Whilst there has been a short-term reduction in energy prices it’s expected that global wholesale prices will continue to increase. The current reduction in the energy price cap is a reflection of “business returning to normal” after the massive spike due the war in Ukraine. Reducing fossil fuel consumption to meet decarbonisation targets is expected to lead to increases in overall electricity consumption. Whether at an individual household or societal level, the demand for electricity will increase, underpinning a continued upward trajectory of electricity prices for the foreseeable future.

Almost half of the UK’s current nuclear capacity is due to be decommissioned by 2025 and only one new plant, Hinkley Point C, is currently under construction. If no other new nuclear power stations are built, the UK’s nuclear capacity in 2050 will be a third of what it is today. Britain has announced ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions, and with no more new petrol/diesel cars and all heating, cooking and hot water from 2050 being electrically powered is expected to increase electricity demand by 250%.

In the UK the majority of our electricity is generated by burning natural gas. When the wholesale cost of natural gas rose, the cost of generating energy rose too and this was passed to customers.

The Energy Price Cap is set using historical wholesale prices on the basis that most energy companies will forward buy gas and electricity many months in advance. By contrast, fixed deals have typically more closely reflected wholesale prices at the point at which the customer signs up.

Whilst the biggest energy suppliers have the financial resources to forward buy energy to maintain future prices, most of the new and smaller companies did or could not as they never expected wholesale prices to increase so suddenly in recent years. This led to 31 energy companies failing in 2021.

Reducing your carbon footprint is very important in today’s world. By cutting your carbon footprint it will help to slow down climate change, improve the public health, as well as boosting the worlds economy. By reducing our carbon footprint now we are set to be helping generations to come.

Installing solar panels is a great way to reduce your reliance on traditional fossil fuels that power our homes each day.

Yes, bird barriers will absolutely protect your panels from nesting birds that can damage your panels, and their wiring, frames and housing. Bird barriers also discourage birds from landing on your panels when they learn that there is nowhere for them to nest.

Using the Smart Export Guarantee you can absolutely sell your excess energy back to the grid. You can only make money on excess energy that your system generates. The rates available through the SEG will vary from supplier to supplier, so the amount you could make is not fixed.

It is advisable to clean solar panels. However, solar panels do not need any special solutions or equipment to be cleaned, they can be cleaned the same way your windows are. A window cleaner can do this for you, but if not, the glass is self-cleaning and pitched, so they naturally clean themselves.

It is absolutely possible to add to your system at a later date, if your energy usage rises, or you find your routine and usage patterns changing and wish to add more panels or more battery storage, you can.