The government has unveiled its plans to roll out solar power across UK homes, which it says could save households around £500 a year.  

The proposals, in its Solar Roadmap, will help families and businesses benefit from cheaper bills and greater energy security and see industry deliver 45 gigawatts to 47 gigawatts of solar by 2030, supporting up to 35,000 jobs, says the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. 

Earlier this month, energy secretary Ed Miliband said housebuilders will be required to fit solar panels to the “vast majority” of new homes in England in a bid to cut energy bills.

The government also committed £13.2bn in the Spending Review earlier this month, to be spent over the next decade to cut household bills by bills by up to £600 a year, using a mixture of solar, heat pumps and other green technologies. 

The department’s solar plans include: 

• Increasing the installation of solar panels on new build homes through its Future Homes Standard plan 

• Launching a call for evidence “to understand how to harness the untapped potential of solar” in car parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland   

• Launching a safety review to unlock portable plug-in solar panels, making it easier and cheaper for people living in rented accommodation and apartments to install solar panels on their balconies and rooftops 

• Consultations with industry and trade bodies to identify skills gaps in the solar sector to support more people into clean energy jobs 

The energy department says over 1.5 million homes in the UK have rooftop solar panels.  

It adds that 15,496 solar installations took place in January on existing homes, a 16.5% increase on the previous year. 

Since Labour came to power last July, it has approved nearly 3 gigawatts of “nationally significant solar power,” enough to power 500,000 homes, which is more than the last 14 years combined.  

The energy department says to help households pay for new rooftop solar panels, it is working with the Green Finance Institute, the finance sector, consumer bodies and the solar sector “to provide financial solutions for households and businesses”. 

Energy minister Michael Shanks adds: “Families have been paying the price for the fossil fuel rollercoaster for years.  

“Our plan for change means delivering more homegrown energy that we control to boost the UK’s energy security and save money on your bills.  

“Through solar, we are rolling out the quickest to build and one of the cheapest forms of energy for families to start saving hundreds on their energy bills, all while helping tackle the climate crisis.”