Despite the Labour party suggesting the UK’s carbon targets have been derailed, Energy and Climate Secretary Chris Huhne says they’re still on track. The government has pushed renewable energy as a viable way to reduce carbon emissions, and despite cuts to its various schemes there’s still a decent uptake.
Solar panels, heat pumps and wind turbines have proved the most popular, both on small and large-scale developments. But Chancellor George Osborne mentioned his worries about endless environmental goals in his Autumn Statement.
Government schemes such as the Feed-in tariff have been very popular and there has been a lot criticism from their decision to reduce the solar PV rates. But Mr Huhne says this was a sensible route to take, as the cost of solar panels has decreased over the years. In fact they’re 39% cheaper than 12 months ago.
And while Labour say this sudden cut in tariffs will strangle the solar industry, the Coalition and many solar installers disagree, and say solar panels can be as popular as ever.
Mr Huhne said: “A lot of the businesses that have been involved in it have been growing at an incredible pace, precisely because there’s been such a big fall in the cost of solar panels.
“The original subsidies which had been designed, without any view of the real world, by the last Labour government, have not been brought down in line with the fall in the cost of the solar panels.
“All we’ve done is move them back in line so that the industry can grow sustainably, and we don’t use up all of the budget that’s allocated for solar panels by the end of next year.”
The UK Government has focused on reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2020. This is with renewable energy, improved home efficiency and new boilers. By adopting home insulation such as double glazing, you’ll save hundreds of pounds on your fuel bills every year.
A new energy efficient boiler will also save you a lot of money and reduce the risks of a breakdown over the winter period. This is when call-out charges escalate and could total as much as £300.