The one-line answer
Funded solar is real in 2026 — but "funded" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. There is no longer a mainstream scheme that simply gives a typical household free panels. What exists instead is a set of mechanisms that reduce, spread or offset the cost: tax discounts, export income, finance and, for businesses, capital allowances. For some households a well-structured finance package means little or nothing leaves your bank account on day one. That is funded. It is not free.
What actually ended
For most of the 2010s and early 2020s, the route to genuinely free domestic solar ran through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). The latest version, ECO4, obliged larger energy suppliers to fund energy-efficiency and low-carbon measures — including solar PV in some cases — for low-income and vulnerable households. ECO4 closed to new measures on 31 March 2026.
Two things followed. First, the supply of truly free domestic solar shrank to a trickle of legacy and local schemes. Second — and this matters — the phrase "free solar panels" kept circulating in adverts long after the funding behind it had gone. That gap between the marketing and the reality is exactly where mis-selling thrives. If a route sounds like ECO4 but ECO4 has closed, be sceptical.
What is genuinely live in 2026
Plenty, in fact — just under the heading of "funded" rather than "free". The routes that are actually operating this year are:
- 0% VAT on domestic solar and battery storage until 31 March 2027 in Great Britain — an automatic discount on the installed price.
- The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), under which licensed suppliers pay you for the surplus electricity you export.
- Zero-deposit finance and solar PPAs — the real "funded" mechanism, spreading or removing the upfront cost.
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) — a £7,500 grant for a heat pump (heat, not solar, but often installed alongside).
- Business capital allowances — AIA and the 50% First-Year Allowance for commercial systems.
- Solar Together group-buying — periodic council-backed collective purchase schemes.
Each of these is set out in detail on our funding routes page, with who qualifies and the catches to watch for.
"Funded" versus "free" — why the distinction matters
It is not pedantry. The difference decides whether you end up better off. Free solar, in the ECO sense, meant a third party paid and you owned the benefit. Funded solar means you are still carrying value — a loan to repay, a PPA rate to pay, or capital you have committed against future savings. Done right, the savings outweigh the cost and you come out ahead. Done badly — a 15-year finance deal at a poor rate, sold as "free" — you can end up paying more than the panels are worth.
So the honest test for any 2026 offer is simple: who is paying, and what do I owe? If the answer is "no one is really giving you panels; here is the finance", that is fine — providing the numbers work. If the answer is dressed up to sound like a giveaway, walk away and read our scam-avoidance guide first.
What might come back
The Government has signalled a successor framework — the Warm Homes Plan — intended to carry forward support for the least efficient, lower-income homes after ECO4. As of 2026 the detail is still being confirmed, and it is likely to be means-tested rather than universal. We will not promise what is not yet live; we track it honestly on our what changed after ECO4 page and link out to Warm Homes Plan funding for the latest.
So — should you bother?
For a large share of UK properties, yes. With 0% VAT, export income, and finance that can make the system self-funding, the economics in 2026 are often stronger than they look once you stop waiting for a giveaway that is not coming back. The right move is to check which specific routes apply to your property — not to chase the word "free". That is what our eligibility checker is for.