Commenting on government plans to increase tax on solar panels, Mike Cherry, national chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses, said that the inclusion of renewable technology investment in the business rates calculation would further discourage small business investors, many of whom may already have been impacted by recent changes to low carbon subsidies.

He said: “Microgeneration provides an opportunity for small businesses to invest in solutions that work for them. It reduces their dependence on a centralised energy grid and helps to meet the UK’s strict carbon reduction targets. However, micro-generators are already being discouraged in the market through a combination of regulatory, policy and practical constraints."