The Sunshine Bill: a ‘Win-Win’ for your wallet and the environment

A number of years ago now, I was in a meeting with Mid Sussex District Councillors and we were asking why we can’t make it compulsory for all new houses locally to have solar panels. Regardless of political leaning, I think everyone in the room thought it was madness that we could not insist upon this as standard. The answer was that as it wasn’t the law then the council could not insist on it. 

That’s why last Friday, I made sure I was in the House of Commons to support ‘The Sunshine Bill’, a groundbreaking Private Member’s Bill introduced by my Liberal Democrat colleague, Max Wilkinson. This Bill would require all new-build homes in England and Wales to be fitted with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.

The Sunshine Bill addresses one of the most pressing challenges of our time: reducing carbon emissions. The UK’s housing sector accounts for 17% of our nation’s total emissions. Equipping new homes with solar panels is a straightforward and effective way to slash these emissions. It is estimated that the payback period for a solar array on a three-bedroom semi-detached house is just four years. When that array is combined with other technologies like heat pumps, over a 25-year mortgage, the savings stand at a whopping £38,000.

These proposals are a win-win for the planet and bill payers, cutting costs while helping families achieve energy independence and peace of mind.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is supportive of the Bill too because it makes efficient use of roof space and will go towards meeting the government’s solar energy targets, reducing the need for large scale solar farms.

It’s not surprising then that these proposals are popular, with 74% of the public backing mandatory solar panels for new homes. As I highlighted during the debate, ensuring public support for new housing requires confidence that what’s being built is high quality and fit for the future. The Sunshine Bill embodies this principle, setting a standard that combines sustainability with affordability.

In response to the debate, the government said that whilst they were sympathetic to the positive intentions of the Sunshine Bill they could not support it because of worries that it might slow down the delivery of new houses, but they did promise that greener solutions would be part of new house building rules that the government are going to announce later this year. 

We are determined to make sure that they follow through on this commitment. Other countries have gone further, faster for years now, and in my view it is high time we do what is right helping to deliver a cleaner, cheaper future for Mid Sussex and beyond.