My solar panels were free, I got them in 2021. The local council installed them. They came the same week I applied and were really pleased to do it because they were under pressure as they're meant to get X household a month to hit an annual target and were badly behind.

https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/news/2021/free-solar-panels-barking-...

(there is now an income limit which I disagree with but whatever...)

I told my neighbours and enthusiastically recommended them.

They "weren't sure". Here we are 2 years later and they're concerned about energy prices.

The problem here is not and should not be money. I'd be all for free insulation, solar panels, better boilers, etc. And we rightly already do all that.

Then people say no because doing things is scary and why bother when you'll just be bailed out? That's the "small-c conservative" mindset we need to get out of. It causes 101 other social issues too but now I am just ranting.

I hope the link above inspires others to get them too

Is your house running off of the power the panels output or are you being paid for the power they generate?

If there is excess it goes back to the grid. I looked at a battery pack etc (more for reliability than profit...) but it didn't seem economically viable...