250 per cent increase in enquiries following energy price hike
Posted on 24/10/2013
Leads2trade has joined senior figures in the UK solar industry, who recently voiced their concerns to government about added support for the renewable sector.
Some have argued for investor tax breaks in order to boost the mid-sized PV market in the UK.
Leads2trade’s Director Andy Royle agrees with this, but believes the biggest challenge to overcome is changing perceptions around solar PV. He also said it’s vital to communicate the benefits of solar PV following energy price increases.
He says: “Following the news that some energy companies are putting their prices up we’ve seen a 250 per cent increase in consumers enquiring about solar PV. We expect this to increase further as more energy providers follow suit. Npower is the most recent name to reveal a planned price hike.
“The government did a good job of creating frenzy around solar PV, with the initial FIT reduction, and have never really clawed back any of the feel-good factor that previously surrounded the industry.
“Many people think Feed-in-Tariffs have been scrapped altogether and that solar isn’t an investment that will reap financial rewards. This is a misconception and this heightened consumer interest provides real opportunities for installers.”
Andy comments further: “The solar industry is still here. It’s still a viable investment and consumers can benefit from the FIT freeze that is in place until January.
“The cost of the actual systems has dropped by 70 per cent as well; ensuring property owners will get a fantastic return on investment. It’s all about communicating this.”
An average home can expect to get a ten per cent rate of return, based on the current 14.90p/KWh tariff for systems 4kW in size and smaller.
But the solar market is currently installing around 100,000 solar systems on UK homes per year, which is below the 300,000 centralised projection.
Andy comments further: “Businesses rely on this sector, many of which diversified their portfolios from double glazing. Tax breaks and incentives are great but there also needs to be a concerted campaign to ensure the discourse surrounding solar is correct.
“Convincing consumers is key and communication is vital. The Green Deal also has huge potential but people are confused and frustrated by it due to a lack of information or too much misinformation.”
Andy is encouraged though, by the recent news that IKEA is formulating plans to sell solar panels at all of its UK stores.
“Hopefully a big name like IKEA can put together a campaign that informs the general public about the great returns available from solar PV,” Andy says.
Leads2trade is widely considered to be a leading supplier of double solar PV and renewable energy leads. It is also a widely respected information resource and support centre for renewable energy installers.