Britons could save hundreds of pounds on their energy bills soon after the government confirmed all new build homes will have solar panels.
A typical existing UK home could save around £530 a year from installing rooftop solar, based on the current energy price cap, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said.
This means today’s new proposals, which will be further outlined this autumn in the Future Homes Standard, could significantly cut energy bills for the recipients of new build properties.
They added it could further help tackle the cost of living for young families and new house buyers.
Under the proposed changes, new homes will also have low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps and high levels of energy efficiency, cutting people’s energy bills and boosting the nation’s energy security.
To deliver these aims, the proposed Future Homes Standard would see building regulations amended to explicitly promote solar for the first time, subject to practical limits.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: ‘Solar panels can save people hundreds of pounds off their energy bills, so it is just common sense for new homes to have them fitted as standard.
‘So many people just don’t understand why this doesn’t already happen. With our plans, it will.
‘Today marks a monumental step in unleashing this rooftop revolution as part of our Plan for Change, and means new homeowners will get lower bills with clean home-grown power.’
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook, added that ‘common-sense’ planning will make it easier for people to use heat pumps and switch to EVs.
New legislation, which came into force last week, means more homeowners will now be able to install a heat pump within one metre of their property’s boundary without having to submit a planning application.
Figures from Octopus show that 34% of those who order a heat pump are discouraged or drop out due to the need to submit a planning application.
The first quarter of 2025 saw a record number of applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, up 73% from the same quarter in 2024.
The scheme provides households with up to £7,500 off the cost of a heat pump, which can save families around £100 a year by using a smart tariff effectively.
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