Our spokesperson, Michael Holmes, editor-in-chief of Real Homes magazine comments on how homeowners can take inspiration from Prince Charles’s recent plans to install solar panels on the roof of Clarence House.

Michael says: “Homeowners who follow Prince Charles’s example and install renewable energy saving technologies in the home can add up to approximately five per cent to the retail value of a home. This is in addition to being able to generate up to £700 a year per household under the feed-in-tariff scheme, making up to £30 from selling power back to the grid and slashing around £100 from annual energy bills.

“With many homeowners looking to add value to their home to combat falling house prices, retro-fitting a home, like Prince Charles has done, can be considered the ultimate ‘responsible’ home improvement. Homeowners will not only see a financial gain with a bolstered market value, slashing bills and making a financial return, but are also making a strong contribution to the future homeowner and future generations.

“However, homeowners must understand that the job does not end with installing solar panels, PV cells or a ground source heat pump. It’s about consuming less energy as well as generating your own, so the house must be highly insulated and have low energy appliances and lighting too.”