Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Renewable energy

The majority of the UK’s energy comes from burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas. Fossil fuels are finite resources that produce greenhouse gases when burnt in power stations which contribute to climate change. 

Generating your own energy from renewable energy technologies can help you to meet your own energy requirements and reduce your home's carbon dioxide emissions. There are financial benefits too. If you install a renewable energy system, you could be paid for the electricity it produces.

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is now closed to all new applicants. For more information visit the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website.  

Feed-in tariffs were introduced April 2010. A feed-in tariff guarantees a minimum payment for all electricity generated by a renewable or low carbon system such as solar electricity panels or wind turbines (generation tariff). A separate payment for the electricity exported to grid is also made (export tariff). These payments are in addition to the bill savings made by using the electricity generated on-site. For more information on fee-in tariffs visit the Energy Saving Trust website.  

The Renewable Heat Incentive is due to be introduced in April 2011.  The scheme will offer financial support to switch from using fossil fuel for heating, to renewable and low carbon technologies such as solar panels and wood fuel.  For more information visit the Energy Saving Trust website.  

Further information on the types of renewable energy technology can be found the Vale Energy Team's renewable energy guide, which can be downloaded from the right of the page. For more information on renewable and low carbon energy which may be suitable for your home visit the Energy Saving Trust website.  

Before proceeding with the installation of a renewable energy system in your home please contact the Council's Planning Department to find out if you will require planning permission. Please see our Planning pages for more information.

It is also recommended that you obtain more than one quote before purchasing a renewable energy system.