UK forces solar panels on new homes despite England’s dreary weather and industry warnings

By isabelle // 2025-06-09

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Labour’s Energy Secretary Ed Miliband mandates solar panels on most new homes in England, claiming it will save households £530 annually.
Developers warn the policy could add £3,000-£4,000 per home, jeopardizing plans to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
Critics argue England’s cloudy weather makes solar panels inefficient, yet the government pushes "near-universal adoption" with few exceptions.
The policy risks slowing housing projects due to excessive red tape, with builders forced to seek exemptions for unsuitable homes.
Costs will likely fall on homebuyers despite Miliband’s claims, fueling backlash over Labour’s costly green agenda.

In a move that reeks of government overreach and ideological zeal, Labour’s Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has declared that the "vast majority" of new homes in England will soon be forced to install solar panels whether homeowners want them or not. The policy, part of the forthcoming Future Homes Standard, claims to save households £530 annually while pushing the UK toward its net-zero goals, but developers warn the mandate could add £3,000-£4,000 to construction costs per home and cripple efforts to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029. Worse yet, this heavy-handed mandate ignores England’s notoriously gloomy weather, where solar panels often sit idle under overcast skies.

A government power grab disguised as "common sense"

Miliband, in a tone-deaf BBC interview, called the solar panel mandate "just common sense," brushing aside concerns about cost and practicality. The policy demands panels on nearly all new builds, with only "rare exceptions" for homes shaded by trees or otherwise unsuitable. Unlike the previous Conservative proposal, which required panels to cover 40% of a building’s ground area or none at all, Labour’s plan forces partial installations even when full coverage isn’t feasible. This isn’t about choice or efficiency; it’s about control. Miliband insists the rules will ensure "near-universal adoption," effectively strong-arming developers into compliance. But as Neil Jefferson of the Home Builders Federation warned, excessive red tape could grind housing projects to a halt: "If every single home needs to be applied for on an exemption basis, that will slow up the delivery of desperately-needed new homes. That administration will be burdensome."

Solar’s unreliable track record in cloudy England

Proponents of this mandate ignore a glaring flaw: England is one of the least sunny places in Europe. Solar panels thrive in consistent sunlight, not under the UK’s dreary, rain-soaked skies. While Solar Energy UK’s Chris Hewett optimistically claims 90% of new builds will comply, he admits the industry lacks enough trained installers to meet demand. Even Miliband’s own government data shows solar power, despite a 160% growth over the past decade, remains a minor player, trailing gas, wind, and nuclear in the UK’s energy mix. The Climate Change Committee insists decarbonizing housing is essential for net-zero by 2050, but at what cost? Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch rightly called the target "impossible" without crushing living standards, while Reform UK demands its outright repeal. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson cheerleads the policy, oblivious to the financial burden it places on struggling families.

Who really pays? Homebuyers, not politicians

Developers estimate the solar mandate will add thousands to construction costs, and these expenses will inevitably be passed to buyers despite Miliband’s empty assurances. The Energy Secretary claims house prices won’t rise, but basic economics says otherwise. When government forces costly additions onto builders, those costs land on consumers. This isn’t just about solar panels; it’s part of Labour’s broader green agenda, including relaxed rules for heat pumps and a £13.2 billion insulation program. Each measure piles more bureaucracy onto an already strained housing market.

Freedom sacrificed at the altar of net-zero fanaticism

The solar panel mandate is a textbook example of government coercion disguised as environmentalism. It ignores practical realities, inflates costs, and strips away consumer choice, all in the name of chasing an unrealistic net-zero fantasy. England needs affordable housing, not costly green virtue signaling. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Politico.eu BBC.co.uk