Solar panel grants and funding are available to households across the UK in 2026. Some schemes cover the full cost of installation for people who meet the eligibility criteria. The main routes in England include ECO4, ECO4 Flex and the Warm Homes: Local Grant, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate separate home energy support schemes.
Eligibility usually depends on factors such as your household income, whether you receive certain benefits, your property’s EPC rating and where you live. Some schemes are aimed specifically at low-income or vulnerable households, and support can range from a contribution towards improvements to fully funded solar panels as part of a wider energy-efficiency upgrade.
If you are not eligible for a grant, there are still ways to reduce the overall cost of solar panels, including zero per cent VAT, local group-buying schemes and payments for electricity you export to the grid. Our guide to the best solar panels can also help if you are comparing systems and installers.
Solar panel grants and funding schemes at a glance
Several schemes can help eligible households pay for solar panels in 2026. The support available and whether solar panels are recommended for your property depends on the scheme and an assessment of your home.
Scheme | Where is it available? | Who is eligible? | What could you get? | Deadline | How to apply |
ECO4 | Great Britain | Eligible households receiving certain means-tested benefits, as well as some qualifying social-housing residents. Property energy-efficiency requirements also apply. | A package of energy-efficiency improvements based on an assessment of your property. Solar panels may be included in some projects, but they are not guaranteed. | 31 December 2026 | Contact a participating energy supplier, approved installer or your local council. |
ECO4 Flex | Great Britain, through participating local authorities | Private households referred through a participating council or energy supplier because they have a low income, are living in fuel poverty or include someone whose health is made worse by a cold home. | Similar support to ECO4, potentially including solar panels, insulation and heating upgrades. | 31 December 2026 | Check whether your local council takes part and ask about its ECO4 Flex eligibility rules. |
Warm Homes: Local Grant | England | Low-income households, people receiving certain benefits, or homes in eligible postcode areas. | Free energy-saving improvements arranged by your local council, which can include solar panels if suitable. | 31 March 2028, subject to local funding availability | Use the government’s online eligibility checker or contact your local council. |
Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan | Scotland | Homeowners in Scotland who live in the property as their main home. | Grants and interest-free loans for clean heating and energy-efficiency improvements. Solar PV is generally not covered as a standalone grant, but some renewable technologies and hybrid systems may be eligible for loan support. | No fixed closing date; funding is subject to availability within each financial year | Contact Home Energy Scotland before starting any work. |
Warmer Homes Scotland | Scotland | Homeowners and private tenants who meet eligibility criteria and live in a home with a poor energy rating. | Energy-efficiency improvements recommended after a home assessment. | No published application deadline; current delivery contract runs to 2028 | Contact Home Energy Scotland to check eligibility. |
Green Homes Wales | Wales | Owner-occupiers who want to improve the energy efficiency of their home but may not qualify for fully-funded support. | Interest-free finance and funded expert advice for eligible home improvements, potentially including solar panels and battery storage. | No fixed application deadline; 2026/27 funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis | Apply through the Development Bank of Wales and complete the required home energy assessment before beginning work. |
Nest scheme | Wales | Households in Wales who meet income, benefit and property eligibility rules. | Free advice and, for eligible households, home energy-efficiency improvements. | No published closing date; subject to ongoing scheme funding | Contact Nest or use its eligibility checker. |
Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme | Northern Ireland | Eligibility varies by scheme, but most support is aimed at lower-income or vulnerable households, homeowners and Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants. | Fully or partly funded energy improvements. Selected 2026/27 schemes include solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps and insulation. | 31 March 2027 for current 2026/27 schemes | Check the Utility Regulator’s current scheme list and contact the organisation delivering the relevant programme. |
Local authority grants | Varies by council | Eligibility depends on the council, local funding and household circumstances. | Solar panels, insulation, heating upgrades or other home energy improvements, depending on the local scheme. | Varies by council and funding availability | Check your local council website or contact its home energy team. |
1. Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) grants
ECO4 is a government energy-efficiency scheme designed to improve poorly performing homes occupied by people on low incomes or receiving certain benefits. The improvements are paid for by larger energy suppliers while Ofgem administers the scheme.
It isn’t a conventional grant that pays a fixed sum into your bank account, nor is it specifically a solar panel scheme. If you qualify, your home will be assessed and a package of improvements will be recommended. Depending on the property, this might include insulation, heating controls, a new heating system or renewable technologies such as solar panels.
Solar panels are therefore possible under ECO4, but qualifying for the scheme doesn’t guarantee that they will be installed.
Who is eligible?
For the standard ECO4 route, someone living in the property will generally need to receive an eligible benefit. These include:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit
- Child Benefit, subject to household-income limits
Additional routes can cover eligible social-housing properties and households referred through ECO4 Flex.
Property requirements also apply. Owner-occupied homes will generally need an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D, E, F or G, while privately rented homes will normally need a rating of E, F or G.
Receiving a qualifying benefit doesn’t automatically entitle you to work. The energy supplier or installer will assess the property, decide which improvements are suitable and confirm whether it is prepared to fund them.
How much can you get through ECO4?
There is no standard £10,000 ECO4 grant or fixed maximum that every successful applicant receives. The value of the support depends on the work recommended for the property and the funding agreed by the participating energy supplier.
In some cases, the work may be fully funded. In others, the householder or landlord may be asked to make a contribution. You should confirm in writing what is included and whether you will need to pay anything before agreeing to an installation.
How to apply
ECO4 is available in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. You can contact a participating energy supplier, your local council or a TrustMark-registered installer working under the scheme. You don’t necessarily need to buy your energy from the supplier you approach.
You should never have to pay an application fee simply to access ECO4 funding.
2. ECO4 Flex grants
ECO4 Flex, sometimes called Local Authority Flex or LA Flex, allows participating councils and energy suppliers to identify households that need help but don’t qualify through the standard ECO4 benefits route.
Who is eligible?
A household may qualify through one of several routes. These can include:
- A combined gross annual household income below £31,000
- A severe or long-term health condition that is made worse by living in a cold home
- Living in fuel poverty or being unable to afford sufficient heating
- Other circumstances identified through a participating council’s published eligibility policy
Qualifying health conditions can include cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, limited mobility and immunosuppression.
The £31,000 limit applies to the main income-based Flex route. Earning more than this doesn’t necessarily rule you out if your household qualifies through another route, but being slightly above the threshold isn’t itself an eligibility criterion.
How to apply
Check your council’s website for its ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent, which should explain whether it is taking part and which eligibility routes it uses.
Depending on the local process, you may be referred through your council, an energy supplier, a health professional or an approved delivery partner. A council referral confirms that you meet its eligibility criteria, but it doesn’t guarantee that an energy supplier will fund the work.
3. Warm Homes: Local Grant
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is a government-funded scheme in England that helps local authorities improve the energy efficiency of low-income households. It is part of the wider Warm Homes Plan and is designed to help eligible homes cut energy bills, reduce fuel poverty and move towards cleaner heating.
The grant can fund a range of improvements, depending on what the property needs. These can include insulation, smart heating controls, air source heat pumps and solar panels. If you are eligible and your local council still has funding available, the council will arrange a home survey to decide which improvements are suitable. Owner-occupiers will not need to pay for agreed improvements, although landlords may be required to contribute towards work on privately rented properties.
The scheme is not a solar-panel-only grant. Solar panels may be recommended if they are considered an appropriate way to improve your home’s energy performance, but the final package of measures will depend on the property assessment.
Who is eligible?
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is only available in England. To qualify, your home must usually be privately owned, either by you or your landlord, and have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D, E, F or G. If you do not know your home’s EPC rating, you can check this during the application process.
Your household income will usually need to be £36,000 a year or less. However, households with a higher income may still qualify if they live in an eligible postcode area or someone in the household receives certain benefits.
Private tenants may also be able to benefit, but their landlord may need to give permission and, in some cases, contribute towards the cost of improvements. Local authorities and their delivery partners will confirm the exact eligibility rules for each property.
How to apply
You can check your eligibility and apply through the government’s Warm Homes: Local Grant online service. If you appear to qualify, your application will usually be passed to your local council or its delivery partner, which will contact you for more information and arrange a home survey. Gov.uk says councils will usually contact applicants within 10 working days.
You can also contact your local council directly to ask whether it is taking part in the scheme and how applications are being handled in your area. The scheme is delivered locally, so the exact process may vary depending on where you live and how much funding your council has available.
4. Wales: Nest and local authority support
The Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest scheme provides free, impartial advice to help households in Wales reduce their energy bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Eligible households may also be offered free home energy-efficiency improvements.
The work offered will depend on the property and the outcome of a home assessment. Improvements can include insulation, heating systems, heat pumps and, in some cases, solar panels. Solar panels are not guaranteed, but they may be recommended if they are suitable for the home and form part of the most appropriate package of measures.
Who is eligible?
Nest is only available to households in Wales. To qualify for free home energy-efficiency improvements, you must own your home or rent privately. You must also receive a means-tested benefit or live in a low-income household.
Your home must usually have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E, F or G. If your home has an EPC rating of D, you may still qualify if you or someone you live with has an eligible health condition. These can include respiratory conditions, circulatory conditions, mental health conditions, dementia and developmental disorders.
If your home has an EPC rating of D but no one in the household has an eligible health condition, the Welsh Government says your details may be placed on a reserve list.
How to apply
You can contact Nest directly to check whether you are eligible for free home energy-efficiency improvements. Call 0808 808 2244 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, use the online eligibility checker or request a callback through the Welsh Government website.
6. Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP)
The Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP) funds a changing selection of energy-efficiency schemes for households and businesses.
The programme runs annually, and the available measures, income limits and delivery organisations can change each year. The 2026/27 programme runs from 1 April 2026 until 31 March 2027, or until the funding allocated to each scheme has been used.
Unlike ECO4, there isn’t one standard application or eligibility test. You need to identify the individual NISEP scheme that covers your circumstances and apply to the organisation delivering it.
Can you get solar panels through NISEP?
Some households can. The 2026/27 list includes Toasty Homes – Heat Pump and Solar Technologies, a fully-funded package that can provide an air source heat pump, solar PV, battery storage and insulation to eligible owner-occupiers. For the Toasty Homes – Heat Pump and Solar Technologies scheme, gross household income must be below:
- £28,000 for a single-person household
- £35,000 for a couple, joint household or single-parent family
The measures offered will depend on the property assessment. Northern Ireland Housing Executive leaseholders are not eligible for this particular programme.
There is also a Priority PV Scheme for selected Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants living outside the natural-gas network. It can provide a solar PV system, hybrid inverter and battery storage without requiring a contribution from the tenant. The Housing Executive selects the eligible properties.
These are targeted schemes rather than a general solar panel grant available to every Northern Ireland homeowner.
Who is eligible?
The programme is primarily targeted at low-income and vulnerable households, often defined as those receiving benefits or struggling with fuel poverty. However, each year’s funding round is divided into “priority” and “non-priority” groups, meaning some schemes are open to all households, regardless of income, if budget allows.
How to apply
Check the Utility Regulator’s NISEP page and contact the named delivery organisation for the programme that applies to you.
You may be asked to provide evidence of household income, property ownership and permission from other owners. Your home will also need to pass a technical survey.
Funding is limited and some programmes can develop waiting lists or close once their allocation has been committed.
7. Local council solar panel grants
Some local authorities offer grants or deliver wider government-funded energy-efficiency schemes that can provide solar panels to eligible households. Availability and eligibility vary by area, and funding may come from national programmes such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant or from local and regional schemes.
Separate council-backed group-buying programmes, such as Solar Together, can help households purchase solar panels at a potentially lower price, but these are not grants.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility depends on the scheme. Council grant funding is usually aimed at low-income households, homes with poor energy-efficiency ratings, people receiving certain benefits, or residents in eligible postcode areas.
Group-buying schemes are usually open to homeowners in participating council areas. Private tenants may be able to take part if they have their landlord’s permission.
How to apply
Search your local council’s website for terms such as “solar panel grant”, “home energy grant”, “Warm Homes”, “ECO4 Flex” or “energy efficiency funding”.
If funding is available, you may need to complete an eligibility form, provide evidence of income or benefits, and allow a home energy assessment. If solar panels are suitable, they may be offered as part of a wider package of improvements rather than as a standalone grant.
Read more: Sunsave solar panels review
What is the UK’s Warm Homes Plan?
The Warm Homes Plan is the government’s wider programme for improving the energy efficiency of homes, reducing household bills and accelerating the installation of technologies such as solar panels, batteries, insulation and heat pumps.
It doesn’t create a universal grant through which every homeowner can claim free solar panels. Instead, it combines several types of support for different households.
Grants for eligible households
In England, the most relevant existing route is the Warm Homes: Local Grant. This provides council-arranged improvements for eligible lower-income households and homes in selected postcode areas.
Solar panels and batteries may be included where they are considered suitable, but the package is based on an assessment of the property rather than the applicant choosing a specific technology.
Separate Warm Homes funding is also being used to upgrade social housing, but individual tenants don’t generally apply to these programmes in the same way as a private homeowner.
Low- and zero-interest finance
The Warm Homes Plan also includes government-backed zero- and low-interest consumer finance for improvements including solar panels, batteries and heat pumps.
The first application round for lenders wishing to participate in the Warm Homes Loan Scheme closed in July 2026, and the government updated the scheme rules in August. A further lender application window is expected later in 2026.
Consumer loan products are not yet widely available, and their interest rates, eligibility requirements and other terms will depend on the participating lenders. Homeowners should therefore be cautious about companies presenting ordinary commercial solar finance as an official Warm Homes Loan Scheme product.
What does the Warm Homes Plan mean for solar panels?
For lower-income households, solar panels may be provided through a targeted grant programme if they are appropriate for the property.
For households that don’t qualify for a grant, government-backed finance could eventually make it cheaper to spread the upfront cost. However, a loan still needs to be repaid, so compare the total repayment amount with the likely bill savings and the cost of paying for the installation outright.
What if I don’t qualify for a solar panel grant?
If you don’t qualify for a grant-funded scheme, there are still ways to reduce the upfront cost of solar panels or earn money from the electricity they generate. Depending on where you live, these include:
- interest-free or low-interest green home finance
- zero per cent VAT on qualifying solar panel installations
- group-buying schemes such as Solar Together
- Smart Export Guarantee payments for electricity exported to the grid
- solar panel subscription or other finance models
- comparing quotes from several MCS-certified installers
Other ways to reduce the cost of solar panels
Scheme or incentive | Where is it available? | Who is eligible? | What could you get? | How do you apply? |
0% VAT on solar panels | UK | Households with qualifying solar panels and other eligible energy-saving materials supplied and installed in residential accommodation | A lower upfront installation cost, because eligible solar panel installations are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 | Your installer should apply the correct VAT rate to your quote |
Smart Export Guarantee | Great Britain | Households with eligible solar panels who export unused electricity to the grid | Payments for surplus electricity sent back to the grid | Compare SEG tariffs from licensed energy suppliers after your system is installed |
Solar Together and group-buying schemes | Selected council areas | Homeowners and sometimes small businesses in participating areas | Discounted solar panel and battery installations through collective purchasing | Register through your local Solar Together scheme, if available |
Green loans or solar finance | Varies by lender | Homeowners who do not qualify for grant funding but want to spread the cost | A loan or finance plan to reduce the upfront cost of installation | Compare finance options carefully and check the total repayment cost |
Why trust us?
The Independent has been reporting on green energy and climate matters since it was founded in 1986. Our Home Improvement team produces in-depth, impartial reviews on everything from the best solar panels to the cost of solar panel installation and the best solar panel installers in the UK. Each article is researched and fact-checked by our journalists, drawing on government data and expert interviews.
We do not accept payment to feature schemes or installers in our guides. Our aim is to give readers clear, reliable advice that helps them make informed decisions about their homes.
How we did our research
To create this guide, we analysed the full range of UK government schemes, devolved nation programmes, and local authority initiatives currently offering financial support for solar panels. We consulted official sources including Ofgem, the UK Government, the Energy Saving Trust, and devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
We also spoke to accredited solar installers and reviewed advice from energy industry bodies to ensure the information is accurate and up to date. Where possible, we have linked directly to application pages so you can check eligibility and apply with confidence.
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