Looking to reduce your energy bills? You’re not alone.
Many of us are turning to green power to slash our energy bills. Especially when the government offers incentives, like grants, to make the switch.
Our data experts have collected insights from Google, TikTok, Amazon, eBay between November 2022 and December 2023 to reveal the most popular renewable energy sources to heat your home. We also looked at where you can find renewable companies, as well as answer the most common green power questions.
Heat pumps get the green light
Heat pumps were the year's most searched energy source, hitting over 96,000 Google searches each month. Solar panels take second place with 68,192 per month. And it’s no wonder, considering a typical solar panel can save over 900 kg of CO2 per year, paying back its carbon footprint in about 1.6 years[1]
However, when it comes to media coverage of renewables, solar panels have gained considerable coverage on the topic. Last year, 160,535 people engaged with articles written on the topic. However, while there have been only 89 articles published on electric radiators in the past year, these articles had the highest average number of readers per article (244).
Renewable energy in the spotlight
Chances are you’ve seen news on renewable energy. After all, there were 2,359 articles on heat pumps, 1,975 on solar panels, and 699 on wind turbines alone last year.
What does this show? For one, the country is embracing a greener future. And it’s not just exclusive to the media. Renewable energy sources are also getting attention on social media sites and online marketplaces. For example, heat pumps alone received an average of 57,900 monthly searches on TikTok, 120,000 on Amazon and 62,100 on eBay.
Energy trends across the UK
Although heat pumps are the most searched energy source in most cities (74%), there are exceptions. In fact, in 24% of cities – like Belfast, Leicester and Oxford – solar panels were the most popular.
The Essex town of Basildon went more rogue, with people searching the most for underfloor heating.
Electric radiators also made it onto the podium, with substantial searches in cities such as Leeds, Norwich and Portsmouth.
The cost of renewable energy
Power for your home can be costly. So, it makes sense that the most searched queries are price and installation related. For instance, 2,438 monthly searches were ‘cost to install solar panel’, 7,015 were ‘solar panel cost’, and 8,685 were ‘solar panel installation’.
Elsewhere, the trend continues. For underfloor heating, a substantial 6,600 were ‘underfloor heating cost’, while 2,108 were ‘underfloor heating installation’.
People’s curiosity is understandable, particularly when energy-efficient sources such as heat pumps can cost anywhere between £8,750 and £14,050[2]. Similarly, installing an average 4k solar panel system can range from £9,000 to £10,000[3]. But it’s worth noting that larger systems tend to have a lower price per kW used, which can help reduce your monthly bills.
And there’s help at hand. If you’re a homeowner, you can get a grant of up to £7,500 to replace fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low-carbon heating systems[4]. These include heat pumps and biomass boilers. This grant, along with other incentives like the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), can help offset initial expenses. They can also make renewable energy a more appealing proposition for homeowners and businesses.
Supply and demand
We wanted to know the cost and installation of green power. But our research revealed it’s actually in short supply in the UK. Only 17% of all UK cities have at least 1 renewable company per 10,000 population. And there are no renewable energy companies in 7 of the UK’s cities.
Why is this? A big reason could be that individuals or companies in the UK typically need to hold specific qualifications to install renewable energy. An example of this qualification is the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MSC). And if companies and engineers don’t have access to the accreditation, it has a knock-on effect on the availability of green power.
Some cities are embracing the shift to sustainable energy, though. For instance, Aldershot has an impressive 6.5 energy companies per 10,000 people, while Chatham has 4.2.
Although energy companies are few and far between, they generally provide excellent service, with no company receiving a score less than 4/5. And you’re even more likely to receive superb service in York and Exeter. They have some of the highest reviewed renewable energy companies with an average rating of 4.97.
Final thoughts
From heat pump search numbers to the sheer number of renewable energy articles, our data highlights a growing demand for green power in the UK.
But while there’s appetite, there’s an issue satisfying consumers' hunger, with a limited supply of renewable energy companies in many regions.
The UK needs more investment in renewable energy to keep up with the predicted demand. At the moment, it’s expensive to install green energy sources. But you can always find the best deal for your energy by comparing quotes at Confused.com.
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