Suppliers have seen orders for solar panels and battery storage surge since the start of the Iran war, with annual energy bills predicted to rise by £332 in July
Solar panel businesses are struggling to recruit installers fast enough to meet a “crazy” spike in demand due to Donald Trump’s war in Iran – and customers may have to join waiting lists as a result, The i Paper can reveal.
Interest in home upgrades that can help reduce energy bills has surged ever since the first crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
But the US military action in Iran that began at the end of February has led to even greater growth in the renewable energy sector in the UK, business leaders say, with annual energy bills predicted to soar by £332 in July due to oil supply issues as a result of the conflict.
The Government has announced that households will soon be able to buy “plug-in” solar panels in shops. Ministers say the appliances will take money off energy bills and support Britain’s transition to net zero.
John Bloomfield, who runs Green Energy Solar in South Wales, said his company took £1.2m in new orders of solar panels and battery storage during March – more than double the £460,000 taken in February.
Although the company has seen steady growth since Bloomfield launched it four years ago, he has been shocked by the sudden surge.
“The energy inflation has got something to do with that,” he told The i Paper.
“Certainly, we weren’t anticipating it to double [our orders] in March – the first week I thought ‘this is a good start to the month’, then in the second week I thought ‘it’s going to be a really good month’, then suddenly I realised we were going to go to more than £1m.
“It ended up at £1.2m. Sales have just gone totally crazy.”
Bloomfield says the majority of his customers are private homeowners and small businesses who own their property.
He says they are not only worried about energy prices, but also the possibility of losing power entirely due to cuts.
Read more: iNews
