Where our facts come from
Every page on this site lists its sources at the foot. This is the full list in one place, grouped by subject, with what each source supports and the date we last checked it.
The short answer
Primary sources first. We rely on GOV.UK and government departments, Ofgem, HMRC, the Welsh and Scottish governments, nidirect, legislation.gov.uk and the Advertising Standards Authority. The House of Commons Library is used for summaries, and marked as secondary where we rely on it.
Facts checked at source on 2 and 3 November 2026 · Solar PV Panels Grants is an independent explainer from SEO-DONS LTD, not a scheme
Policy and the overall picture
The shape of support to 2030, and independent summaries.
- GOV.UK — The Warm Homes Plan (January 2026). The Warm Homes Plan: total funding, the low-income share, loans for able-to-pay households, the 2027/28 merger. Checked 3 November 2026.
- House of Commons Library — briefing CBP-9585 on home energy support (PDF). Summaries of the plan, the ECO4 position and the SEG supplier threshold; used where noted as secondary. Checked 2 November 2026.
England: Warm Homes: Local Grant
The council route that can include solar.
- GOV.UK — Apply for Warm Homes: Local Grant (England). Eligibility (EPC D to G, household income usually £36,000 or less, postcode or benefit), measures including solar, how to apply, delivery to 31 March 2028. Checked 2 November 2026.
- DESNZ — Warm Homes: Local Grant policy guidance, July 2026 (PDF). Policy guidance for councils, including the condition that a battery is funded only alongside solar. Checked 3 November 2026.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The devolved positions.
- Welsh Government — Warm Homes Nest scheme annual report 2024 to 2025. Warm Homes Nest: who it is for, the benefit and health routes, rooftop solar in packages, the installer network. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Home Energy Scotland — grants and loans. Home Energy Scotland’s current grants and loans, including heat pumps and PV-T. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Scottish Government — FOI release on Home Energy Scotland solar funding (August 2026). Confirmation that solar PV was funded up to June 2024. Checked 2 November 2026.
- nidirect — support to generate your own electricity. Northern Ireland: no named support for home generation beyond the zero VAT rate. Checked 20 October 2026.
Loans and the supplier obligation
Borrowing, and the scheme that is closing.
- GOV.UK — Warm Homes Loan Scheme factsheet (27 October 2026). The Warm Homes Loan Scheme: a loan through participating lenders, UK-wide for owner-occupied homes. Checked 3 November 2026.
- DESNZ — Warm Homes Loan Scheme rules, version 3, September 2026 (PDF). Scheme rules, including MCS certification for each measure and the reserved branding. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ofgem — Energy Company Obligation (ECO). ECO4: what it is and who administers it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- GOV.UK — Extending the ECO4 end date: government response. The end date of 31 December 2026 and the purpose of the extension. Checked 2 November 2026.
Heating, tax and export payments
The routes that are not solar grants.
- GOV.UK — Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get. Boiler Upgrade Scheme amounts and eligibility. Checked 3 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk — SI 2026/390, Boiler Upgrade Scheme amendments. Removal of the EPC requirement and other changes from 28 April 2026. Checked 2 November 2026.
- HMRC — VAT Notice 708/6, energy-saving materials. The zero rate on installed energy-saving materials in homes to 31 March 2027, then 5%. Checked 3 November 2026.
- GOV.UK — Smart Export Guarantee. The SEG in outline. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ofgem — SEG generator guidance (PDF). SEG rules for generators: metering, MCS certification, Great Britain only. Checked 2 November 2026.
Homes, planning and standards
Certificates, permitted development and new homes.
- GOV.UK — Find an energy certificate (EPC register). Looking up an energy performance certificate. Checked 3 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk — SI 2026/896, permitted development for solar in England. New permitted development rights for solar in England from 27 August 2026. Checked 2 November 2026.
- GOV.UK — Future Homes and Buildings Standards: consultation response, March 2026 (PDF). The Future Homes Standard: new homes with low-carbon heating and, in most cases, solar. Checked 2 November 2026.
- MCS — find a certified installer. Checking an installer’s certification, by technology. Checked 3 November 2026.
Advertising and consumer protection
What regulators have ruled and what the law bans.
- ASA — ruling on ECO4U Ltd (ECO4 adverts styled as government), December 2024. Ruling on ECO4 adverts presented as if run by GOV.UK, with crown imagery. Checked 2 November 2026.
- ASA — ruling on Rock Paper Click Ltd ("Government Solar Checker"), November 2019. Ruling on a "Government Solar Checker" site. Checked 2 November 2026.
- ASA — "Greener homes: building on facts, not fibs". ASA guidance on home energy advertising, and the 2025 rulings on grant claims and claims that work was entirely paid for. Checked 2 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk — DMCC Act 2024, Schedule 20 (banned practices). Practices banned outright since 6 April 2025, including false public approval and misuse of "free". Checked 2 November 2026.
- Citizens Advice — scams. Help with scams and disputes. Checked 3 November 2026.
The publisher
Who publishes this site.
- Companies House — SEO-DONS LTD (16766013). SEO-DONS LTD’s company record. Checked 30 October 2026.
How we use sources
We read each source ourselves and record the date. Where a page depends on a figure or a date, it links to the source that sets it. Where we couldn't confirm a point at source, we leave it out; where sources disagree, we follow the legislation and say so. We recheck dated facts, such as scheme end dates and the VAT rate, whenever a source changes, and update the date shown.
If you find a newer source, or think we've misread one, tell us.
Not sure which route, if any, fits your home?
Tell us where you live and what you are looking into. Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this explainer, and we answer by email. We are not a scheme and cannot approve anything, but we can point you to the right door.
What happens next
- Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this explainer.
- We reply by email with the scheme or council page that fits, if there is one.
- Any application is between you and that scheme.