Solar funding in Scotland: a step-by-step guide

The short version

Scotland has its own home energy schemes. Home Energy Scotland runs them for the Scottish Government. As of October 2026, its Grant and Loan scheme no longer funds ordinary solar panels or batteries.

That does not mean you have no options, because you can still get free advice, check other schemes, and use the zero VAT rate and export payments. The steps below show the order to take.

Step 1: Ask Home Energy Scotland

Start with Home Energy Scotland. It offers free, impartial advice on saving energy, keeping warm and renewable energy. Its Funding Finder tool asks for your postcode and shows what may apply to you.

This is the right first call because the rules differ by nation. Our overview of solar funding routes in Scotland and our page on Home Energy Scotland give the background. Official advisers can tell you what is open today.

Step 2: Check what the grant now covers

Home Energy Scotland says funding for solar PV and battery storage stopped for people who got an application link after 6 June 2024. The Scottish Government confirmed it stopped new funding for solar PV and storage through the scheme. Before that, solar was only funded as part of a package with a heat pump or storage heaters.

The scheme still funds other things. For example, it offers grants and loans for heat pumps, insulation and high heat retention storage heaters. It also offers a loan of up to £5,000 for solar PV-T, which makes both heat and power.

Funding is first come, first served and subject to availability. However, do not start work before you have a written funding offer. As a result, check with Home Energy Scotland before you sign anything.

Step 3: Look at Warmer Homes Scotland

Warmer Homes Scotland is for people who may be in or at risk of fuel poverty. You must own your home or rent from a private landlord. You must also meet other tests, such as getting a qualifying benefit or having a household member aged 75 or over with no working heating.

The page lists a home renewables system among the measures. However, it does not name solar panels or batteries, and we could not confirm either way. Ask Home Energy Scotland whether solar is included for your home.

Completing the self-assessment form does not guarantee funding. The official body decides who qualifies. If you get benefits, our guide to solar funding if you get benefits explains which ones open which routes.

Step 4: Get your EPC ready

An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, shows how efficient your home is. In Scotland, the central register is run for the Scottish Government. You can search it by postcode or report reference number.

Not every older EPC is on the register, so you may need a new one. Meanwhile, Scotland is also reforming EPCs, which means rules can change. Check the Scottish Government’s EPC guide for the latest.

Step 5: Compare quotes and check the installer

If you decide to pay for panels yourself, get more than one quote. Our guide on how to compare solar quotes shows what to line up. Always ask for the installer’s MCS details.

For Home Energy Scotland funding, installers must be MCS certified and use MCS certified products. For this reason, learn how to check an installer is MCS certified. It takes a few minutes and it protects you.

Step 6: Plan how you will pay

You may pay from savings, or you may borrow. Although borrowing spreads the cost, if you borrow, check the lender and the total you will pay back. Our solar panel finance checklist lists the questions to ask before you sign.

Batteries cost extra, and funding for them is limited. Read our guide to solar and battery funding before you add one. Compare the cost against what you expect to use.

Step 7: Use VAT relief and export payments

As of October 2026, installing solar panels has a 0% VAT rate until 31 March 2027, and then 5%. Check GOV.UK for the latest date, and see our page on zero VAT on solar panels.

Once your panels are working, you can ask a supplier about export payments. The Smart Export Guarantee covers Great Britain, so Scottish homes can use it. You need an MCS certified installation and a meter that can record exports.

How other nations differ

Funding is devolved, so your neighbours across the border may have different help. England has its own scheme, which our guide to solar funding in England explains. In Wales, Nest is the main route, and our post on solar help for low-income homes in Wales covers it.

Therefore, never pay a deposit to a caller who says a grant is guaranteed. Real schemes go through the official bodies named above. When in doubt, call Home Energy Scotland first.