Could Pays scheme increase solar panel uptake?

Article date : 08/03/2010

A new government scheme may help to make it easier for Britons to invest in renewable and energy efficient technology such as solar panels, one sector commentator has asserted.

Gordon Miller, founder of whatgreenhome.com, said that the up-front cost of having items such as solar panels installed is traditionally what puts many Britons off from investing in them.

However, the new Pay As You Save (Pays) scheme, announced by the government last week, could help to overcome these concerns, he added.

Under Pays, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has revealed that Britons will be able to apply for a loan worth thousands of pounds, which can then be put towards improvements to their home such as solar panels.

The debt would then be paid back through utility bills and would be attached to the property, rather than its owners.

Commenting on how the scheme could benefit the environment, Mr Miller said: "Clearly retrofitting and bringing the existing homes up to speed is absolutely critical if we are going to meet our own emissions targets and reduce CO2 emissions."

Written by Tony Harrison

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