Solar panel still worth it or not

[Tab373]

Hi I live in a timber framed house with a separate twin garage and I’m thinking about getting solar panels on the garage don’t want them on house.My current electric bill is £170 a month Everything is electric heat exchanger is electric Have 2 ponds as well so they are about £1.50 a day. Also have a home hub which runs the music in each room and the TVs. So question is are they worth it.will they go on the garage roof. The garage which is 18ftx18ft has a pitched tiled roof.

 

[bobmac]

Solar panels are only the start.
Next you will want to get some batteries to store the energy that you don't use while the sun is out.
Then you will want an electric car so you can have free fuel.

Although the cost of solar panels have dropped dramatically, it's still a costly investment and may take many years to get that investment back.
If you are still reasonably young, live down south, have no plans of moving house, have some dosh lying around and your garage roof faces south, go for it.
Electric is the future

 

[ScienceBoy]

I thought we used a lot of electricity but that bill is scary!

We have panels and leccy is less than a pound a day in summer.

 

[Fish]

I’d look at better insulation as that bill, even though you’re 100% electric (cooking as well no doubt), is too big ?

I’ve always thought you don’t save paying out every month, you still have to pay your bills, hence your £170, then at the end of the year, I think, what energy you’ve produced is effectively sold back to the energy company and you get that back in some form, happy to be corrected though.

So, if my analogy is right, it won’t help with monthly cash flow, but you will get money back annually, but how long will it take to get back what you’ve invested to start actually saving money, I think someone once told me some years ago, it could take 10 years!!

 

[rulefan]

Hi I live in a timber framed house with a separate twin garage and I’m thinking about getting solar panels on the garage don’t want them on house.My current electric bill is £170 a month Everything is electric heat exchanger is electric Have 2 ponds as well so they are about £1.50 a day. Also have a home hub which runs the music in each room and the TVs. So question is are they worth it.will they go on the garage roof. The garage which is 18ftx18ft has a pitched tiled roof.

It would probably be cheaper to install gas central heating.

 

[Tab373]

My house is energy efficiency B and enviro rated B so can’t get any greener with out going solar. I do have gas central heating and underfloor heating. My garage has 4 pitched tiled roofs so one would be south facing in 47 and live in the Somerset so southwest. My bill is slightly higher that it should be coz I under paid last year so have upped bill slightly

 

[bobmac]

Have you spoken to anyone in your area who already has solar panels?
Might be worthwhile knocking on a few doors and asking for their experience

 

[Tab373]

Have you spoken to anyone in your area who already has solar panels?
Might be worthwhile knocking on a few doors and asking for their experience

No I haven’t as most houses around are 1930s with no solar mine was a bungalow but was knocked down in 2014 and timber frame modern house built in it place.

 

[rulefan]

My house is energy efficiency B and enviro rated B so can’t get any greener with out going solar. I do have gas central heating and underfloor heating. My garage has 4 pitched tiled roofs so one would be south facing in 47 and live in the Somerset so southwest. My bill is slightly higher that it should be coz I under paid last year so have upped bill slightly

Switch off the underfloor heating (assuming it is electric). That's probably costing £70pm

 

[Crazyface]

Switch off the underfloor heating (assuming it is electric). That's probably costing £70pm

And a few other things as well. £170 a month WOW

 

[rulefan]

And a few other things as well. £170 a month WOW

That's only the electricity. How much is the gas?

 

[funkycoldmedina]

Got to love forums. Anyone got any advice on solar panels? Nope but without knowing anything about your house will make a series of assumptions and tell you what else to sort out??
My understanding of his original email is he has no gas everything is run off the lecky.
I'd be interested in some answers to the solar panel question, we only have UFH and radiators on gas and would be interested to see if it's worth totally switching over.

 

[Tab373]

Got to love forums. Anyone got any advice on solar panels? Nope but without knowing anything about your house will make a series of assumptions and tell you what else to sort out??
My understanding of his original email is he has no gas everything is run off the lecky.
I'd be interested in some answers to the solar panel question, we only have UFH and radiators on gas and would be interested to see if it's worth totally switching over.

I do have a gas boiler for upstairs heating and water it’s about £30 a month in winter

 

[Tab373]

That's only the electricity. How much is the gas?

About £30 a month in winter

 

[rulefan]

About £30 a month in winter

Does that include hot water cylinder or do you just have an electric immersion heater?

 

[funkycoldmedina]

If you dont mind me askung is the heating done by electricity expensive?

 

[Foxholer]

Switch off the underfloor heating (assuming it is electric). That's probably costing £70pm

This - or at least turn it down! The biggest electricity cost by far for me! In fact, twice the cost of everything else put together over Winter!

 

[funkycoldmedina]

Ikea started a scheme a while back did that ever amount to anything?
Solar panels became the double glazing of the naughties and it's really hard to find good quality advice.

 

[Fish]

Ikea started a scheme a while back did that ever amount to anything?
Solar panels became the double glazing of the naughties and it's really hard to find good quality advice.

I’d find a house of similar size as your own with a few on the roof, and politely knock the door, don’t think they’d mind and it’ll be the best advice you could get.

 

[Tab373]

Does that include hot water cylinder or do you just have an electric immersion heater?

No hot water cylinder just a combo boiler with 2 tanks built in a vailent boiler