What funding and incentives are available?

Since January 2020, the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a government-backed initiative which allows homeowners to get paid for renewable energy that they generate but don’t need.

Larger energy companies can offer a special tariff to customers who are able to feed their excess solar electricity back to the national grid. 

This tariff can range dramatically, so it’s worth shopping around for the best rate. The Energy Saving Trust estimates a typical household based roughly in the middle of the country could make between £80 and £110/year (based on a rate of 3.99p per kWh).

You can find out more about the Smart Export Guarantee on the OFGEM website.

Until 2027, homeowners will pay 0% VAT on energy-saving materials like solar panels, helping the average customer to save around £240 on solar panels. Some solar companies offer homeowners finance options to make switching to solar easier, and bank loans for home improvement are also an option.