Energy bills have increased 160% in the last decade so the priority for many homeowners is to make their properties as efficient as possible. Insulation is a great place to start and areas such as the windows, walls, loft and flooring can all be made energy efficient. <\/p>\n
But once your home is sufficiently insulated, how about generating your own energy and avoiding the National Grid premium payments altogether? With renewable technology you can lower your bills and even earn a guaranteed income.
\nAlthough the initial installation costs aren\u2019t cheap, schemes such as the feed-in-tariff make investment worthwhile by offering a cash incentive.
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The feed-in-tariff is a Government-backed scheme to support the uptake of solar panels and pays out for 20 years at a set rate. Installing now will lock you onto the 14.9p\/kWh rate for two decades. Other technology eligible for feed-in-tariff payments include wind turbines and hydroelectric systems. <\/p>\n
As well as this payment, there\u2019s also the potential to sell excess electricity to the grid. If you\u2019re out during the day, the energy you generate won\u2019t be wasted and instead, if not used, will be sold at a rate of 4.5p\/kWh. <\/p>\n
Remember, if you want to receive the lucrative payments, your solar panel system must be installed by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) installer and the product must be MCS certified too. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just PV solar panels which now stand to benefit from cash incentives. Renewable products generating heat can now earn with the RHI, which is set to come into power for domestic installations in spring 2014. <\/p>\n
By installing solar thermal panels or heat pumps, you\u2019ll be guaranteed payments for seven years, which will help to provide a great return on investment. However, as the heat can\u2019t be sold, there is no scheme to replicate the export tariff. <\/p>\n
There is also a grant available to help with installation costs and if you install solar thermal before March 31, 2014, you could receive a \u00a3600 discount. This is under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme. <\/p>\n
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Facts & Figures You’ll Love To Share <\/strong><\/p>\n