Last reviewed: , against the Welsh Government's Nest pages, Ofgem and HMRC VAT Notice 708/6. Nest decides eligibility, not this page.
What a Welsh home can get for solar
Nest
Free, if you qualify
Panels as part of a package, for households meeting its income and EPC tests.
VAT on installation
0%
Panels and batteries, until 31 March 2027. 5% from 1 April 2027.
Smart Export Guarantee
Above zero
Each supplier sets its own export rate; Ofgem's rule is that it must be above zero.
Nest: free solar panels for households that qualify
Nest is the Welsh Government's scheme. It “can confirm if you are eligible for a package of free home energy improvements”, and the Welsh Government lists a heat pump, insulation and solar panels among them. A whole-house assessment decides what your home gets, so panels come as part of a package and are not guaranteed.
Who qualifies
- You own or privately rent the home, not a council or housing association home
- You receive a means-tested benefit, or live in a low-income household
- The home is rated EPC 54 (E) or less, or 68 (D) or less where someone in the household has an eligible health condition
- Without an eligible condition, a D-rated home goes on a reserve list
How you apply
- Ring Nest free on 0808 808 2244, or request a callback at gethomeenergyadvice.service.gov.wales
- If you are eligible, Nest arranges an assessor to visit and builds a package for your home
- A landlord does not apply for a let home: a private tenant can, because Nest covers private tenants
The Welsh Government's own figures (FOI ATISN 27236, 13 August 2026) say that, provisionally, Nest fitted improvements “including central heating systems, boilers, insulation, solar panels, and air source heat pumps” to 1,437 households between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.
The GB schemes in Wales
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not fund panels
It runs in Wales, but it funds heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only
Sites that quote it to Welsh readers are describing an English scheme. In Wales, Nest is the free-improvements route.
ECO4 runs in Wales until the end of 2026
It is funded by energy suppliers, has no set grant value, and every installation must be completed by 31 December 2026. What a supplier will fund varies, so ask before assuming it covers panels. ECO4
0% VAT on solar panels in Wales
HMRC's VAT Notice 708/6 says: “A zero rate applies to the installation of certain specified energy-saving materials from 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027.” It covers “Photovoltaic (PV) panels with cabling, control panel and AC/DC inverter”, and since 1 February 2024 batteries for storing the electricity. From 1 April 2027 the rate reverts to 5%. It is applied on the installer's invoice; there is no form and no eligibility test. For what a system costs, see solar panel costs.
Getting paid for the electricity you export
Wales is in Great Britain, so the Smart Export Guarantee applies: Ofgem's rule is that “Installations must be located in Great Britain”, and that “SEG tariff rates must always be above zero.” Each supplier sets its own rate, so compare them before you sign. The Smart Export Guarantee in full
A loan rather than a grant
The UK government's Warm Homes Loan Scheme covers Wales. Its Scheme Rules (September 2026) cap a solar PV loan at £15,000, and require an MCS-certified product fitted by an MCS-certified installer.
It is a loan through participating lenders, not a grant. As at 18 September 2026 no lender had been publicly named, so there may be nothing to apply for yet.
Common questions
Can I get free solar panels in Wales?▾
Some households can, through Nest, the Welsh Government's scheme. It offers a package of free home energy improvements, and the Welsh Government lists solar panels among them alongside heat pumps and insulation. You must own or privately rent the home, receive a means-tested benefit or live in a low-income household, and the home must be rated EPC 54 (E) or less, or 68 (D) or less where someone in the household has an eligible health condition. A whole-house assessment decides what is fitted, so panels are not guaranteed. Ring Nest free on 0808 808 2244.
Is there a Welsh Government grant for solar panels?▾
Not a stand-alone one. Nest is the Welsh Government's route, and solar panels are one of the improvements it can fit as part of a free package for households that meet its tests. A homeowner outside those tests pays for panels, with 0% VAT on the installation until 31 March 2027.
Is there VAT on solar panels in Wales?▾
Not until 31 March 2027. HMRC's VAT Notice 708/6 zero-rates the installation of solar panels, and batteries for storing the electricity, from 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027 across the UK. From 1 April 2027 the rate reverts to 5%. It comes off the installer's invoice; there is nothing to apply for.
Does the Smart Export Guarantee apply in Wales?▾
Yes. Ofgem says "Installations must be located in Great Britain", and Wales is in Great Britain. Your supplier, or another SEG supplier, pays for the electricity you export at its own rate, and Ofgem's rule is that "SEG tariff rates must always be above zero."
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pay for solar panels?▾
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which does run in Wales, funds heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers. It does not fund solar panels.
Paying for panels yourself?
If Nest is not your route, Energy Pages passes your enquiry to one MCS-certified solar installer covering your part of Wales.
One matched installer will pick up the enquiry. No obligation, no pressure.
Sources
- Welsh Government — Get free home energy efficiency improvements (Nest) and its eligibility page (read 26 October 2026)
- Welsh Government, FOI ATISN 27236 (13 August 2026), Nest delivery 2025–26, as recorded in the Energy Pages scheme register
- Ofgem — Smart Export Guarantee (read 26 October 2026)
- HMRC — VAT Notice 708/6 (read 22 October 2026)
- DESNZ — Warm Homes Loan Scheme: Scheme Rules (September 2026)
Other Welsh energy help
Wales
All Welsh energy grants
Nest, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and ECO4 in Wales.
Read guide →Every UK nation
Heat pump grants
What Wales pays towards a heat pump, beside the other nations.
Read guide →UK-wide
Solar panel grants across the UK
The routes nation by nation, and where each one stops.
Read guide →Independent information
Energy Pages is an independent information service, not the Welsh Government, Nest, Ofgem, HMRC or an installer. Every quotation here is taken from the source listed above. Nest's tests, export rates and the VAT position change, so confirm the current position at source before you sign for an installation.