New research shows people are still unaware of the benefits of solar panels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 20, 2011 -- The government is currently ploughing increasing amounts of effort into implementing what they call their ‘go green’ strategy. However, a new study carried out by a leading environmental consultancy has revealed that despite the governments best efforts there is still a distinct lack of awareness of the strategy amongst the general public.

More than half of people who took part in the research were not able to recognise that the government’s Green Deal is a part of their energy efficiency policies. Instead they thought the Green Deal was a policy put in place to protect the UK’s forests, or how to influence people to buy hybrid cars.
More than 2,000 British people took part in the survey, which also conveyed that over 60% of people would think about fitting green technology- for example solar panels in their homes. However, this figure implies that there is a ‘green gap’, whereby there is also a lack of knowledge about how the public can have free solar panels installed, the financial benefits of solar panels and the various government schemes which are available to utilise that are collectively preventing them from making use of solar energy.

Over 50% of respondents felt that the cost of installing solar panels was the main factor which deterred them from having them fitted. This is because they felt solar panel installation would be too expensive for them to do. Almost a third were unaware of the amount of money using solar panels to produce free electricity would save them, or earn them, and 65% of people knew nothing about the governments FIT scheme.
A spokesman for the environmental consultancy has said “I am encouraged by some of these findings as I am delighted that nearly half the population would like to install renewable energy technologies; what worries me is the lack of fundamental awareness surrounding it. To bridge the Green Gap it’s essential we continue to educate consumers and break down some of the myths surrounding the Green Deal, energy efficiency and microgeneration.”

Collectively UK homes are the cause 14% of all greenhouse gases which are emitted into the atmosphere each year. Despite this, more than 25% of people would not think about implementing the various energy efficiency measures that are available in their properties- which include having windows double glazed, installing loft and wall insulation and buying an energy efficient boiler despite the potential sum of money these measures can save.
Energy efficient experts predict that if the ‘green gap’ were to be addressed the UK could save around 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere every year.
If you want to find out more information about how you can benefit from having solar panels installed on your property, or want to see if you are eligible to have free solar panels fitted under the government’s FIT scheme please visit http://www.freetricity.net.

About us: Freetricity Plc are solar panel installers providing free solar panels that use free solar energy and free solar power to produce free electricity. Freetricity also install solar panel installations that use free solar power for private businesses and the public sector.
Editor’s note: Freetricity is represented by Search Engine Marketing agency TRON Media. This Press Release was written by Jo-Anne Keyte. Please direct all press queries to Jo-Anne Keyte email: jo@tronmedia.co.uk or call: 02031670969.