They say ‘Fix the roof when the sun is shining’, but notwithstanding the lack of sunshine so far this summer, there will now be an extra reason to fix the roof before the sun shines.

A sturdy flat roof may host a solar panel to help you generate some of your own domestic energy and save bills. Many people have taken advantage of government schemes and incentives in the past to do this, but now the newly-elected labour government is to introduce an initiative of its own.

This means if your flat roof needs fixing to enable it to support a solar installation, now could be a great time to have this done.

The centrepiece of the new government’s energy policy is the creation of a body called ‘Great British Energy’. One of its tasks is to help fulfil the government’s stated ambition for Britain to become a “green energy superpower,” which involves a vast increase in clean energy output, including a target of trebling solar energy.

One of the ways this can happen is through a £6.6 billion Warm Homes Plan. This will offer grants and low-interest loans for a range of home improvements to cut energy bills. As well as insulation, it will include green energy installations such as rooftop solar panels.

While that may mean panels on sloping roofs for some, others may find their flat roof is their best or only option for a solar panel installation.

The growth in renewable installations has already been rapid, with renewables certification body MCS noting that in 2023, there were more small-scale renewable installations fitted in the UK than in any previous year and a third more than in 2022.

It may be that right now your flat roof is not in a suitable state to join this revolution. But with the right repairs, it could be - and you could enjoy lower bills as a result.