Once you have solar panels fitted, you will see your electricity bill start to fall as you will begin getting free electricity from the solar cells. It takes between seven and 13 years to recoup the cost of fitting the panels, depending on your usage, the size of the array and a few other factors. But the array could last for 30 years, and if it does, at least 17 years of free electricity is your reward.

Solar power is low carbon, so using electricity from your cells rather than the grid will make your carbon output as a household a lot lower, albeit mainly during the day, since that’s when the sun is out and your solar array will be doing its thing. If you opt for a battery to store some of that low-carbon energy for use at night, you could even get your on-site electricity production to zero carbon.It is fair to point out that making solar cells still produces some carbon, but your solar farm will still be way less polluting than using grid energy.

There are plenty of people willing to give attractive estimates of how much solar panels add to your property’s value. It is difficult to accurately gauge by how much they will make your home more valuable since you will never be able to sell a home twice in the same instant, both with and without panels to work out the difference. The reality is, many other factors dictate a property’s value including the state of the housing market.At the same time, solar panels will improve your property’s energy performance certificate (EPC) rating and offer an attractive discount to the next owner’s energy bill. This should mean that you can ask a higher price for your home. Just be wary of those who try to give you a fixed estimate of how much that price boost is.