Is it just me, or does anyone else think solar panels are really unsightly? I understand their purpose and would welcome cheaper bills myself, but their appearance makes even the most beautiful home look awful.

I agree.

I have water heating solar panels on my new house, luckily they are a very similar colour to the tiles meaning they kinder blend in.

They're nowhere near as ugly as coal mines or nuclear power stations.

But they're not in your garden or on your roof are they?

Some coal mines are now historical sites and museums though such as Blaenau Ffestiniog where people can go and learn about the past.
Fiddler's Ferry in Runcorn is quite a nice sight when seen in the light of a sunny autumn day (used to live near there)

Again, I'm not criticising people for having them and I'm considering them myself, but they are just so fook ugly it's putting me right off.

Are the people who live in Port Sunlight, Thornton Hough or any other listed building allowed to have them I wonder?

That's good, maybe as they become more widespread the companies producing them will realise that blending in is better than sticking out like a sore thumb.
Do they reduce your bills a lot too? I'm really looking into all this kind of thing at the moment to save a bit

I have a new build so they where on when i moved in, but on a normal/cloudy day the tank indicates the temp is about 35-40oC. So with it pre heating the water my gas bill would be reduced.

On a good/sunny day when the sun is out my tank is uo to 70oC, ive been told the boiler on a default setting will heat the hot water up to 65oC. Over the last couple of months the tank has been over 50oC constantly. Hope that makes sense.

I like them I think they make a house look futuristic but I also like the big wind turbines