Guides and insights
Practical information about solar, batteries and heat pumps for UK homeowners. Updated weekly.
Do You Need DNO Permission for a Home Battery?
Home batteries need a grid connection application. What G98 and G99 mean, when approval has to come first, and how export limiting changes the answer.
Read moreSolar Panel Warranties: What Is Covered?
Product, performance, inverter and workmanship cover are four different things. How to read the warranty lines on a solar quote and what to keep.
Read moreShould You Leave a Heat Pump On All the Time?
Why heat pumps run best low and slow, what weather compensation does, and when turning it down still saves money. An honest guide to the controls.
Read moreAC or DC Coupled Battery: Which Do You Need?
The two ways a home battery wires into a solar system, what each one costs you in lost energy, and which suits a new install or a retrofit.
Read moreHow Long Does a Solar Panel Install Take?
The roof work is 2 to 3 days, but that is not the whole answer. A realistic timeline from first survey to your first export payment.
Read moreHeat Pump Installation: What Actually Happens
A 2 to 3 day job, but what happens on each of those days? A straight walkthrough of a heat pump installation, from survey to handover.
Read morekW vs kWh: How to Read a Battery Quote
Two numbers on every home battery quote, and most people only look at one. What kW and kWh each control, plus the specs quotes tend to leave out.
Read moreSolar Inverters Explained: Which One Do You Need?
String, hybrid or microinverter? What the inverter actually does, why its size matters more than you think, and how to read this part of a quote.
Read moreCan You Fit a Heat Pump in an Old House?
Victorian terrace, solid walls, no cavity to fill? An honest look at what actually decides whether a heat pump works in an older UK home.
Read more0% VAT on Home Batteries Ends in 2027
Battery storage is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, then it goes to 5%. What that's worth, what it covers, and whether it should change your timing.
Read moreCan Solar Panels Charge an Electric Car?
How much of an EV's charging solar can realistically cover, why timing matters more than total output, and what a battery adds to the equation.
Read moreCan Solar Panels Run a Heat Pump?
An honest look at running an air source heat pump on solar in the UK: what panels really cover in winter, and where the savings actually come from.
Read moreAre Home Batteries Safe? An Honest Answer
Fire risk, chemistry, and what a safe home battery installation actually looks like: a straight answer for UK homeowners considering storage.
Read moreDo You Need Planning Permission for Solar Panels?
Most home solar installs are permitted development. The rules that actually apply, the properties that are exceptions, and the approval people forget about.
Read moreWhat Size Heat Pump Do I Need?
Heat pump sizing isn't guesswork and it isn't your old boiler's kW rating. Here's how heat loss calculations work and why oversizing costs you money.
Read moreWhere Should a Home Battery Be Installed?
Garage, utility room, loft or outside wall? Where your home battery goes affects safety, performance and cost. A practical guide for UK homeowners.
Read moreDo You Need a New Roof Before Solar Panels?
Solar panels last 25+ years, so roof condition matters. When a roof needs work first, when it doesn't, and what installers actually check.
Read moreWill a Heat Pump Give You Enough Hot Water?
Heat pumps heat water differently to a boiler. Here's what changes: cylinder size, water temperature, reheat times, and whether you'll ever run out.
Read moreHow Long Do Home Batteries Last?
Home batteries are warrantied for around 10 years but usually last longer. Here's what cycles, chemistry and degradation actually mean for UK homeowners.
Read moreDo Solar Panels Work in the Shade?
Chimneys, trees and neighbouring roofs don't rule out solar. How shading actually affects output, and when optimisers are worth paying for.
Read moreDo Heat Pumps Work in Cold Weather?
Yes: air source heat pumps keep working in UK winters and even hard frosts. Here's how they cope with the cold and what actually affects performance.
Read moreWhat Size Home Battery Do I Need? A UK Guide
Bigger isn't always better with battery storage. Here's how to size a home battery around your actual usage, and why oversizing wastes money.
Read moreSolar Panel Roof Orientation: East, West or South?
Which way should your roof face for solar panels? How south, east-west and even north-facing roofs perform, and what it means for your system design.
Read moreDo You Need Planning Permission for a Heat Pump?
A clear guide to UK heat pump planning permission, noise limits and listed building rules in 2026: what's changed and what it means for your install.
Read moreWill a Home Battery Keep the Power on in a Cut?
Home batteries are sold on savings, but they can also keep your lights on in a power cut, if the system is specced for it. Here's what actually works.
Read moreEnergy Price Cap Up 13%: What It Means for Solar
Ofgem's July 2026 price cap rise makes grid electricity more expensive. Here's how that changes the maths on solar panel payback times.
Read moreDo Heat Pumps Need Bigger Radiators?
The honest answer to whether your radiators need replacing for a heat pump: when they're fine, when they need upgrading, and what it costs.
Read moreCan You Add a Battery to Existing Solar Panels?
Got solar panels but no battery? Here's how retrofitting battery storage actually works, what it costs, and when it makes sense.
Read moreWhy Get Solar in 2026? Prices, Payback and What's Changed
Panel prices are at historic lows, electricity isn't, and payback has dropped to 5–8 years. Here's the honest case for installing solar in 2026.
Read moreHow Many Solar Panels Do I Need? A UK Sizing Guide
8 panels or 16? How installers actually size a solar system: roof space, electricity usage, aspect and budget, with typical numbers for UK homes.
Read moreThe Best Air Source Heat Pumps in 2026 (UK Guide)
Vaillant, Worcester Bosch or Ideal? What actually separates the best air source heat pumps in 2026: efficiency, noise, warranties and real-world fit.
Read moreBest Home Battery Storage 2026: SigenStor vs Powerwall vs FoxESS
The three home batteries we're asked about most in 2026, compared honestly: capacity, expandability, backup power and value.
Read moreDo Solar Panels Work in North West England's Weather?
Manchester gets more rain than Rome, and solar still pays. What grey skies, rain and northern latitude actually do to solar generation in the North West.
Read moreHow Much Do Solar Panels Cost in the UK in 2026?
Real installed prices for solar in 2026: what a 4kWp system costs, what moves the price up or down, and how to compare quotes properly.
Read moreThe £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme Explained (2026)
Who qualifies for the BUS heat pump grant, why oil and LPG homes get £9,000, and exactly how the money reaches you (spoiler: you never touch it).
Read moreHeat Pump Running Costs: What You'll Actually Pay
Gas boiler vs air source heat pump running costs compared honestly: efficiency, tariffs, and the numbers that decide whether a heat pump saves you money.
Read moreSolar + Battery vs Battery-Only: Which Makes Sense for Your Home?
You don't need solar panels to benefit from a home battery. Here's how the two setups compare in 2026, and how to tell which one fits your home.
Read moreSmart Export Guarantee: How to Get Paid for Your Solar Power
The SEG pays you for every unit of solar power you export. Here's how it works in 2026, what rates to expect, and how to squeeze the most from it.
Read moreSolar Panel Maintenance: What It Actually Involves (Very Little)
Do solar panels need cleaning? Servicing? What breaks and when? An honest guide to maintaining a solar PV system over its 25-year life.
Read more7 Heat Pump Myths That Need to Die in 2026
They don't work in the cold, they're noisy, you need underfloor heating: the most persistent heat pump myths, tested against how the technology actually performs.
Read moreSmart Tariffs + Battery Storage: How Cheap Overnight Power Works
Time-of-use tariffs can halve the cost of the electricity you use, if you have a battery to catch the cheap hours. How tariff arbitrage works in practice.
Read moreDo Solar Panels Add Value to Your Home?
EPC ratings, buyer expectations and sale prices: what solar panels, batteries and heat pumps actually do to your home's value in 2026.
Read moreBattery Storage: What You Need to Know Before Buying
A battery does not just store energy. It changes how your whole home interacts with the grid. Here is what that means in practice.
Read moreAir Source Heat Pumps: The Complete Guide for UK Homeowners
An ASHP is not a direct boiler replacement that works the same way. Understanding how it works differently is key to knowing whether one is right for your home.
Read moreReady to get a quote?
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