Solar grants and 0% VAT in West Yorkshire: what you can really get
Every home gets 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Lower-income homes may get the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Most households will get no cash grant, and anyone saying otherwise deserves a second look. Checked on 6 November 2026, council by council.
Three schemes open whatever you earn
0%
Until 31 March 2027
VAT on solar panels and batteries
Panels, home batteries (with or without solar) and the fitting carry no VAT in Great Britain until 31 March 2027. The rate becomes 5% on 1 April 2027, confirmed in the Budget on 28 October 2026. It comes off every quote automatically, so there is nothing to claim. The invoice date decides the rate, so the job has to be fitted and invoiced by the deadline, and a deposit will not hold the rate for the balance.
- Who
- Any home. Businesses do not get it.
- Source
- GOV.UK VAT notice 708/6
8p+
Ongoing
Smart Export Guarantee
Bigger licensed suppliers have to pay you for the electricity you send to the grid, at a rate Ofgem only says must stay above zero. Smart Export Guarantee rates vary by supplier; many pay 4p to 15p a unit. The calculator assumes 8p. Think of it as income rather than a grant. The survey is a good moment to talk through which tariff suits your set-up.
- Who
- Homes with an MCS-certified solar system.
- Source
- Ofgem on the SEG
Loan
Launched October 2026
Warm Homes Loan Scheme
A government scheme, and a loan, so whatever you borrow gets paid back. It runs to £15,000 for solar panels and £15,000 for a battery, with no income test. The government pays participating lenders a grant of up to 20% of the loan, which they must pass on as a lower interest rate. You apply to a lender, who runs credit and affordability checks, and an MCS-certified installer has to do the work. We do not arrange these loans.
- Who
- Owner-occupiers and private landlords in the UK. Renters cannot apply.
When free solar is real
£36k
England, 2025 to 2028
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Government money that councils spend on insulation, heat pumps and solar panels, with the household paying nothing. Solar is one possible measure, and a survey decides what gets done. You usually need a household income of £36,000 or less, a means-tested benefit or a selected postcode, and the home needs an EPC of D, E, F or G. Owner-occupiers and private tenants qualify, and landlords pay a share. On the GOV.UK list for West Yorkshire: Leeds City Council £5.96 million, Bradford Council £6.33 million, Wakefield Council £1.5 million, Calderdale Council £3.2 million. Kirklees Council (Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley) is missing from it, so ask the council. In Leeds, Sustainable Building Services and Groundwork Yorkshire do the delivery, and the council says its scheme is oversubscribed with a waiting list (as of 6 November 2026). Councils appoint their own installers, so this is one we cannot book. If you look eligible when we talk, we will tell you and point you at the council.
- Who
- England only, with income and EPC tests.
ECO4
Closes 31 Dec 2026
Energy Company Obligation
Paid for by the energy suppliers and aimed at households on qualifying benefits. Most of it goes on insulation and heating, and solar only gets in some of the time. It has had one extension and its last day is 31 December 2026. After that date it is closed, with no successor obligation to replace it, and support moves to the Warm Homes Plan. If the date is still ahead of you and you are on a qualifying benefit, ask your energy supplier now.
- Who
- Mainly households on qualifying benefits.
Warm Homes: Local Grant, council by council, as of 6 November 2026
- Leeds City Council
- £5.96 million allocated. Delivered by Sustainable Building Services and Groundwork Yorkshire. Household income under £36,000 or income-related benefits, or selected postcodes, and an EPC of D to G. Leeds says it is oversubscribed, with a waiting list. Council website
- Bradford Council
- £6.33 million allocated. The council approved its Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme in June 2025 at the full allocated value. Council website
- Wakefield Council
- £1.5 million allocated. Listed on the GOV.UK allocation with £1,499,667. Check the council for whether applications are open. Council website
- Calderdale Council
- £3.2 million allocated. Listed on the GOV.UK allocation with £3,206,150. Check the council for whether applications are open. Council website
- Kirklees Council
- Not listed. Kirklees does not appear on the GOV.UK list of successful local authorities. Check with the council before counting on it. Council website
Source: GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant successful local authorities, last updated 2 July 2026. An allocation is no promise that applications are open, so read the council’s page.
Chargepoint grants, for some homes and many workplaces
£500
Until 31 March 2027
EV chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
Covers 75% of the cost of one socket, supply and fitting, capped at £500 (the cap rose from £350 on 1 April 2026). The rules ask that you rent your home or own a flat, with a private off-street parking space to use. Owners of a house with a driveway do not qualify. You apply before any work starts, because the charger must not go in until OZEV confirms you are eligible, and the quote has to come from an OZEV-authorised installer. Ask us whether that works for your job before you count on it.
- Who
- People renting or owning a flat, with off-street parking.
£500
Until 31 March 2027
Landlord and workplace chargepoint grants
A landlord can get 75% up to £500 per socket, on up to 200 sockets a year. The Workplace Charging Scheme pays 75% up to £500 per socket, on up to 40 sockets, for businesses, charities and public bodies with their own staff or fleet parking. An OZEV-authorised installer has to make the claim, so check with us before you count on it. Put a workplace charger under a commercial solar roof and the vans can fill up on daytime generation.
- Who
- Landlords, firms, charities and public bodies.
What people ask us about grants
Figures as of 6 November 2026. For more detail by council, read the grants guide. The VAT deadline page explains the one saving that reaches every home.
Are there solar panel grants in Leeds in 2026?
Which West Yorkshire councils have Warm Homes: Local Grant funding?
Do free solar panels really exist?
Do I get 0% VAT on a battery without solar?
Will you apply for the grants for me?
What changes on 1 April 2027?
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