More than 13,000 solar panels were installed on UK homes during the joint-warmest September on record, according to Coventry Building Society.
The average temperature in September was 15.2°C, making it the joint-warmest September – alongside 2006 – since Met Office records started in 1884.
The number of solar panels installed on homes so far this year was found to be 128,447, already more than the 111,713 installed in 2022 – with last year’s total being surpassed in August.
The number of installations has not been this high since 2015, when the total for the year was 179,137 – this was just before a cut on subsidies was introduced in 2016.
The highest year on record was 2011, when 200,589 panels were installed following the launch of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme in 2010.
The total number of solar panels on UK homes now stands at 1,245,621 – which is a 15.2% increase from September 2022, when there were 1,081,291 panels installed.
Sophie Mason, environmental and sustainability lead at Coventry Building Society, said: “It’s great to see more and more people investing in solar panels for their home – it all adds up to help create a more sustainable future.
“With renewable energy solutions becoming increasingly important to people, we expect this trend to continue – not only do they help the planet, but they offer reduced energy bills, and could add value to your home.”
She added: “The upfront cost is a potential barrier but it’s important to view it as a long-term investment and remember that there are schemes available which can help.
“The green mortgage market will continue to evolve because lenders know homeowners need these options, and because working towards a sustainable future is important to us.
“We have over 900 solar panels installed on our head office sites so we’ve seen first-hand what a difference they make and, as the UK’s first Building Society to achieve B Corp status, we see it as our responsibility to support others as we all move towards a more sustainable future.”
Coventry Building Society currently offers customers the chance to borrow additional funds at a lower rate if they are using at least half of the money on energy saving home improvements.
The maximum additional borrowing is £25,000, and the deal is available for both residential and buy-to-let customers.
