Solar panel grants in the UK
There is no solar panel grant open to every household. Low-income schemes can fit panels for free, and everyone else can get cheaper loans and paid for the power they export.
- £6,500
- What a Scottish home system costs on average
- Between 8 and 12 years
- until it pays you back
- 30+ years
- how long panels tend to last
Who can get a solar panel grant
In the UK, a solar panel grant forms part of a wider upgrade to homes on lower incomes. Panels aren't something you can request by themselves: a survey by the scheme works out what your home needs.
| Where you live | Scheme | Solar panels |
|---|---|---|
| England | Warm Homes: Local Grant | Can be fitted free for households who qualify |
| Wales | Warm Homes Nest | Can be part of a free package |
| Scotland | Home Energy Scotland | A loan of up to £5,000 covers hybrid PV-T panels, and nothing else. |
| Anywhere in the UK | Warm Homes Loan Scheme | Cheaper loans up to £15,000 |
The upgrade list on GOV.UK's Warm Homes: Local Grant page includes solar panels. In the UK, free panels come only via schemes like these, and only after a survey.
Solar Together: buying panels as a group
Solar Together isn't a grant. A group purchase runs with council backing: after households sign up, checked installers make bids at auction, and every household receives its own offer. There's no obligation, so you're free to say no.
These days it goes by the name Switch Together. Panels have gone into over 3,000 London homes through Solar Together London. A few areas, like the West of England, have shut their registrations, so ask your own council.
Some customers needed help with refunds or with finishing the work after an installer in the London scheme failed. You'll find the details on the Mayor of London's site.
The Smart Export Guarantee: paid for what you send back
The Smart Export Guarantee pays you for the electricity you send to the grid, rather than use, once your panels are up. Great Britain has been covered since it began on 1 January 2020.
- MCS certification is required for your installer and your panels.
- Your meter must read exports every half hour, and it's usually a smart meter.
- Every supplier picks its own rate, which can never fall to zero or below.
- Any supplier with a tariff is open to you, not just the one you're with.
- Getting Feed-in Tariff export payments already rules you out.
Ofgem sets the rules.
Without a grant, is solar still worth it?
A typical Scottish home system runs about 4kWp and £6,500, according to Home Energy Scotland. It expects the system to pay for itself in between 8 and 12 years, and says panels last 30 years or more.
Grant schemes usually start with insulation, since it lowers the heat a home needs. For heat pumps, see the Boiler Upgrade Scheme or the loft insulation grant. These figures come from Home Energy Scotland.
Common questions about solar panel grants
Can I get free solar panels in the UK?
Only through a low-income scheme that decides your home needs them. The Warm Homes: Local Grant in England and Nest in Wales both list solar panels. Nobody else gives them away, whatever an advert says.
Is there a solar panel grant in Scotland?
Not for standard solar panels. Home Energy Scotland funds only hybrid PV-T panels, which also heat water, and only as a loan of up to £5,000.
How long do solar panels take to pay for themselves?
Home Energy Scotland puts it at between 8 and 12 years for a typical system, and the panels last 30 years or more.
Can I get the Smart Export Guarantee from any supplier?
Yes. Your export tariff does not have to come from the company that supplies your electricity.
Does the Warm Homes Loan cover solar panels?
Yes. Lenders in the scheme can lend up to £15,000 for solar panels and another £15,000 for a battery, at a lower rate than usual.
Get an installer survey quote
Thinking of solar panels? An accredited installer can survey the roof and quote, with or without a grant.