As many as half of Britain's homes could earn around £600 a year from roof top solar panels with some earning as much as £1000, according to energy supplier, British Gas.

Research carried out by the company suggests that over 12 million households have roofs that could benefit from solar panel installations which would produce enough electricity for up to half their household needs.

By cutting their electricity bill and earning money through the Government's Feed-in Tariff scheme - a scheme that pays owners of solar panels for the 'renewable' electricity they generate - the average household would be better off by around £600 a year and those with bigger systems could benefit by up to £1000. Collectively, British homes could be £7bn a year better off.

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The market for solar installations and other microgeneration technology in the UK is expected to grow rapidly with the new Government support scheme. British Gas predicts that within a decade, one quarter of households will have small-scale microgeneration technology in their homes.

Having been piloting the technology for some time, British Gas is announcing a major ramp up of its solar offering for British homes. Through, mySolar Energy, British Gas will provide an end-to-end solar installation service, carrying out a thorough energy assessment of the home, installing the panels, providing all customers with a Certificate of Expected Panel Performance (CEPP) to demonstrate the expected value of the panel if customers were to sell the property, and helping its customers apply for the Feed-in-Tariff. The performance of the solar PV panels are guaranteed for 25 years and all work will be carried out by fully trained British Gas staff.

Jon Kimber, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy, said: "Solar power will revolutionise the way British homes generate and use energy. British Gas, the largest energy supplier in the UK, is leading the way, helping our customers reap the benefits of this technology to cut their electricity bills, reduce their carbon footprint and earn a yearly income. British Gas is already one of the largest installers of solar panels in the UK, and we intend to be the leading player in this sector."

(CD)