'Green' may not be one of the first things you think of when considering Birmingham. The UK's second largest city, home to Cadbury's and the Bullring, the city is a sprawling urban metropolis.
However, the residents of Birmingham have been named some of the most environmentally-conscious in the country, with many of them saying that they would take positive steps to reduce their home's carbon output even if there was no financial incentive.
A survey undertaken by The Eco Experts, spanning 2,000 people saw 40 per cent of Birmingham residents saying that they would have solar panels installed even if there was no form of financial reimbursement. This is compared to a national average of 31 per cent.
A spokesperson from the energy efficiency specialists commented: "It is wonderful that the people of Birmingham are so switched on to the benefits that renewable energy can have on the planet. It is better to use the clean energy you can get from solar panels than damage Earth with fossil fuels.
"However, solar panels don’t just help the environment; they also mean you are not prisoner to the extortionate price hikes from energy companies."
This year, five out of the six big energy companies raised the cost of their tariffs, pushing hundreds of thousands of households in fuel poverty. Solar panels can be used to generate electricity and heating and many community groups across the country are looking to solar energy to support some of these poorer homes.
Thanks to the government's Feed in Tariff, solar panels can also earn a household cash for any energy produced and any excess energy that is then put into the national grid.
The spokesperson from The Eco Experts added: "They can save and earn you up to £800 a year through not paying energy bills and by receiving payment for electricity generated from the government’s Feed in Tariff.
"Not only this, solar experts have publicly said, solar energy is a better investment than putting your money in the bank."