Warm Homes Loan Scheme: Government-Backed Loans for Solar and Batteries

What the scheme is

The Warm Homes Loan Scheme is part of the government's Warm Homes Plan. The government does not lend the money itself. It pays a grant to banks and other lenders that join the scheme, and the scheme rules require them to pass that grant on to borrowers as a lower interest rate.

Lenders can offer it as an ordinary personal loan, as finance arranged at the point of sale, or as a loan secured on the property. The support applies to loans of three years or longer, and the scheme covers homes anywhere in the UK.

Who can apply

The scheme is aimed at owner-occupiers of existing homes and at private landlords. The rules set no income threshold and no minimum energy rating for the property. Each lender carries out its own credit and affordability checks, as it would for any other loan.

What it covers

• New rooftop solar panels, including adding panels to a system you already have. Up to £15,000.
• Battery storage, either on its own or alongside solar. Up to £15,000.
• An EV chargepoint, but only as part of a solar or battery installation and only where the charger and installer are OZEV-approved.
• The work that goes with the installation, such as scaffolding and the grid connection.

It does not cover roof repairs or other structural work needed before panels can go up. Heat pumps are also eligible under the scheme.

The MCS requirement

For solar and battery installations the rules are specific: an MCS-certified product must be installed by an MCS-certified installer. As part of the application the lender will ask for a quote from the installer that shows their MCS number and the size of the system.

GM Electrical Services is MCS-certified for solar PV and battery storage and OZEV-approved for EV chargers, so our quotes carry the details a lender will need.

When it starts

The scheme rules give September 2026 for the first loans to the public, with a second round of lenders joining late in 2026 for early 2027.

As we publish this on 30 September 2026, we have not seen a confirmed list of participating lenders or the rates they will offer. We will update this page when there is one.

Should you wait for it?

We install solar and batteries, and we are not financial advisers, so treat this as practical rather than financial advice. A cheaper loan spreads the cost. It does not change what the system costs or what it saves, and with any loan the figure to compare is the total you repay.

If you think you will want finance, the useful thing to do now is get the survey and quote done, so the paperwork is ready when your lender is. Domestic solar and battery installations also remain zero-rated for VAT. Our savings calculator gives a first estimate, and a free survey gives exact figures for your home.