Extra tips & tutorials

First read our introduction to solar hot water. Maybe talk to other system owners, read books, attend courses, ask questions – get as much basic information as you can.

Do you live in a protected building? Is it listed, or in a protected area – a national park, area of outstanding natural beauty or a conservation area?

Think about how people in your house use hot water. Are they frugal? Do they use a lot? Are they wasteful? The more hot water the occupants use, the bigger your system needs to be.

The choice is between flat-plate panels and evacuated tubes. Here’s what they look like.

An average price for an installed system (including a new cylinder) for a family of 4 is around £4-5000, but there will be geographical variations, as labour can be cheaper in some parts of the country.

We are building a list of recommended installers, depending on what part of the country you live in.

Typically, a system will consume a small amount of electricity to run the pump and controller – less than £10 per year.

Most systems are pressurised (the solar system is pressurised, not necessarily the cylinder), so it’s a good idea to check the pressure gauge reading every now and then – say, once a quarter.