Free solar panels and solar panel grants in the UK in 2026: what you can actually get

• The property is in England. The scheme does not operate in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• The home is privately owned, either owner-occupied or privately rented.
• The Energy Performance Certificate rating is D, E, F or G. You can check an existing certificate free on the official EPC register.
• Household income is usually £36,000 a year or less. Above that, you may still qualify through an eligible postcode or certain benefits, so income alone does not rule you out.
• You can commit to a survey and to works the council selects for the property, which may or may not include solar panels.
• Your council currently has funding available. Some councils become oversubscribed.

1. 01Apply through the official GOV.UK application page. It costs nothing.
2. 02GOV.UK says your local council will usually contact you within 10 working days of your application.
3. 03The council assesses eligibility, including income, benefits or postcode routes and the property's EPC rating.
4. 04If you are eligible and funding is available, the council arranges a survey of your home.
5. 05The survey decides which measures suit the property. Solar panels are one possible measure, not a promised one.
6. 06Agreed work is carried out by approved contractors and paid for by the council. Owner-occupiers generally do not pay for agreed measures; landlords may need to contribute.

1. 01'Free solar panel scheme' is not a scheme name. It is a marketing phrase, and most pages using it are collecting your details to sell.
2. 02Qualifying for the Warm Homes: Local Grant does not guarantee solar panels. The council chooses measures after a survey, and insulation or a heat pump may come first.
3. 03There is no cash grant for solar. The council pays contractors for agreed work; no money passes to you.
4. 04Being over £36,000 income does not automatically exclude you. Eligible postcodes and certain benefits provide other routes in.
5. 05The scheme being live nationally does not mean your council has funding now. Availability is local and some councils are oversubscribed.
6. 06Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not covered by this scheme, whatever a UK-wide advert implies.

1. 01Check the eligibility checklist above against your property and income.
2. 02Look up your home's EPC rating on the official register if you do not know it.
3. 03If you look eligible, apply through the official GOV.UK page linked below. It is free.
4. 04If you rent, speak to your landlord early, since their involvement and possible contribution are part of the process.
5. 05If you do not qualify, or solar is not the measure offered, price a self-funded installation properly: our solar calculator shows the arithmetic with your own figures, and the solar page sets out what a quote should itemise.

Housebright is not a government body, does not submit applications and does not charge to unlock grant information. The GOV.UK page is authoritative over anything written here.