Solar Grants UK 2026 — What Actually Exists
Everything available to reduce the cost of solar panels, battery storage, and EV chargers in the UK right now.
Updated March 2026 · Verified against current DESNZ and Ofgem guidance
Start here: there is no solar grant
Not for a normal owner-occupied home. We would rather say that plainly than let you find out after three phone calls.
What you actually get
Two things, and both are real. 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, worth roughly £1,300 on an £8,000 system. And export income through the Smart Export Guarantee, which is payment rather than a grant but still money coming back.
ECO4 — ends 31 December 2026
Ofgem confirms ECO4 runs to 31 December 2026 following a nine-month extension. It is means-tested, delivered through energy suppliers, and in practice funds insulation and heating far more often than solar. Ofgem does not name a successor scheme.
The Warm Homes Plan
Announced, not open. The published shape is grants for low-income households and low or zero-interest loans for everyone else — and a loan is not a grant. Full terms have not been published. Anyone offering you Warm Homes Plan money today is describing a scheme whose rules do not yet exist.
What's Available in 2026
Below is every scheme that touches solar, storage or EV charging, with who each one is actually for.
Zero VAT on Solar & Battery
All residential solar panel and battery storage installations qualify for 0% VAT until at least March 2027. On a typical £8,000 system, this saves £1,333.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
Get paid for surplus solar electricity you export to the grid. Income varies by supplier — the best rates currently around 15p/kWh from Octopus Energy.
OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant
Up to £350 off a home EV charger installation for qualifying customers in flats and rental properties. We handle the application.
0% VAT on Solar Panels — How It Works
From 1 April 2022, the UK government reduced VAT on solar panel and battery storage installations to 0%. This is currently confirmed until at least March 2027.
What's covered at 0% VAT
- Solar panels (all types)
- Hybrid and string inverters
- Battery storage systems
- Mounting systems and scaffolding
- All associated labour
What's NOT covered
- EV chargers (20% VAT applies)
- General electrical works unrelated to the solar installation
- Consumer unit upgrades (20% VAT — though typically a small cost)
What does it actually save?
- £6,500 system → saves £1,083 vs 20% VAT
- £8,500 system → saves £1,417 vs 20% VAT
- £12,000 solar + battery → saves £2,000 vs 20% VAT
The 0% rate applies to the entire installation — panels, inverter, battery, mounting, cabling, and labour — when purchased as a single service from an installer. All our quotes are issued at 0% VAT for qualifying residential installations.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
The SEG replaced the old Feed-in Tariff in January 2020. Unlike the FiT, there's no fixed government rate — suppliers compete to offer the best rates.
| Supplier | Tariff Name | Export Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy | Outgoing Octopus | Up to 15p/kWh | Variable rate, requires smart meter |
| EDF Energy | SEG Tariff | 3–7p/kWh | Fixed rate options available |
| E.ON Next | Next SEG | 4.1p/kWh | Fixed rate, 12-month term |
| British Gas | Solar Export | 3.4p/kWh | Standard rate, no time-of-use |
Important: To qualify for SEG, your installation must be MCS certified and your property must have a smart meter (or be willing to have one installed — free from your energy supplier). We issue MCS certificates on every installation we complete.
A 4kWp system with no battery exports approximately 2,500 kWh/year. At 7.5p/kWh average, that's around £187/year in export income. This is why battery storage improves economics — it lets you use more of that energy yourself at 28p/kWh rather than selling it for 7.5p.
OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant — Up to £350
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) provides a grant of up to £350 toward the cost of installing a home EV charger for qualifying customers.
Who qualifies?
- Homeowners living in a flat
- Renters with landlord permission
- Must own or have ordered an eligible EV or PHEV
- Must use an OZEV-approved installer (we are)
- Must have dedicated off-street parking
Who does NOT qualify?
- Homeowners in detached, semi or terraced houses (unless renting)
- Those without off-street parking
- Businesses (a separate workplace scheme applies)
How does it work?
- We apply on your behalf at no extra charge
- Grant is deducted from your invoice directly
- You don't handle any money — it's seamless
- Allow a few extra days for grant approval before booking
The grant reduces a standard smart charger installation from £899 to around £549 for qualifying customers. Call us or use the calculator to get a fixed quote — we'll confirm your eligibility during the assessment.
Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) — up to £14,000 per business
The OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme is a government grant for businesses, charities and public sector organisations installing EV chargepoints at their premises. Currently £350 per socket, up to 40 sockets per business — that's up to £14,000 per business in grant funding.
Who qualifies:
- Registered UK businesses, charities and public sector organisations
- Must have dedicated off-street parking
- Must use an OZEV-approved installer (we are)
- Must install OZEV-approved chargepoints (we install only approved hardware)
We handle the entire WCS application on your behalf — voucher claim, evidence pack and submission. Most clients receive their grant within 4-6 weeks of installation.
Find out about commercial EV charging
Survey, install, WCS grant claim and 12-month support — all included.
Renters' Rights Act 2025 — solar for tenants
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduced a "right to request" clause that means landlords can no longer unreasonably refuse a tenant's request to install reversible energy efficiency measures, including balcony solar.
If you're a tenant in Milton Keynes or Buckinghamshire and want to add a small solar setup:
- You have a legal right to request balcony or plug-in solar
- Your landlord can only refuse on reasonable grounds (structural, listed-building, planning)
- Removable installations (which all balcony solar is) are easier to negotiate
We provide written specifications you can hand to your landlord, plus confirmation that the installation is fully reversible and won't damage the property.
See our balcony solar service
Now legal under BS 7671 Amendment 4 — MCS certified hardwired install for renters and flat owners.
0% VAT — quick summary (current to March 2027)
Until 31 March 2027, the UK applies 0% VAT to:
- Solar panels — residential installations
- Battery storage — residential, including standalone (no solar required)
- EV chargers — residential
- Heat pumps — residential (covered separately under similar relief)
- Commercial solar — also currently zero-rated
For a typical solar + battery + EV charger combined install in 2026, the 0% VAT relief is worth around £2,000-£3,500 compared to the standard 20% rate — applied automatically by your installer, no claim form needed.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) — heat pumps
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides £7,500 towards an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) installation in England and Wales. We don't install heat pumps ourselves — we refer customers to trusted local ASHP installers — but the BUS works alongside our solar offering. Read our solar + heat pump guide for how the two work together.
We will not tell you we offer ECO4 or pretend to administer ASHP grants we don't qualify for. If you'd like ASHP-specific advice, we'll point you at someone we trust.
What the cold calls leave out
We get asked about these every week, usually after someone has already been told otherwise.
"You qualify for a government grant"
Almost always means ECO4, which is means-tested on benefits or household income and mostly funds insulation and heating. If you are not on qualifying benefits, it does not apply to you. It also ends on 31 December 2026.
"Free solar panels"
Rent-a-roof. A company installs at their cost and keeps the export income and often the generation benefit, on a lease measured in decades. It can complicate remortgaging and selling. It is not free; you are paying with your roof.
"Warm Homes Plan funding available now"
It is not open, and the detail is not published. When it arrives, most households are expected to be offered a loan rather than a grant. Treat anyone quoting terms today with suspicion.
"Grant" that is really a discount
Some installers present their own price reduction as a grant. If it is a grant, ask which scheme, who administers it, and for the reference. A real scheme has a name and a paper trail.
"The deadline is this week"
The genuine deadlines are public and months away: ECO4 on 31 December 2026, 0% VAT on 31 March 2027. Anything more urgent than that is a sales tactic.
What we do
We quote the job at 0% VAT, tell you what your export is likely to earn, and say so if a scheme genuinely applies to you. If none does, you get a price rather than a story.
Claim What You're Entitled To
We'll advise on every available incentive during your free survey — and handle all applicable grant applications on your behalf.
MCS & NAPIT certified • OZEV approved • Based in Milton Keynes