Warm Homes Loan Scheme: solar panels and batteries in Devon and Cornwall
The Warm Homes Loan Scheme is a UK-wide, lender-led scheme, launched to consumers on 27 October 2026, for solar panels, batteries and heat pumps. You borrow from an approved lender; the work must be done by an MCS certified installer. We’re that installer for solar and batteries across Devon and Cornwall. We’re not a lender, and enquiries on this page come to Solar Upgrades.
The installer’s part
Get your MCS installation quote
A lender will want to know what you’re fitting and what it costs. Tell us about your home and we’ll design solar panels or a battery around how you use electricity, then give you a written, no-obligation quote. You apply for the loan with the lender yourself. This form goes to Solar Upgrades, not to a lender or the government.
- Workmanship
warranty10years - Family run
since2022 - The Solar Owners
Club included1year
What it covers
How much you can borrow
The scheme rules (version 3, September 2026) cap each measure separately. We fit the first two.
| Measure | Loan cap |
|---|---|
| Solar panels | £15,000 |
| Battery storage | £15,000 |
| Air-to-water heat pump | £20,000 |
| Ground source heat pump | £35,000 |
| EV charger | Only as an add-on to solar panels or a battery |
| Air-to-air heat pump | Not yet eligible |
| Insulation | Not covered |
Who can apply
Who the loan scheme is for
The rules are deliberately wide. According to the scheme rules:
- Owner-occupiers, and private landlords borrowing personally, can apply, for a home anywhere in the UK.
- There’s no income test. Unlike a council grant, the scheme isn’t limited to lower-income households.
- The lender runs its own credit and affordability checks, and decides whether to lend and on what terms.
- An MCS certified installer must do the work. We hold MCS certification for solar PV and battery storage, certificate NIC-601527.
- Rates and terms vary by lender. Compare them on the GOV.UK lender list.
How to apply
From a lender to a working system
There are two parts, and they can run side by side: the loan is between you and the lender, and the installation is between you and us.
Choose a lender
Pick a lender from GOV.UK’s list of approved lenders and compare what each offers. Our guide to Warm Homes Loan Scheme lenders explains what to compare.
Get an MCS installer’s quote
We look at your roof and how you use electricity, at a site survey, then design the system and give you a written quote.
The lender decides
You apply to the lender with the quote. It runs its own checks and makes the offer; we play no part in that decision.
Our own team fits it
Once you’re ready, our own installation team fits the system, registers it and looks after it afterwards, with a year of The Solar Owners Club included.
Alongside the loan
What else helps with the cost
The loan can sit alongside other support, though no single item can be funded twice.
0% VAT for homes
Solar panels and batteries installed in homes carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. It applies to the installation automatically, loan or no loan.
If you’re on a low income
Some lower-income households may qualify for a council grant instead. GOV.UK has the eligibility check.
What a battery does for you
A battery keeps the daytime electricity your panels make for the evening. Our page on solar battery storage explains how we size one to your use.
Staying safe
How to spot a loan scam
The government and lenders never cold-call to sell Warm Homes Loans or charge a fee to apply. Before you sign anything:
- Check the lender is on GOV.UK’s list. Even lenders can’t use the scheme’s name until they’re approved.
- Never pay a fee to “unlock” a loan, check your eligibility or reserve funding.
- Check the installer on the MCS register before any work is agreed.
- Read our guide to solar panel scams for the other warning signs.
The loan and us
We fit the system; the lender decides the loan
Solar Upgrades is not a Warm Homes Loan lender and does not arrange these loans. You apply to a lender on GOV.UK’s list yourself, and we don’t recommend one. Our firm’s financial services status is set out at the foot of every page.
Rates and terms vary by lender — compare them on the GOV.UK lender list.
Yes. Battery storage is one of the eligible measures, capped at £15,000, and an EV charger can be added only alongside solar panels or a battery.
No. Owner-occupiers and private landlords borrowing personally can apply. The lender runs its own credit and affordability checks.
No. You apply to an approved lender from the GOV.UK list. We give you the MCS installer’s quote the lender asks for, then fit the system.
Yes. Solar panels and batteries installed in homes carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, whether or not you use a loan.
Next steps
Get your MCS installation quote
Thinking about a Warm Homes Loan for solar panels or a battery? Tell us about your home and we’ll give you a written, no-obligation quote.
Call us07441 369 505
- Lines open
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- Find us
- Allerford Farm, Lewdown, Okehampton, Devon EX20 4PU
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