There is no verified ranking of UK installers. Per each company’s own site, Sunsave sells £0-upfront finance with a service guarantee. Octopus sells installs with its own export tariffs. Heatable sells fixed-price online packages. Get three written quotes on the same brief. Check MCS, deposit, warranty and export paperwork before signing.
SurgePV publishes this guide and sells solar design software, not solar installations. Prices, coverage and terms below are what each company’s own website said on 28 October 2026. The table is in alphabetical order and is not a ranking. MCS is the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, a certification for small renewable installations. SEG is the Smart Export Guarantee, a scheme where energy suppliers pay you for power you send to the grid.
UK Solar Installer Offers to Compare
| Installer | Where it installs | Prices on its own page | Finance example on its page | Warranties it states | Accreditation it states |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy | Enter your postcode on the page to check | Panel-only from £6,663 (2 panels); 12 panels with a 10 kWh battery £11,115; April 2026 prices; £500 non-refundable deposit | Zopa Bank: £12,000 over 10 years at 4.9% APR, £15,128.35 repayable | 25 years on the 455 W panels and on the microinverters; no workmanship term on the page | MCS not stated on the page |
| Solar4Good | Nationwide, by its own teams and vetted partners | No price list on the page | Not stated | 25 years on panels; five years of workmanship cover | MCS, under its own registration |
| Sunsave | Mainland England and Wales, the Isle of Wight, and south Scotland up to Dundee, Perth and Dumbarton | Pay upfront, or £0 upfront on 3, 10 or 20-year terms; no package price read | 240 payments of £59 (£45 loan plus £14 service fee), 8.9% representative APR, £14,160 in total | 25 years on panels, 30 on performance, 10 on batteries; workmanship guarantee shown as 5 years in the package list and 6 years in the warranty list | MCS, RECC, TrustMark and others |
| Tile Energy | Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Somerset, Hampshire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire; commercial work nationwide | FAQ says a typical 4 kW system is £4,500 to £6,000 installed, including 0% VAT | Not stated | 25 years on panels, 10 to 12 on inverters, 10 on batteries, plus its own workmanship guarantee | MCS; RECC protection |
| Heatable | Quote online by address; fitted by approved partner installers | 10 LONGi 485 W panels (4.85 kWp) with a battery: £9,155, £9,560 or £11,815 installed including VAT; scaffolding extra, typically £800 to £950 | 0% APR from £88.76, £92.69 or £114.55 a month; 9.9% APR over longer terms | 5-year insurance-backed installation warranty; 30 years on panels (25 on the Tesla package) | MCS certified installers |
These are the installers’ own figures, set on different bases. Package size, battery, scaffolding and VAT differ from row to row, So the prices are not like-for-like. Panel capacity is the panel count times the panel wattage. Heatable’s 10 panels of 485 W give 4.85 kWp. Octopus’s 12 panels of 455 W give 5.46 kWp. kWp means kilowatts of peak power. A shortlist is a starting point. The written design and contract decide.
Sunsave: Compare the Credit and the Service Contract
Sunsave’s page says you own the system from day one and pay through a loan plus a monitoring and maintenance fee. Its example is 240 payments of £59. They are made up of £6,753 of loan at a fixed 5.2% a year, £4,085 of interest and £3,322 of monitoring and maintenance fees. These add up to £14,160. That is one finance example, not a cash price. Read your quote for the split between credit and service fees, eligibility and exclusions. The page says the 20-year Solar & Battery Guarantee comes with the 20-year term. It also says a home sale can be settled from the proceeds. On the 20-year term, the contract can instead transfer to a buyer who passes an eligibility check.
Octopus: Check the Postcode, Design and Tariff Together
Octopus’s solar page starts with a postcode check and estimated cost, then a tailored quote. It sets you up on one of its export tariffs and says it needs your network operator’s permission (the company that runs your local power lines) before you export. Its finance example is £12,000 over 10 years at 4.9% APR. APR is the yearly cost of borrowing. It has 119 payments of £126.06 and a final payment of £127.21. The total is £15,128.35, of which £3,128.35 is interest.
Ask for the equipment, the battery operating strategy and the full installation scope in writing. The page does not state a workmanship term or an MCS accreditation, so ask for both in the contract.
Heatable: Resolve Access Costs Before Comparing Prices
Heatable’s solar page lists three packages of ten 485 W LONGi panels with different batteries. The installed prices include VAT. The page also lists a 5-year insurance-backed installation warranty. Its FAQ says scaffolding is not in the online quote and typically costs around £800 to £950. Add that before you compare it with a quote that includes access. Read the policy itself for eligibility and claims.
Tile Energy and Solar4Good: Regional Options
Tile Energy covers eight counties and says it carries RECC consumer protection. RECC is the Renewable Energy Consumer Code. Solar4Good says it holds its own MCS registration and that the people who quote the job are the people on your roof. Both are examples of installers outside the big consumer brands that you can add to a shortlist. Ask each for the same written design.
Best Energy Supplier for Solar Panels: Export Rates
Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, says you can apply to any Smart Export Guarantee licensee. The licensee does not have to be your import supplier, the company you buy electricity from. Rates differ by supplier and by tariff. The two suppliers below published a rate on their own pages when read on 28 October 2026.
| Supplier and tariff | Rate on its page | Conditions on its page |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus: Outgoing Octopus | 12p per kWh | Variable; rates can change |
| Octopus: Prime Outgoing Octopus | 16p per kWh from 4pm to 7pm, 9p per kWh the rest of the day | 12-month fixed term |
| Octopus: Agile Outgoing Octopus | Half-hourly prices matched to day-ahead wholesale rates | 12-month fixed term |
| British Gas: Export Premium | 12p per kWh | British Gas electricity customers, systems up to 15 kW; variable; page updated 27 August 2026 |
| British Gas: Export Extra | 8p per kWh | British Gas electricity customers, systems over 15 kW; variable |
| British Gas: Export (all other customers) | 3p per kWh | Not a British Gas electricity customer, a developer, or a VoidCare customer over 15 kW |
Compare the export rate with your import price and your own export pattern. A high headline export rate does not make an electricity package cheaper overall if it ties you to a more expensive import tariff. Ofgem keeps the list of SEG licensees so you can check the other suppliers. The table covers two suppliers, not the whole market.
Give Every Installer the Same Design Brief
Include your postcode, roof photographs or survey information, electricity bills and any interval consumption data, such as smart meter readings. Say what is changing, such as an EV, a heat pump or different working hours. State whether you want lower annual bills, export income, backup or a mix.
Ask for a proposal that separates these quantities:
| Item | Why the distinction matters |
|---|---|
| Module DC capacity in kWp | Different from inverter AC power and annual electricity production |
| Annual production in kWh | A modelled estimate with weather, shading and loss assumptions |
| Household self-consumption | The share used onsite, which needs a consumption profile or a stated assumption |
| Grid exports | Electricity exported, not all electricity generated |
| Battery usable energy and power | Different measures of duration and of the load the system can run |
| Backup functionality | Needs the operating mode, the supported circuits and the electrical arrangement |
A battery on the equipment list does not mean the house stays powered in a grid outage. Ask which circuits run, what happens when the stored energy runs out and what the proposed equipment supports.
The installer should explain the roof layout, the shading assessment, the equipment and the estimated losses. If two offers use different consumption assumptions, equipment or roof areas, their projected savings cannot be compared. The design should flag any roof, structural, electrical, planning or connection issue that needs further assessment. The solar scope of work template shows how to write that brief down.
Check the Company and Certification
Record the exact contracting company, its registered address, its certification identity and the technology covered. Check the current official register and make sure the name matches the proposal. A logo or an old review article does not show that a particular company holds current certification for your installation.
Ofgem’s generator guidance (December 2019) says applicants with solar PV up to 50 kW will be asked for an MCS certificate. It adds that other schemes may be equivalent. The chosen supplier should say which documents it accepts. The guidance also asks for a meter that takes half-hourly measurements and an export MPAN, the number that identifies your export meter point. Our MCS certification guide explains the paperwork steps.
Before You Sign: VAT, Deposits and Protection
VAT. VAT is the UK sales tax. HMRC Notice 708/6 sets a zero rate of VAT on installations of energy-saving materials, including solar panels, in homes supplied between 1 May 2023 and 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 they revert to the reduced rate of 5%. Ask the installer to state the VAT basis on the invoice, especially if the quote includes extra works.
Deposits. The RECC consumer code says a deposit should not exceed 25 per cent of the estimated cost under any circumstances. A further advance payment can be asked for no more than 3 weeks before the agreed delivery date of all the goods. The deposit plus advance payments cannot exceed 60 per cent. Members must insure deposits and advance payments so another member can complete the contract if the installer stops trading. These are RECC rules. Ask your installer which code and cover apply.
Workmanship. The RECC code requires a written workmanship guarantee of at least 2 years that passes to the next owner. It must be insurance-backed so it is honoured if the member stops trading.
Do not transfer money on a phone call. Keep the signed scope, the final price, the payment schedule and any agreed changes together.
Compare Warranties by What They Cover
Make a row for installation workmanship, panel defects, panel performance, inverter and battery. A panel performance warranty does not cover a roof leak, a failed inverter or the labour to replace a module.
For each warranty, record:
- Who accepts and resolves a claim.
- Duration, exclusions and any maintenance or monitoring requirement.
- Whether access, scaffolding, labour, shipping and disposal are included.
- What passes to a buyer if you sell the property.
- The fallback if the installation company stops trading.
Ask for a written fault-reporting process and the service area. A national brand is no promise of faster attendance, and a local address is no promise of stronger financial protection.
Confirm the Export-Payment Handoff
The Smart Export Guarantee generator page says installations must be in Great Britain. It also says SEG licensees set their own payment amounts and contract lengths. Any tariff must stay above zero, and payments follow actual meter readings. Northern Ireland needs a separate check.
Before installation, agree who handles the certificates, the connection paperwork, the export metering and the supplier application. Ask when each item will arrive and which steps are yours. A finished installation is not an accepted export contract.
A Quote-Comparison Record You Can Copy
| Check | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracting company and postcode availability | |||
| Survey findings and unresolved roof issues | |||
| Exact modules, inverter, battery and proposed layout | |||
| Modelled production, shading and consumption assumptions | |||
| Final price, access costs, exclusions and VAT basis | |||
| Cash price versus total finance and service payments | |||
| Certification and chosen export supplier’s evidence | |||
| Connection, commissioning and handover responsibilities | |||
| Deposit, payment milestones and consumer protection | |||
| Warranty boundaries and fault-response process |
Get three written quotes where you can, on the same brief. Fill every field and resolve blanks or conflicts before choosing an installer.
Installers: keep the design and the quote together
If you prepare proposals for homeowners, SurgePV covers roof modeling, layout, shading, energy yield, financial modeling and proposal generation in one workflow. Bring a project to a guided demo.
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See solar proposal software for the proposal side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best solar panel installers in the UK?
This guide does not rank UK installers because no source it can check does. It compares what Sunsave, Octopus, Heatable, Tile Energy and Solar4Good say on their own sites. It looks at where they install, what they price, how they finance and what they warrant. Pick the ones that cover your postcode and compare written quotes on the same brief.
Is MCS certification essential for a UK solar installer?
Ofgem’s guidance for the Smart Export Guarantee asks applicants with solar PV up to 50 kW for an MCS certificate. It says other schemes may be equivalent. Ask your SEG supplier which evidence it accepts, and check the register entry for the company named on your quote.
How much does a 4 kW solar system cost in the UK?
Installers publish prices on different bases. So no single figure is reliable. Tile Energy’s FAQ says a typical 4 kW system costs £4,500 to £6,000 fully installed including 0% VAT. Heatable lists 4.85 kWp packages with a battery from £9,155 installed including VAT, with scaffolding extra. Octopus lists a 12-panel system with a 10 kWh battery at £11,115 (April 2026 prices). Compare itemised quotes for your roof.
What warranties should a UK solar installer offer?
Ask for separate cover for workmanship, panels, panel performance, inverter and battery. Ask who handles claims. Heatable states a 5-year insurance-backed installation warranty and a 30-year panel warranty on its LONGi packages. Sunsave states 25-year panel and 30-year performance warranties. RECC code members must give a workmanship guarantee of at least 2 years. It must pass to the next owner and be insurance-backed.
How many quotes should I get for solar panels?
Get three written quotes on the same design brief where you can. Three is a sensible number, not a rule. No source in this guide ties it to a fixed saving. Match equipment, capacity, modelled output, access and aftercare before you compare price.
Can a solar installer ask for a deposit above 25 percent?
Under the RECC consumer code a deposit should not exceed 25 per cent of the estimated cost. The deposit plus any later advance payment cannot exceed 60 per cent. That is the RECC code. So ask which code your installer follows and get the payment schedule in the contract.
Does the Smart Export Guarantee cover the whole UK?
The SEG covers installations in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has separate arrangements, so check them locally. Your SEG supplier can be a different company from your import supplier.
What is the best energy supplier for solar panels?
It depends on three things. These are your export tariff, whether you also buy import electricity from that supplier, and whether you have a battery. Ofgem says you can apply to any SEG licensee. On the pages read on 28 October 2026, Octopus listed 12p per kWh on Outgoing Octopus. British Gas listed 12p per kWh for its electricity customers with systems up to 15 kW. Both rates are variable. So check them before you sign.
Should I choose a local or national solar installer?
Compare the named contracting company, who surveys and installs, the service area and the aftercare terms in writing. Ask who attends a fault and how to escalate a complaint. Company size and distance do not prove faster service or better cover.
Where this fits
This article is part of SurgePV's Solar Installation hub, which works through the topic from first principles to the decisions a project team actually has to make.
