Petition To Scrap VAT Hikes On Solar Panels Passes 17,000

When it comes to renewable energy in Cumbria and the rest of the UK, solar panels represent a brilliant opportunity to help create a more sustainable and future-proofed economy, but from next month (October) households will likely spend more time mulling over whether such installations are cost-effective for them or not.

Why? Because the government has plans to push through a 15 per cent increase in VAT for domestic clean energy technology from October 1st – a move that has since seen a petition against the plans receive support from more than 17,500 members of the general public.

The petition – launched by green groups such as Friends of the Earth, 10:10 Climate Action, Good Energy and the Renewable Energy Association – calls on the government to change its mind, while pointing out that the VAT for coal and gas has been kept the same at five per cent, Edie reports.

According to the news source, there are now over a million solar PV installations operating around the country, with the majority installed in the last ten years.

The letter, sent to chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid, read: “Solar power coupled with battery storage is not just a solution to climate change. It is an economic opportunity which can address the balance of payments whilst creating a sustainable economy fit for the future. However, the UK risks losing out if policy blockers are put in the way.”

Both domestic and commercial sites can benefit from solar PV installation, working to convert energy from the sun into free electricity. These systems work by capturing the energy of the sun using photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert the light energy into electricity – providing an efficient renewable form of power.

The panels are mounted on the roof of your property, preferably south facing.Energy is produced from daylight rather than heat, which is why solar energy works even in the UK’s oft-cloudy climate. The daylight that hits the cells is then converted into electricity, with an inverter then converting the electricity from DC to AC before it’s sent to your fuse box to be used to run your appliances and give you light at home.

And the even better news is that if your system produces more energy than you need, the rest is exported to the National Grid so you don’t waste any of it. All this takes place automatically so you don’t have to worry about doing anything – it all takes care of itself.

Once you’ve had your system installed, you’ll see a monthly reduction in your electricity bill and receive an income from your feed-in tariff provider. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with us today.