Should Liz Truss have offered free solar panels as well?

TheBanker

If there are government funds available to pay for solar panels, the first priority should be public buildings such as schools, council officers, NHS facilities etc. The benefit being lower public spending on energy supplies.

If the government ever came up with a scheme to subsidise household panels (including interest free loans as suggested above), then I think the householder should have to agree to a zero rated feed in tariff. The surplus energy should belong to the government and be off-set against public sector energy usage. 

wrf12345

If the govn had kept throwing free money into my bank to cover energy costs, rather than giving it directly to the energy companies, I would have used it to do a small off-grid solar and battery installation to cut bills rather than give it to the energy company, but they didn't so I will carry on without solar for the moment. 

Until net-metering arrives in this country, the householder getting full credit for all solar produced, I won't be using my money to install grid-based solar but I am ok with free solar on my large south-facing roof and the installer or govn getting paid for the exported electricity.

[Deleted User]

Net metering, but only with true ToU tariffs.  Get full benefit for what you generate, but not a ‘bonus’ benefit for generating when it’s less needed.

uk1

wrf12345 said:

If the govn had kept throwing free money into my bank to cover energy costs, rather than giving it directly to the energy companies, I would have used it to do a small off-grid solar and battery installation to cut bills rather than give it to the energy company, but they didn't so I will carry on without solar for the moment. 

Until net-metering arrives in this country, the householder getting full credit for all solar produced, I won't be using my money to install grid-based solar but I am ok with free solar on my large south-facing roof and the installer or govn getting paid for the exported electricity.

I’ve thought about this aspect and thought I’d share my conclusion in case it’s useful.  

The art seems to be to buy a system that closely matches but does not exceed your power needs.  That means you aren’t over investing. Also obviously you need to have a battery power storage system.  And doesn’t the increase in what electric is going to cost make the payback period an improving factor for going solar?