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Expert guides, tips and answers on solar panels, heat pumps, boilers, EV chargers and government grants. Browse by product or content type to find costs, eligibility and installation advice.
How the government's Warm Homes Loan Scheme cuts the cost of borrowing for solar panels, who can get a Warm Homes Loan, and how it compares with other ways to pay for solar.
Read moreThe Budget kept the heat pump grant, added a £100 energy payment and plans to scrap gas standing charges. What it means for your home.
Read moreUpdate: the 28 October Budget kept the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, still £7,500, or £9,000 for oil and LPG homes. Reports had said ministers might cut it to help pay for defence. Here is why we argued against a cut, and what it means if you are planning a heat pump.
Read moreUK rain keeps most solar panels clean enough. Here is when a clean is worth it, who should do it and the checks that matter more.
Read moreFrom 1 October 2026 there is no VAT on household electricity in England, Scotland and Wales, now until 30 June 2027 after the Budget extended it. Gas, oil and LPG keep their 5%. What it changes for heat pumps, EVs, solar and electric heating.
Read moreAbout 7,500 households applied for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in August 2026, its second-best month, and a record 3,238 air-to-water vouchers were paid out.
Read moreOfgem's cap rises 4% to £1,723 from 1 October. Gas is up 8.7% while VAT-free electricity holds broadly flat, and that gap matters.
Read moreSMMT figures show 28,063 battery electric cars registered in August 2026, up 27.7% year on year, while the £500 chargepoint grant runs to March 2027.
Read moreWhat a park home costs to heat depends on your fuel and your build year. Here are the numbers for each, and what actually moves them.
Read moreHow much does a heat pump cost for a park home? Nothing for eligible homes: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant covers the whole installation until 31 March 2027. Here is how that works.
Read moreAre solar panels worth it in 2026? With the UK's sunniest year on record and electricity capped at 26.11p a unit, here is what actually drives the solar sum for a home.
Read moreOfgem's Year 5 Smart Export Guarantee report shows £56.97m paid for 443 GWh of exported solar, with 270,000 installations registered. What the numbers mean if you are fitting panels now.
Read moreCommon questions about home battery storage in the UK: cost, off-peak tariffs, backup power, retrofitting to existing solar, installation, and battery lifespan.
Read moreNo. Gas boilers are not banned for existing homes in 2026, and the old 2035 phase-out date has gone. Here is what changed in the Warm Homes Plan, what applies to new builds from 2027, and what it means if yours fails this winter.
Read moreA proper gas boiler service takes 30 to 60 minutes, costs around £80 to £120, and keeps your warranty alive. Here is what a good engineer actually checks, and what to do when the verdict is replace, not repair.
Read moreA smart EV charger can follow your solar curve and charge the car from surplus generation. Here is how much range a typical UK array adds in summer, and what you need installed.
Read moreA standard home EV charger install takes about half a day on site. Here is the step-by-step from arrival to NAPIT sign-off, DNO notification, and your first scheduled charge.
Read moreMost UK solar installs run from accepted quote to live generation in around one week. Here is what happens at each stage, including DNO notification, scaffolding, and MCS sign-off.
Read moreThe Smart Export Guarantee pays you for solar you export to the grid. Here is who qualifies, typical rates, how export meters work, and how a battery changes what you sell.
Read moreFrom 28 April 2026, BUS no longer requires an EPC, runs to 2030, puts MCS certification on a statutory footing, and adds a £2,500 grant tier for air-to-air heat pumps. What matters if you are booking an air-to-water install.
Read moreCharging at home is usually the cheapest way to run an EV in the UK. Here is how 7.4 kW home charging compares to public rates, flat tariffs, and smart off-peak plans.
Read moreA modern condensing boiler heating a typical three-bedroom UK home costs roughly £900 to £1,200 a year in gas, before you count the standing charge. Insulation and boiler age move the figure more than brand choice.
Read moreHeat pumps run at lower flow temperatures than gas boilers, so some rooms need larger radiators or extra panel area. Here is how emitter sizing works and what the MCS survey checks room by room.
Read moreModern R290 heat pumps run at roughly 25-38 dB(A) at three metres on low load. Here is how that compares to everyday noise, what MCS 020 tests at the neighbour's window, and how installers keep complaints rare.
Read moreModern air source heat pumps need less day-to-day attention than boilers, but filters, outdoor clearance, and an annual service keep efficiency and warranty valid. Here is a practical UK homeowner checklist.
Read moreInsulation, outdoor space, radiators, and cylinder room all decide whether a heat pump will run efficiently. Here is how to judge your property before you book a survey.
Read moreBoiler size is about hot water flow and heat loss, not bedroom count. Here is how combi kW, mains flow rate, and radiator load decide the right output for your home.
Read moreWhat happens when a heat pump is installed in a UK home: the survey, where the unit goes, what changes indoors and how long it takes.
Read moreYou can retrofit a home battery to most existing solar arrays without changing the panels. Here is how AC and hybrid routes work, what the install involves, and when a retrofit pays back.
Read moreMost boilers last 10 to 15 years. Here is how to tell when repair costs are chasing replacement, what to watch for before a winter breakdown, and how to plan the swap on your terms.
Read moreSince 28 May 2026, MCS 020 a) is the only certification scheme accepted under England's permitted development rules for heat pumps. What MCS stands for, how the noise assessment works, and where solar fits in.
Read moreBUS, OZEV, ECO4, SEG and 0% VAT explained for UK homeowners in 2026, with deadlines, eligibility, and what's changing next.
Read moreCommon questions about air source heat pumps in UK homes: cost, grants, finance, installation, performance, and suitability.
Read moreThe UK crossed 2,003,000 solar installations at the end of March 2026, with 27,607 added in March alone, the strongest month for residential solar since 2012.
Read moreA modern air source heat pump in a well-insulated UK home costs roughly £700 to £1,000 a year to run, with insulation as the biggest lever.
Read moreCommon questions about home solar panels and battery storage in the UK: cost, grants, finance, installation, sizing, and how SEG payments work.
Read moreThe UK public EV charging network reached 120,388 chargers at the end of April 2026, up roughly 13% year on year and easier than ever to rely on between home top-ups.
Read moreReplacing a boiler this year? Here's what to look for, what UKEM installs, what's involved on the day, and how the cost actually breaks down.
Read moreCommon questions about UK home energy grants: BUS, Park Home Grants, OZEV, ECO4, Warm Homes Plan, 0% VAT, and the Smart Export Guarantee.
Read moreSince 21 July 2026 the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has paid £9,000 toward a heat pump for off-gas-grid homes replacing oil or LPG heating. The uplift ends 31 March 2027.
Read moreWho qualifies for the OZEV grant, what you need at home, the install process, and how to choose between tethered and untethered.
Read moreCommon questions about new gas boilers in UK homes: cost, finance, installation, warranty, sizing, and choosing the right boiler type.
Read moreAn extra £100m for solar on social housing and £40m for 100 more schools, announced on 21 April 2026. Here's what it funds, and what it means for private homeowners.
Read moreA battery is worth it if you export a lot in the day and use a lot in the evening. Here is the maths, the sizing, and when to wait.
Read moreCommon questions about home EV charger installation in the UK: cost, OZEV grant, smart charging, install timing, and choosing your charger.
Read morePlug-in solar panels became legal to self-install on 27 August 2026 under SI 2026/848. The 800W rules, who the kits suit, and when rooftop solar is still the better buy.
Read moreWhat 'smart' actually means under UK law, which features save you money, and how Ohme and Tesla Wall Connector compare.
Read moreCommon questions about paying monthly for solar, battery storage, heat pumps and boilers: 9.9%APR Representative, 0% interest free credit, deposits, early settlement and moving home.
Read morePart L 2026 was published in March and comes into force on 24 March 2027. Every new home in England will need solar PV worth 40% of its ground-floor area and low-carbon heating.
Read moreCombi for one-bathroom homes, system for busier ones, regular if your home is already configured for it. Here's the cleaner version of why.
Read moreThe Warm Homes Plan is open now. What it funds, who qualifies, and how it sits alongside the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, 0% VAT, and the closing ECO4 scheme.
Read moreA 4 kWp system covers an average UK home. Here is how to size against your actual bill, plus what changes if you add an EV or a heat pump.
Read moreMCS confirms 250,000 certified heat pumps have now been installed in UK homes, with 2025 up 34 percent on 2024 and the BUS grant funding 43 percent of last year's installs.
Read moreA side-by-side look at heat pumps and gas boilers across cost, comfort, hot water, lifespan, noise, and grants for UK homes in 2026.
Read moreAlmost 20,000 home batteries were certified in H1 2025, up 130% on the same period in 2024, with May setting a single-month record of 3,400 installs.
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