We are seeing very good demand for our services in 2022 however the perfect storm of Brexit, Covid19, and now the war in Ukraine, are causing shortages of raw materials and electrical products; with prices rising dramatically.

Copper, a key component in wiring, has soared in price over the last two years.

Some electrical products, particularly those using semi-conductors and microchips, are subject to longer lead times. Shut downs in China due to COVID are worsening the availability of semiconductors. As of April 19, more than half of China’s biggest cities were under some form of lockdown. Industrial cities and trading ports—including vital hubs like Changchun, Jilin, Shenyang, Tianjin, Shenzhen and Guangzhou—have shuttered businesses, imposed travel restrictions, or told residents to stay home.

High prices and long delays are affecting homeowners looking to go green and install energy saving products, such as heat pumps and solar panels. Though demand is strong due to the soaring costs of electricity and gas affecting home owners.

Demand is also expected to rise for green products due to the cut on VAT on retrofit measures announced in the Spring Statement, and following the launch of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme this month. 

Moreover, the boiler market has been impacted by unprecedented demand coupled with supply chain challenges for steel, cardboard, plastics and electronic components. 

Here at Carter Electrical Installation Ltd we are doing our very best to keep price rises down for our clients,  but unfortunately they are inevitable. We are using all of our industry contacts to source materials and products but some patience will be required.

In addition, a shortage of qualified electricians is affecting the industry and Carter currently has vacancies for solar and heating Engineers. Experience with solar PV and/or heat pumps is a must.

In the recent mini budget Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that VAT on domestic green energy projects would be removed for the next 5 years. Previously the VAT rate stood at 5%. So for the likes of solar panels, air source heat pumps and insulation there is to be no VAT.

The Chancellor commented that with soaring energy prices it was now more important than ever for homeowners to make sure that their homes were as an energy efficient as possible. Sunak criticised the “complex rules about who is eligible”.

“The reliefs used to be more generous but from 2019 the European Court of Justice required us to restrict its eligibility,” he told the Commons.

“But thanks to Brexit we’re no longer constrained by EU law.”

Jon Carter, MD of Carter Electrical Installations, commented on this change. “We are already very busy with green energy projects. The absence of VAT can only help more householders want to go ahead with alternative energy sources”

At the last Budget, delivered in October 2021, Sunak confirmed a new rates relief scheme for businesses looking to fit low-carbon technologies onsite, including rooftop solar, battery storage and cycling infrastructure. Heat network installations will benefit from a 100% relief. 

This was originally set to run from 2023 to 2035. With these announcements, Sunak has brought its introduction forward to April 2022. 

How do Solar Panels work?

Frequently Asked Questions

Solar panels are made out of photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert the sun’s energy into electricity.

Photovoltaic cells are sandwiched between layers of semi-conducting materials such as silicon. Each layer has different electronic properties that energise when hit by photons from sunlight, creating an electric field. This is known as the photoelectric effect – and it’s this that creates the current needed to produce electricity.

Solar panels generate a direct current of electricity. This is then passed through an inverter to convert it into an alternating current, which can be fed into the National Grid, or used by the home or business the solar panels are attached to.

What type of panels are available?

Options include: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, hybrid and thin film. Solar panels are typically fitted on top of your existing roof. With new builds we can use recessed solar panels so that they are not so obvious at first sight.

How much will Solar Panels cost?

Solar panel system sizes are measured in kilowatt peaks (kWp). This is the maximum output of your system.

“The most common system size, from our survey of more than 1,000 solar panel owners, was between 3.6-4kWp” Which? Prices are from approximately £1000 per 1kW installed (depending on specifications) Therefore the average cost would be around £4,000.

What else do I need to run the system?

Solar PV panels need an inverter to convert the direct current produced by the panels in to alternating current that is used by the household. Inverters are often situated in lofts, though this can be problematic due to high temperatures experienced during summer months. Most inverters now have internet connection capability, so you can keep an eye on your system using apps or web browsers, even when you’re away. The technology also raises awareness of your energy usage, encouraging you to be more sustainable, and save more money.

Consider a storage battery to store the power that is generated from your solar panels during the day. Storage batteries can also be used to store cheap power during the night. This power could then be used to charge your EV or used back in the house when power demand is high. https://www.powervault.co.uk/

Who Can I trust?

Carter Electrical Installations are a MCS-accredited installation company that installs MCS-certified products. MCS is an industry-led quality assurance scheme, which demonstrates the quality and reliability of approved products and installation companies.

Being MCS certified demonstrates to our customers that we install to the industry-expected level of quality every time. MCS gives you a mark of quality which provides assurance.

We are also a member of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC). This means that they have agreed to abide by high consumer protection standards. RECC also runs a dispute-resolution process if you have a complaint against an installer registered with it.

What is the Smart Export Guarantee?

The Smart Export Generator (SEG) launched on 1 January 2020 and is a government-backed initiative. The SEG requires some electricity suppliers (SEG Licensees) to pay small-scale generators (SEG Generators) for low-carbon electricity which they export back to the National Grid, providing certain criteria are met.

Anyone with one of the following technology types could benefit from the SEG (provided they meet the rest of the eligibility criteria) up to a capacity of 5MW, or up to 50kW for micro-CHP:

• Solar photovoltaic (solar PV)
• Wind
• Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP)
• Hydro
• Anaerobic digestion (AD)

These installations must be located in Great Britain.

The current grant scheme for the installation of home chargers is due to end on 31st March 2022. The current Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides a 75% contribution towards the purchase and installation of an electric vehicle home charger; although this grant has been capped at £350.

We are expecting a surge in demand, so if you are thinking of installing a home charger please do get in touch as soon as possible so as not to miss out on the grant. You don’t have to physically have the vehicle you just need proof of an order, deposit or a lease agreement.

According to the UK Government a reformed EVHS will start in 2022. However, changes will be geared towards boosting uptake of EVs for people in blocks of flats and rental accommodation, landlords and social housing providers, plus apartment block owners. On top of this, the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) will be extended to allow SME’s to install chargers for employees. We are also experiencing strong demand for EV chargers from commercial sites and have plenty of experience in fitting multiple charger units.

The last claim for an installation that the government will accept under the scheme will be 30th April 2022. Also, the last date for an installation accepted under the scheme will be March 31 2022.

To qualify for the current EVHS grant – also known as the OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles plug-in grant) – you’ll need to:

• Have a qualifying electric vehicle that produces 0g/km of Co2 and must cost less than £35,000
• Have access to off-street parking
• Be parked somewhere that an electrician can run a charging cable from the distribution board (electricity supply) to your car