Can you get free solar panels in Wales?

Free solar panels sound too good to be true, and sometimes they are. In Wales, though, some households can get solar at no cost, and many more can borrow without paying interest. The trick is knowing which offers are real, because the wrong one can cost you.

This post sets out the Welsh schemes open in October 2026, who qualifies and which claims to treat with care. It also covers the VAT cut that ends in 2027, since that affects what you pay.

Warm Homes Nest: the free route

Warm Homes Nest is a Welsh Government scheme that gives free, impartial energy advice. For eligible homes, it can also pay for a package of improvements, and that package can include solar panels, a heat pump and insulation. However, solar is only one possible measure, and Nest never guarantees it.

To get improvements, you must own your home or rent it privately, since council and housing association tenants do not qualify. You must also receive a qualifying means-tested benefit or live in a low-income household. Your home needs an EPC rating of E or lower, or D or lower if someone in the household has an eligible health condition.

Homes rated D without an eligible health condition go on a reserve list, while qualifying benefits include Child Tax Credit, income-related Council Tax Reduction, Pension Credit and Universal Credit. Nest also looks at household income, so check the current rules on the Welsh Government site.

Funding is a budget, not an entitlement. The Welsh Government set Nest funding at £37 million for 2026-27, after a £5 million top-up announced on 16 July 2026. As a result, a place is never certain, even when you qualify.

Green Homes Wales: interest-free loans

If you do not meet the Nest rules, Green Homes Wales may suit you. It is a Welsh Government scheme run by the Development Bank of Wales, and it offers owner-occupiers interest-free loans of £1,000 to £25,000 over up to 10 years, with longer terms for bigger projects.

The loan comes with a six-month repayment holiday and a funded retrofit assessment. For some measures there is grant funding too, and the scheme can fund solar panels, or solar panels with a battery.

The rules matter because they are strict. The home must be in Wales, owned by you and your main residence. It cannot be a new build or a listed building, and private landlords cannot apply. There is no means test, but you face credit and affordability checks. Work must meet PAS 2035, and you should take free general advice from Nest first.

Applications are registered and issued in line with ongoing funding availability. Therefore do not assume money is waiting. Our guide to solar funding in Wales tracks the current position.

What is not available in Wales

Some schemes you may see online do not apply here:

• Warm Homes: Local Grant is for England only.
• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers heat pumps and biomass boilers, not solar.
• The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026.
• The ECO4 scheme ends on 31 December 2026, with no successor supplier scheme.

The UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026, promises a low and zero-interest loan offer for solar panels, batteries and heat pumps. However, it has not confirmed the launch date, and it has not confirmed that the loans will apply in Wales. Treat any adverts that claim otherwise with caution.

Social tenants and the Optimised Retrofit Programme

The Optimised Retrofit Programme funds councils and housing associations to upgrade social homes, so it is not open to private owners. The 2026-27 budget is £106.75 million, and works must finish by 31 March 2027.

If you rent from a social landlord, ask your landlord about solar. In contrast, owner-occupiers should look at Nest or Green Homes Wales first.

The VAT cut helps everyone else

VAT on installing solar panels in homes is 0% from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027. After that, the 5% reduced rate applies unless the law changes. Batteries have been included since 1 February 2024, and a battery fitted with panels gets the same rate.

Domestic electricity also carries 0% VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. As a result, that lowers the bill value of each unit you avoid buying until then. Our post on how much solar panels cost in Wales shows what the cut means in pounds.

Beware of “free” offers

Some companies advertise free panels. One model is a roof lease, where the company owns the system and rents your roof space. Read the terms closely, because a lease is a legal contract with a long reach.

Most mortgage lenders require consent to any lease, including a lease of roof space for solar panels, so a lease can affect a remortgage or a sale. UK Finance’s Lenders’ Handbook sets this out for England and Wales. Check with your lender and your conveyancer before you sign, and read the section in our post on selling a house with solar panels.

The Competition and Markets Authority publishes guidance on unfair commercial practices, and it applies to solar sales. Walk away from any firm that pushes you to sign on the day.

Check the installer, even for funded work

Scheme money does not remove the need to check who does the job. Our post on MCS certification and your quote explains what to ask. Also read about the Smart Export Guarantee, because export payments can offset the cost of a paid system.

If you own your home and plan to pay for panels, you can still reduce the cost by choosing a sensible size and checking prices. Our guide to choosing an installer in Wales helps with that.

Local examples across Wales

Funding rules are national, although your area shapes your options. Households in Merthyr Tydfil, Ebbw Vale and Neath can use the same schemes. Local pages cover solar installers in Merthyr Tydfil, homes around Ebbw Vale and solar panels in Neath. Each one shows the council, the grid operator and typical output for that area.

While funding comes first for some households, when you are ready to compare prices you can request solar panel installation quotes through the Solar Cymru enquiry form. The form passes your details to MCS-certified installers, and it does not decide funding for you.