What’s available for Solar Panel Grants and Schemes in the UK

There are presently three initiatives that may be of interest to our local customers.  Some schemes such as the Free Solar Panel Scheme and Feed-in Tariff are no longer available. Solar Together, which is a group-buying schemes for solar PV and battery storage systems, is not available in Sutton and Croydon.

ECO4 Scheme

This stands for Energy Company Obligation and replaced ECO3. This runs until March 2026 and it designed to give low-income households the chance to replace inefficient heating system with environmentally friendly systems such as solar PV panels. The UK government has committed  £4 billion over four years and the potential saving to users could be up to 100%.

Eligibility

• Your existing heating system needs to be inefficient. In terms of an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)  it would fall in the D to G bands.
• You are an owner or private renter and live in your home.
• You receive government benefits such as Child Benefit, Universal credit or Working Tax Credit etc.

What to do

Several companies offer the ECO4 grant and online application forms can be found with an internet search. The process is similar whoever you choose.

 They will:

• Reply by email to get your permission to contact the Department of Work and Pensions to confirm your benefits.
• Arrange a free survey within about a week .  This is a 10 – 15 minute inspection of your home’s energy efficiency measures.
• If approved, installing your solar panels may take up to eight weeks.
  

Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)

This came into effect in January 2020. It lets small-scale low-carbon electricity generators to receive payments for any surplus energy they export back to the grid.

Eligibility

You need solar panels with a capacity of up to 5kW to qualify for the SEG scheme. You need an export meter installed with a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate, or equivalent. We are MCS solar panel installers.

What to do

You will need to apply to a supplier offering SEG tariffs.  These are listed on the Ofgem website.  The supplier who provides your energy doesn’t need to be your SEG tariff supplier.  Tariffs can change so it’s worth checking this is still competitive.

Zero VAT for Energy-Saving Products

Certain energy-saving materials and equipment, including the solar panels, are eligible for a reduced VAT rate. This reduced rate is currently 0% until 31 March 2027.

This applies to the supply and installation of solar panels for residential properties in England, Scotland, and Wales. This reduced VAT rate is part of the UK government’s efforts to encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

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If you are interested home solar panel installations please see the contact form below or contact me on 020 8914 8297 . We are never pushy!  See our reviews:

4.9 out of 5 from 150+ Google reviews

We install solar panels and batteries in these South London (UK) areas:

Wallington, Purley, Carshalton, Coulsdon, Sutton, Croydon, Merton, Wimbledon, Streatham. Tooting, Mitcham, Reigate, Sevenoaks, Chipstead, Banstead, New Malden, Surbiton, Bromley, Beckenham.