The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), which based its findings on an analysis of the government’s 70GW solar energy target, said this is equivalent to up to £180 per UK household per year.

It is estimated that between 24GW and 39GW of the target in England is likely to be generated by ground-mounted solar panels. But proposed amendments to the Energy Bill suggest placing further restrictions on solar farm developments, following moves by the Liz Truss government to effectively ban them last year.

If the amendments were successful, energy costs for bill-payers could be between £3bn and £5bn higher each year, as the electricity would probably be produced using more expensive gas instead.

At the top end, this is equivalent to gas required to heat around 6.5 million homes for a year.

According to the International Energy Agency, the cost of solar has plummeted in recent years because of rapid improvements in panel technology. These improvements...