About Solar Panel Advice
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Solar Panel Advice exists for one reason: to give British homeowners clear, current and genuinely independent information about solar energy, so they can make a confident decision without being rushed or baffled by jargon.
Why we started
Solar is one of the larger investments a household will make, yet the buying process is too often high-pressure and confusing. Quotes vary wildly, sales tactics can be aggressive, and a surprising amount of online "advice" is years out of date — still talking about the Feed-in Tariff that closed to new applicants back in 2019, for instance. We built this website to cut through that: to explain how solar actually works, what it really costs in today's market, and how the Smart Export Guarantee pays you for surplus electricity.
What we stand for
Independence
We are not tied to a single manufacturer or installer, so our guidance is written to help you, not to push a particular product.
Accuracy
We keep our figures current — system costs, SEG rates, VAT rules and Ofgem prices all change, and we update accordingly.
Plain English
No needless jargon. Where a technical term matters, we explain it simply the first time we use it.
Honesty
We will tell you when solar is not the right choice for a particular home. Trust matters more than a sale.
How we keep our advice current
The solar market moves quickly. In just the last few years, panel prices have fallen sharply, batteries have become far more affordable, standalone storage gained 0% VAT in 2024, and export tariffs have grown from a few pence to, in the best cases, well over 30 pence per unit at peak times. We review our pages against the latest pricing data, Ofgem price-cap announcements and Smart Export Guarantee tariffs so that what you read here reflects the market as it is now, not as it was several years ago.
Who we help
Most of our visitors are homeowners weighing up whether solar makes sense for their property. Some are right at the start, wondering how panels work or whether their roof is suitable. Others are further along, comparing quotes and trying to judge a fair price or choose between fixed and agile export tariffs. We also help landlords, small businesses and the simply curious. Wherever you are in that journey, you will find a plain-English answer on this site — and if you cannot, we would like to hear about it so we can write one.
Our commitment to trust
We take the trust readers place in us seriously. We aim to reflect reputable, well-established information — from bodies such as Ofgem and the MCS scheme — and we are clear about the limits of general guidance. Solar decisions depend on your specific roof, usage and finances, so we always encourage you to obtain several quotes from MCS-certified installers and to check current figures before you commit. Our role is to make sure you walk into those conversations well informed.
How we research our guidance
Good advice rests on good sources. When we set out prices, savings figures or tariff rates, we draw on current market data and on guidance from established bodies such as Ofgem, which sets the energy price cap, and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which underpins installer accreditation and SEG eligibility. Where figures are inevitably ranges rather than single numbers — installation prices, for example, vary by roof and region — we say so, and we explain what moves the figure up or down. Our aim is for you to understand not just the number but the reasoning behind it.
The questions we hear most
Over the years certain questions come up again and again: will solar work on a typical British roof, is it worth it without the old Feed-in Tariff, how long until it pays for itself, and do I really need a battery. We have built dedicated, plain-English pages for each, and gathered the short answers together in our FAQ section. If your question is more specific to your property, that is exactly the sort of thing a quick conversation can resolve — and it costs you nothing to ask.
Looking ahead
The direction of travel is clear. Electricity from the grid remains expensive, the 0% VAT window makes installation cheaper until early 2027, export tariffs reward households that can store and shift their energy, and the technology keeps improving. For many homes, the question is no longer whether solar makes sense but how best to design a system around the way they actually live. We will keep this site updated as the market evolves so that your decision is based on today's reality.
Why independence matters in this market
The solar industry is full of good, honest installers — but like any sector built on a high-value purchase, it also attracts pushy sales operations and a fair amount of outdated or misleading information online. An independent guide such as this one has no incentive to talk up a particular brand or to gloss over the situations where solar is a poor fit. When we say a battery may not pay for a daytime-heavy household, or that an unshaded roof matters more than facing due south, we are telling you what we would want to know in your position. That is the whole point of the site.
Get in touch
Have a question we have not answered, or want help comparing quotes? We are always happy to point you in the right direction. Visit our contact page, email info@solarpaneladvice.co.uk or call 0330 223 7664. There is never any obligation, and we will not pass your details to a wall of cold-callers.
Above all, we want you to feel in control of the decision rather than rushed through it. Read as much or as little as you need, ask us anything still unclear, and proceed only when you are genuinely comfortable. That is how a major home improvement should feel.
