Funded solar panels, explained honestly for 2026
ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026, and grant-funded solar is now limited to means-tested schemes such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England. Most households fund solar another way: zero-deposit finance or a PPA, 0% VAT and the Smart Export Guarantee. We will tell you which routes fit your property, and which ones do not.
- Means-tested grants where they exist: Warm Homes: Local Grant (England), ECO4 to 31 December 2026
- 0% VAT on domestic solar and battery until 31 March 2027
- Straight answers, with the official source for every scheme rule. We never promise "free panels"
0%
VAT on domestic solar & battery storage until March 2027
£36,000
usual household income ceiling for the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England (benefits or postcode can also qualify)
31 Dec 2026
the date ECO4 runs until, per Ofgem. It is not closed yet
Why we say "funded" and not "free"
Search "free solar panels" and you will find a decade of pages promising panels at no cost. In practice "free" usually means a means-tested grant or a finance deal. Some households do get measures paid for: the Warm Homes: Local Grant lists solar panels among the work a council can arrange and pay for, and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) funds insulation and heating upgrades. But both are means-tested, neither is a right, and neither is open to most households.
ECO4 has not closed. Ofgem says it runs until 31 December 2026 after a nine-month extension. It is paid for by energy suppliers, not a fixed grant, so suppliers decide which measures to fund, and you apply through your council or a supplier. The Great British Insulation Scheme is the one that ended on 31 March 2026.
For everyone else, the help is a set of mechanisms that fund the system rather than hand it over: finance you repay from the savings, a PPA, a tax discount through 0% VAT, and income from exporting power. Used well, these can mean little or no money out of pocket on day one. They are not "free", and anyone who tells you otherwise in 2026 is out of date or not being straight with you.
This site maps the routes that are live, says plainly who qualifies for what and links to the official source for each. We are an independent information service. We do not install solar panels, and we are not the government or a scheme administrator. If you send an enquiry, we reply by email. If your property does not suit solar, or no route fits, we will say so.
For how ECO4 is ending and what is open now, read ECO4 ending: what it means for solar.
The funded solar routes that actually exist
Six routes do the real work in 2026. Which ones apply depends on where you live, who owns the property and whether the household qualifies for means-tested help. The eligibility check matches you to the right ones.
Means-tested grants
The Warm Homes: Local Grant (England) can fund solar panels for eligible homes, and ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026. Both are means-tested and apply through your council or a supplier.
Read how it works →0% deposit / financed solar
Zero-deposit finance and PPAs let you install with no upfront capital and repay from the energy you no longer buy from the grid. Check the total repayable first.
Read how it works →0% VAT on solar & batteries
Domestic solar PV carries 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, and batteries from 1 February 2024. The installer applies it to your quote.
Read how it works →Smart Export Guarantee
Larger suppliers must offer a tariff that pays you for surplus solar you export. It is not a grant, but it funds part of the system over its life.
Read how it works →Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Home Energy Scotland lists a loan for hybrid solar PV and water heating, Nest in Wales can recommend a package that includes solar, and Northern Ireland has the 0% VAT rate only.
Read how it works →Group-buying schemes
Council-backed group purchase schemes, run by iChoosr under the Switch Together name, open in rounds, by area. Registration is free and without obligation.
Read how it works →How the eligibility check works
Tell us about the property
Two minutes: property type, what you are interested in, and your postcode. No documents, no credit check at this stage.
We map your funding routes
We check which of the live 2026 routes apply — grants for your nation, finance, 0% VAT, SEG or a group-buy near you — and where you would not qualify.
We reply by email
You get the routes that look relevant for your property, each with its official source. If solar looks sensible, you can ask installers for quotes yourself: check MCS certification and get everything in writing.
If you are a homeowner or tenant
Your strongest levers are 0% VAT (to March 2027), the Smart Export Guarantee, and zero-deposit finance that spreads the cost so the monthly repayment can sit below your grid-energy saving. If the household is on a low income or listed benefits, check the Warm Homes: Local Grant (England) and ECO4 first.
Domestic funding in detail →If you run a business
Business solar is funded differently: through capital allowances, finance or a PPA rather than grants or the 0% VAT rate. This site is written for homes, so we only summarise the business routes. Take advice from your accountant.
Business funding in detail →"Free solar" is now a scammer's favourite line
Because grant-funded solar is limited to qualifying homes, "free solar panels" has become a hook for mis-selling. Cold callers and paid adverts still use it to get a foot in the door, then steer people into long, expensive finance, so a "free solar panels" offer usually means finance dressed up as a giveaway. Knowing what is real is your best protection.
We set out the warning signs — pressure to sign today, "government-backed free" claims, vague eligibility, no MCS certification — on our avoiding "free solar" scams page. Read it before you respond to any unsolicited offer.
Funded solar panels — your questions
Are funded solar panels real in 2026?
Can I still get free solar panels in the UK?
Is ECO4 still open?
What is the Warm Homes: Local Grant?
What is the difference between "funded" and "free" solar?
How much does 0% VAT save me?
See what funding you qualify for
A two-minute eligibility check tells you which 2026 routes fit your property. Free, honest, no obligation.