B&Q to offer roof-mounted solar panels in partnership with Egg

Homeowners interested in buying and installing solar panels on their roofs can now do so by visiting their local B&Q store, as the DIY giant announced it was offering them for the first time.

The retailer has partnered with clean energy solutions provider Egg to offer bespoke solar panels and storage batteries, becoming the latest big name to break into the green home power market.

Solar panel prices start from £7,740 for an eight-panel system, which comes with a 15-year warranty. product warranty and a 25-year performance guarantee, while the same solution with battery storage included starts from £12,250.

Energy saving: B&Q has partnered with Egg to offer bespoke solar panels and battery storage

The offer is part of B&Q’s new energy saving service, which advises customers on how they can improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Customers can schedule an appointment with a B&Q advisor to review a range of data available on their property, including its age, construction, EPC rating and current energy consumption.

B&Q will then assess the suitability of the client’s home for various ways to potentially reduce energy consumption – from solar panels to attic insulation or switching to a more efficient boiler.

> How much would it cost to make your home greener? Two-thirds of homeowners want to – one-fifth even considering remortgaging to do so

Those who decide to choose solar panels will be referred to Egg, who will manage the entire process, from consultation and design, through planning, to installation.

Egg’s Managing Director, Julie Agnew, said: “It’s important and exciting that B&Q – one of the most trusted names in home improvement – ​​guides customers through home improvement options. energy saving, allowing them to create more sustainable and cost-effective homes.

“Egg is thrilled to partner with B&Q to take the complexity out of solar panels and make solar power a viable solution for more homeowners.

The company, which was launched in February last year, also manufactures electric vehicle chargers.

He said he saw solar panel requests skyrocket by up to 830% year-over-year in the summer of 2022 as homeowners seek ways to cut energy bills amid rising prices and take advantage of sunny weather.

The energy price crisis has boosted the solar power industry, with rooftop solar panel installations doubling in 2022.

A total of 130,596 solar panels were fitted to roofs across the UK last year, according to recent data from renewable energy standards organization MCS. This is almost the same number as those installed in 2019, 2020 and 2021 combined.

There are now more than 1.26 million registered solar installations across the country, including around 1.1 million on homes, according to industry body Solar Energy UK.

In this week’s budget, the Treasury proposed to extend the existing zero VAT for solar panels, heat pumps and insulation to battery storage, when retrofitted to a solar photovoltaic system or installed as a stand-alone unit.

Under current rules, a VAT exemption is only available when solar panels and storage batteries are installed simultaneously.

However, there were no other major giveaways to the solar or wind industries by the government, which instead announced investments in carbon capture, low-carbon power projects and energy nuclear.

B&Q’s foray into solar panels is the latest attempt by big business to cash in on a boom in home energy upgrades.

Last month Octopus Energy unveiled an air-source heat pump that can be installed for as little as £2,500.

The announcement put the company in competition with British Gas, which recently said it would cut heat pump costs to just £2,999 per customer.