If you have some form of disability you could be eligible for a grant that will help you get solar panels fitted at your home. The government ECO scheme helps low-income households or those who receive eligible benefits or are deemed to be vulnerable, to get access to solar panel grants, enabling them to save money on their energy bills and become more environmentally friendly.
The grants are available to households, including those containing at least one person who has a disability and is in receipt of one of the eligible benefits or whose household income is less than £31,000. The grants are open to people whether they own their own home or are a privately renting tenant, but not those who live in local authority run housing.
If you receive one of the eligible benefits listed below or have a low income, there is a very good possibility that you could be entitled to a solar panel grant. This would make a significant difference to you and your household, particularly if you struggle with the escalating cost of heating your home year on year.
Since its introduction, the ECO scheme has been a useful and successful way of providing grants for disabled people and other individuals who might struggle with consistently rising energy costs to enable them to get more efficient and cost-effective forms of heating. The scheme gives responsibility for providing solar panel grants to many of the main energy suppliers including British Gas, EDF Energy, E.on, Npower, Scottish Power, SSE plus others.
This is all part of the government’s effort to reduce carbon emissions from households across the UK in order to meet their targets for greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate change. Solar panel grants allow qualifying individuals to get solar panels installed for free or at a fraction of their normal cost. Before you apply for a solar panel grant it is important to ensure that your home and roof is suitable to have solar panels fitted.
In the previous ECO3 scheme there were multiple qualifying benefits for disabled people to get solar panel grants. With the introduction of the ECO4 scheme in replacement of ECO3, there have been some changes made, including alterations to the benefits that are eligible. There is now a stronger focus on income when it comes to eligible households for ECO4 with low-income individuals being included (irrespective of whether they claim government benefits) as well as those who actually do receive an income-related benefit.
Qualifying benefits include the ones listed below:
Solar panels can be much more energy-efficient and save you a lot of money on your annual bills in comparison to traditional types of heating. Estimates from the Energy Saving Trust show that the household can decrease their bills by as much as £500 a year if they were to spend the majority of their day at home.
Estimated annual savings on bills as a result of installing solar are as follows:
Savings can be even greater if combined with the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) which allows households to sell excess solar energy produced back to the grid in return for payment.
Source: Energy Saving Trust and based on October 2022 figures.
Find out more information if one of these applies to you:
Find out how much your home could save with free funding and by going green.
How your new solar set up will work for you
Solar PV panels are made of multiple semiconducting cells that generate electricity when light hits them.
The electricity created can be used, stored in a solar battery, or exported to the grid to receive money from the energy companies.
Solar panels require light, not necessarily direct sunlight, in order to generate electricity.
The default source of electricity has traditionally been from the national grid, generated from a range of fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas and oil.
In 2013, a scheme was introduced to the public called the Energy Company Obligation (ECO Scheme). The Energy Company Obligation put the responsibility of improving
Installing solar panels isn’t necessarily cheap but with grants available, and now 0% VAT payable on professional installations, solar becomes a much more affordable option.
*Annual solar saving/income with the Smart Export Guarantee in for a property in London where the householder is home all day (according to the Energy Saving Trust based on July 2024 fuel prices)
Solar Grants UK is a trading style of Lead Pronto Ltd, a Company registered in England & Wales, company number 11563815.
£10,000 in Free Grants to Install Solar in Your Home
