What help actually exists in 2026
Most of what you read about solar and heat pump grants is out of date or a sales hook. This is the list we work from, checked on 23 October 2026, with who qualifies and who does not.
Four things every home can use
0%
Until 31 March 2027
VAT on solar panels, batteries and heat pumps
Panels, home batteries (with or without solar), air source heat pumps and the installation are zero-rated for VAT in Great Britain. It is already off every price we quote, so there is nothing to claim. No extension has been announced; after March 2027 the rate is expected to return to 5%.
- Who
- Any home. Not businesses.
- Source
- GOV.UK VAT notice 708/6
£7,500
£9,000 for oil and LPG homes until 31 March 2027
Boiler Upgrade Scheme for air source heat pumps
A government grant of £7,500 towards an air source heat pump that replaces a gas, oil, LPG or electric heating system, in England and Wales. Homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection get an extra £1,500, so £9,000, until March 2027. There is no income test. You must own the property (landlords and second homes count), the installer must be MCS certified, hybrid systems and most new builds are excluded, and the installer applies for the voucher and then has 120 days to fit the system. Air-to-air systems, the wall-mounted kind, get £2,500. One grant per property, taken straight off the quote.
- Who
- Owners of homes in England and Wales replacing a fossil fuel or electric system.
8p+
Ongoing
Smart Export Guarantee
Licensed suppliers must pay you for electricity you export. Rates run from a few pence to 15p or more a unit depending on the supplier and whether you have a battery. Not a grant, an income. We tell you which tariff suits your set-up at handover.
- Who
- Any MCS-certified solar installation.
- Source
- Ofgem on the SEG
£15k
Loans from September 2026
Warm Homes Loan Scheme
Government-backed low-interest loans for solar panels and home batteries, with no income test. The government gives the lender a grant of up to 20% of the loan, which the scheme rules say must be passed to you as a lower interest rate. Loans of up to £15,000 for solar PV and up to £15,000 for a battery, each with an MCS-certified installer (which ours are). It is a loan, not a grant, so you pay it back, and the lender runs its own credit and affordability checks. It runs through participating lenders, with more joining in 2027; ask us which are live when you get your quote.
- Who
- Owner-occupiers and private landlords in England.
Where free solar is real, and where it is not
£36k
England, 2025 to 2028
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Government funding, run by councils, for insulation, heat pumps and solar panels at no cost to the household. You usually need a household income of £36,000 or less, or a means-tested benefit, and a home with an EPC rating of D, E, F or G. Owner-occupiers and private tenants qualify; landlords contribute. In much of Hampshire it is delivered through the Portsmouth-led Warmer Homes scheme (New Forest, Eastleigh, Fareham, Portsmouth, Havant, Gosport and East Hampshire), which is oversubscribed and running a waiting list. Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset Council residents should check their own council’s housing pages. Councils appoint their own installers, so this is not something we quote for; if you look eligible we will say so.
- Who
- Income-tested, EPC D to G, England only.
ECO4
Extended to 31 December 2026, then closes
Energy Company Obligation
Funded by the energy suppliers for households on qualifying benefits, mostly for insulation and heating, with solar included in some cases. It has been extended once and there will be no ECO5; the Warm Homes Plan, including the loan scheme above, takes over. If you are on a qualifying benefit, ask your supplier before December.
- Who
- Qualifying benefits only.
The charger grants went up in April 2026
£500
Until 31 March 2027
EV chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
75% of the cost of buying and installing one socket, up to £500 (raised from £350 on 1 April 2026). You need to rent your home or own a flat, and have private, off-street parking that is yours. The charger must not be installed until OZEV confirms you are eligible, so we apply first and fit second.
- Who
- Renters and flat owners with off-street parking. Not owner-occupied houses.
£500
Until 31 March 2027
Residential landlord chargepoint grant
Landlords can claim £500 per socket across up to 200 sockets a year. The charger stays with the property, which is often the simplest route for a tenant who wants one.
- Who
- Private and institutional landlords.
£500
Until 31 March 2027
Workplace Charging Scheme
75% of the cost, up to £500 per socket (also raised in April 2026), for up to 40 sockets per site. Businesses, charities and public sector bodies qualify. Pairs well with a commercial solar array: the fleet charges on daytime generation.
- Who
- Registered businesses, charities, public sector.
£3,750
While the fund lasts
Electric Car Grant
Not ours, but relevant: £1,500 or £3,750 off eligible new electric cars with a list price of £37,000 or less, applied by the dealer at the point of sale. If the car is coming, the charger and the solar are worth planning together.
- Who
- Buyers of eligible new EVs.
- Source
- GOV.UK announcement
No grant, but the tax treatment is generous
100%
Ongoing
Capital allowances on commercial solar
Solar panels and batteries count as plant and machinery. The Annual Investment Allowance gives 100% relief against taxable profits on up to £1 million of qualifying spend a year; companies can alternatively use the 50% first-year allowance for special-rate assets. Which route suits you is your accountant’s call. We provide the invoices and the commissioning paperwork they need.
- Who
- Sole traders, partnerships and companies paying UK tax.
Tax treatment depends on your business structure and accounting period. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm it with your accountant before relying on it.
Grant questions, answered
Checked 23 October 2026. If a scheme changes, this page changes. Our EV charger grants guide goes deeper on the charger side.
Is there a grant for solar panels in Dorset or Hampshire in 2026?
Is there a grant for an air source heat pump?
Can I really get free solar panels?
Does the 0% VAT apply to a battery without solar?
I own a house with a driveway. Is there a charger grant for me?
Do you apply for the grants for me?
What changes after 31 March 2027?
Not sure what you qualify for? We check for free.
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