Beginning in 2027, new houses built in England will be required to have solar panels — which is a win for the planet and homeowners' wallets.
The U.K. Labour Party is aiming to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the next Parliament, the Environmental Defense Fund shared in its recent Vital Signs newsletter. This goal would be fulfilled by 2029 at the latest, although elections can be called in the U.K. sooner. The solar panels will help the U.K.'s goal of using 95% clean energy by 2030.
The solar panels will add between £3,000 and £4,000 to the cost of construction for each home, according to the Guardian, but the money saved on annual electric bills will make up for the cost in a few short years. The EDF said it could save homeowners the equivalent of $1,300 every year on utilities. The government may also offer loans or grants for existing homes to install solar panels.
"We have always been clear that we want solar panels on as many new homes as possible because they are a vital technology to help cut bills for families, boost our national energy security and help deliver net zero," a government spokesperson said, per the Guardian.
Solar panels help reduce our reliance on dirty energy sources while putting money back in our pockets. In the U.S., solar panels can save homeowners around $1,500 annually in utility bills, while tax credits like those in the Inflation Reduction Act also incentivize people to make the switch.
As more people shift toward renewable energy sources like solar, they reduce their amount of carbon output. This helps mitigate the amount of heat-trapping pollution that is put in the atmosphere, which has led to extreme weather events impacting our quality of life.
This good news was featured in the EDF's Vital Signs newsletter. Vital Signs is a great source of inspiring stories about the environment, including articles on global warming solutions, news, and actions you can take to help the planet.
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