government announced plans to stop the feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme, and this will take effect at the end of March 2019.
The scheme meant homeowners, small businesses or communities considering building a renewable green energy source such as a solar array, wind turbine, or hydro technology, could expect payments for electricity generation from energy companies – helping to offset the cost of building the project.
Smaller-scale green energy projects generate almost 10 per cent of the UK’s energy mix
A total of £227m was spent during 2017 on independent renewable energy projects.
Smaller-scale green energy projects owned by developers, farmers, landowners and communities generate a total of 9.25 per cent of the UK’s energy mix – a figure which has doubled over the last five years and equates to enough energy to power 8.4 million homes.
Client Earth’s energy lawyer Sam Bright said: “Our generation is witnessing an energy transformation unseen since the industrial revolution. We are moving from being locked into large-scale fossil fuel plants, powered by coal and gas, to smaller, cleaner and locally owned energy systems. But we need the right policy and regulatory support. We need to end fossil fuel subsidies and allow renewable energy and storage technologies to flourish.”
The key message here is to take advantage of the current subsidies to top up your returns on green energy technologies while it remains on offer. If you are considering solar PV panels for your home or business then you should look at fast-tracking your decision to install and take advantage of the remaining FiT subsidy before the April 2019 deadline.
At Energy Gain UK we have been helping our clients to power their homes and businesses using renewable green energy technologies for the last 9 years. Call our team now on 0161 330 7739 and we will be happy to talk you through the options or complete the form below to send us a few details and we will work out how much you could save and earn.
