How can you benefit from solar energy?

Solar energy is a renewable form of energy that generates electricity from daylight using solar photovoltaic (or solar PV) panels. These solar panels are made up of small solar cells that turn daylight into an electric current which feeds through an inverter into your home to power your lights and appliances.

Solar energy is now the world’s fastest growing energy technology¹ and you can see solar panels on the roofs of homes up and down the country. But why should you consider installing solar panels on your home? And can solar panels really make your home more sustainable?

We’ve pulled together five benefits of solar energy to help you decide whether this renewable technology is right for you and your home.

The climate crisis is the biggest environmental challenge² we’re facing globally, and how we power our homes has a huge impact on the amount of CO₂ emissions we produce and our carbon footprint.

Generating electricity from solar panels doesn’t produce greenhouse gas so is a great way to reduce your and your home’s carbon footprint. In fact, you could save approximately 1 tonne of carbon dioxide every year³ by powering your home with solar energy.

By choosing this source of clean energy you’re helping the UK to reach its carbon emissions reduction goals, reducing your negative impact on the planet and helping to clear the air of harmful pollutants.

And if you want to know more about how you can help in the climate emergency, we’ve pulled together six easy ways to help stop climate change. 

Powering your home during the day with solar energy means that you avoid paying to use electricity from the grid. And to get the most out of your solar panels consider installing a battery to store the electricity you generate.

With a battery you can generate electricity during the day and store any excess to use when it suits you – even at night – which might come in very handy during the winter months when there’s fewer daylight hours. Or make the most of those long summer evenings and use the extra electricity generated to run your washing machine or dishwasher overnight.

Generating your own renewable electricity means that you can rely less on the grid and your energy supplier, saving you money on your bills. One of the main benefits of solar power is that daylight is free, so you don’t need to pay for the electricity you generate – only the solar panel installation itself.

Depending on the system you choose, as well as the tilt and sun of your roof, you could save up to £534 a year⁴ on your electricity bills by powering your home with solar energy. If you improve your home’s energy efficiency too, you could find that your solar panels provide most of your electricity.

What’s more, if you generate more electricity than you need you can even sell energy back to the grid, helping your finances even further.

If you’re considering investing in sustainable solutions for your home, you may be surprised to learn that they can add value to your property. By installing solar panels, you could add more than £30,000 to the value of your home⁵.

As well as enjoying the benefits of solar energy whilst you’re living in your home, if you’re thinking of selling in the near future solar panels could be a great way to improve your property’s valuation.

Some remote areas of the UK still don’t have access to the energy grid, and more and more people are choosing to go ‘off-grid’ to live a more sustainable life. If this is you, choosing solar panels and a battery could give you more control over your electricity supply.

We offer four sizes of batteries to choose from based on the size and type of your solar system and how much storage capacity you need. You can reduce your reliance on the grid and become more self-sufficient in your energy supply.

Switching to solar energy can be a great investment for your home – helping you to become more sustainable, save money on your electricity bills and even increase the value of your home.

It’s easy to install solar panels on your roof and it usually only takes a day or so for your home to be up and running on solar power thanks to our expert installers. And we have a range of interest free payment options available⁶ to help you spread the cost of installing solar panels. E.ON is a credit broker and not a lender.

So what are you waiting for, start your solar journey today.  

^{1. BBC News: A breakthrough approaches for solar power.}

^{2. WWF: The effects of climate change.}

^{3. Based on a 3.5kWp system in the south of England which can generate around 3,700 kilowatt hours of electricity a year.}

^{4. These are example figures only. Savings are based on a south-facing property in central England with a 40-degree roof tilt and no shading, with electricity consumption of 4,900 kWh. Saving assumes fitting 14 x 325W panels and a 10.4 kWh battery and an electricity cost of 17.812p/kWh.}

^{5. Solar Power Portal: Residential solar boosts house prices by average of £30,000.}

^{6. E.ON Energy Installation Services Limited acts as a credit broker not a lender and work exclusively with Creation Consumer Finance Limited who acts as the lender. Credit subject to status, terms and conditions apply and can be found at eonenergy.com/terms-and-conditions/eon-installation, E.ON reserves the right to amend its finance offering at any time and may withdraw at short notice. E.ON UK plc is an Introducer Appointed Representative of E.ON Energy Installation Services Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to credit broking services under number 750410. Registered in England and Wales under company number 09965944 with its registered office at Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8LG.}