There are many companies offering free installation of solar panels for your home through “Rent a Roof ” schemes. Great news you say, no initial costs and free electricity for your home. Sounds too good to be true? There are many things to consider that you wont be told about when choosing to install free solar panels.

So what’s the catch?
Well the solar panels and installation are in fact free. So no catch? Not quite, although the panels are free and you do receive free electricity produced by the panels but you don’t actually own the solar panels. These are owned by the company that installs them. This company also receives all the Feed-In-Tariff Payments(FIT’s) which are guaranteed for 25 years.

What are FiT payments?
Feed-in Tariffs (also known as FiTs) are the payments received by the owner of a Solar PV system. This a government backed scheme that pays people for creating their own “green electricity”. If you opt for an installation of free Solar PV you will see nothing of these payments, which in the long run would give you a great return on investment if you purchased your own Solar PV system.

Selling your house? You may have a problem
There has been various problems exposed for home owners that are trying to sell their house with free solar panels installed on their roof. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), have advised against making offers to buy properties fitted where free solar panels have been installed.

The problem is partly due to the company that installed your solar panels now own your roof for the duration of the Feed-in Tariff life time, this is now 20 years. It is difficult for buyers to secure mortgages on houses with “free solar pv” due to not having full ownership of the roof.

What are the alternatives to free solar panels?
Solar panels have halved in price over the last year meaning the capital outlay is significantly lower that you might expect. A typical solar PV system now costs between £4,000 and £7,000 depending on the size. Another alternative to “free solar panel schemes” if you can’t afford the initial outlay upfront you can secure a low interest loan, such as the home improvement loans from Tesco.

The original outlay may be more costly initially, but in the long run you will be better off and will avoid running to any issues with your roof. You will also receive the full Feed-in Tariff, export tariff as well as generating your own electricity to reduce your bills. The total income on a typical 4kwp Solar PV system for example is £869.58 annually, this will increase year on year with in-line with inflation.

All payments and savings are tax free, index linked and guaranteed for 20 years. So a Return on investment over 20 years = 21.77% (Based on annual inflation of 4% and annual energy price increases of 8.7%).

Although the majority of sweets, or candies, have a high glycemic index, one or two candies in your daily eating schedule, would give only a slight rise to your blood sugar level. The glycemic response is dependent not only on the type of carbohydrate – simple or complex, but also the quantity you eat! Therefore, researchers have introduced the concept of the glycemic load index, to simultaneously assess quality and quantity of the carbohydrates in a meal.

The glycemic load index is calculated by multiplying weight of carbohydrates with the glycemic index of the product, and dividing the result by 100. For calculation purposes, the fiber is subtracted from the total carbohydrates and the weight is in grams. Calculated values of the index can be found in tables on a variety of web pages dedicated to the low-carbohydrates diets.

The value of the glycemic load index is based on the idea that it makes sense to eat a larger amount of food with a low glycemic index instead of eating a smaller portion with a high glycemic index. For example, a slice of a white bread will raise your blood sugar level 2.5 times more than a slice of watermelon.

A diet focused on a low the glycemic load index tends to estimate a quantity of carbohydrates which is necessary for the optimization of glycemic control. Such a diet helps to decrease total body mass, thereby helping to prevent the risk of increase in a blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular diseases and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Here are some tips on how to reduce the glycemic load index of your meal:

• Increase a consumption of whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits and an amount of starch-free vegetables.
• Reduce an amount of starchy and processed foods, such as baked potatoes, french fries, white and, especially, parboiled rice and white bread in your menu.
• Eat a limited amount of sugar-containing foods, such as regular carbonated soft drinks and sweetened beverages, biscuits, cakes and sweets. All kinds of sweets, pastries, jams and sugars tend to rapidly increase your blood sugar level.

An effective diet, which is based on the glycemic load index, has to be versatile. Do not avoid eating certain foods, as cereals, fruits, vegetables or even fats. Many of these products contain vitamins and minerals which are essential for your health. And do not feel deprived – eat your midday snack! A few pieces of your favorite candies after a proper lunch will not ruin your diet!