Whether you’re considering solar panels, already have them, or are curious about home batteries, we’re here to help you make smarter energy choices.
Straight answers. No jargon. No unnecessary spending.
Already have solar? Start here ↓ Explore home batteries ↓Tap a question to read the advice. When you’ve completed the check, tick the separate box at the bottom of that question.
Check the property purchase documents for details of the solar installation.
Look for a roof lease or agreement with a third-party solar company. If there is one, check who is responsible for maintenance and what happens when the property is sold.
If you cannot establish ownership, ask your conveyancer or solicitor before signing any new agreement.
Look for the installation handover pack, electrical certificates, warranties and inverter manual.
Check for a system diagram, installer contact details, monitoring-app login and any MCS certificate, if one was issued.
If documents are missing, photograph the inverter model label from a safe position and ask the installer, developer or previous owner for copies.
In daylight, check the inverter display or manufacturer’s app for current power or energy generated today.
A low reading in cloudy weather or at dawn and dusk can be normal. Compare similar days rather than judging from one reading.
If there is a persistent fault message or no generation in good daylight, contact the installer or a qualified solar electrician. Do not open electrical covers.
Check your electricity bill and supplier account for an export tariff or Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) arrangement.
For an older installation, ask whether it has an existing Feed-in Tariff (FIT) registration and who receives those payments. FIT is closed to new applicants.
Export payments are not automatic. Your supplier can explain eligibility, metering and the application process; existing FIT arrangements may have different rules.
Check the monitoring app to see when your panels usually generate most electricity.
Where convenient, shift suitable electricity use into daylight hours, such as a dishwasher cycle when someone is home.
Do not assume a battery will save money: its value depends on usage, tariffs, installation costs and export payments. Never leave appliances running unattended just to use solar.
From ground level, look for obvious damage, unusual debris or shading. Never climb onto the roof.
Check the inverter or app for repeated error messages and follow the manufacturer’s user instructions.
For damage, electrical concerns or persistent faults, contact a qualified professional. Routine paid cleaning or annual servicing is not automatically necessary for every system.
A battery can store cheap overnight electricity, surplus solar electricity, or both. But the savings depend on how and when your home uses power.
We're checking the figures against real household electricity usage before we release the calculator. We'd rather give you a useful answer than an impressive-looking guess.
When it launches, it'll answer three questions:
In the meantime, read our free guide below on batteries without solar.
Not every solar problem needs a call-out. See what you can safely check yourself, and when it makes sense to contact a qualified professional.
Read the free advice →Find out who owns the panels, whether they're working, what paperwork you need and how export payments work.
Read the six-step guide →Seven simple, safe checks to help you tell normal low generation from a problem worth investigating.
Read the seven checks →Seven straightforward steps to understand export payments, older FIT arrangements and how to compare tariffs.
Read the export payment guide →Start here if you're buying solar, already have panels, or are weighing up a home battery. No technical degree required.
1. Your roof: Ask about orientation, shading, condition and whether any roof repairs should happen first.
2. Your electricity use: Look at your annual kWh consumption, not just your bill in pounds.
3. The quote: Get the system size in kWp, estimated annual generation in kWh, equipment details, warranties and a fully itemised installed price.
4. The savings: Separate electricity used at home from electricity exported. Don't count the same unit twice.
5. The paperwork: Ask who handles permissions, grid notifications and handover documents. Compare more than one quote.
Our view: If the figures are unclear or the salesperson is rushing you, don't sign yet.
It can. You charge during cheaper hours and use the stored electricity when your tariff is more expensive.
But check the usable capacity, how much electricity you actually use at expensive times, charging losses, cheap-rate hours, installation costs and warranty.
For example, supplying 8 kWh from a battery with 90% round-trip efficiency requires about 8.89 kWh of charging electricity (8 ÷ 0.90). The difference is lost as heat and through conversion.
Our view: A battery is not automatically a bargain just because your overnight rate is low.
First compare similar seasons and weather. A cloudy winter day isn't a fair comparison with a sunny summer day.
Check your monitoring app or inverter for errors, look for new shading, and compare with previous periods if you have records.
Don't open electrical equipment or climb onto the roof. If you see persistent faults, damage or unexplained loss of output, contact a suitably qualified professional.
Our view: Don't pay for cleaning or replacement equipment before you've identified the likely cause.
Export payments are generally for eligible electricity sent to the grid, not electricity you use at home. The rate and eligibility depend on your agreement.
If you store surplus solar instead of exporting it, you may avoid buying electricity later — but you may also give up an export payment. Both matter when calculating battery savings.
Check your supplier's current terms, your export meter readings and any applicable eligibility requirements before assuming a rate.
Newer isn't always better for your wallet. Explore the options, compare costs and check whether an upgrade is likely to pay for itself.
Store spare solar electricity for later, or charge from a cheaper off-peak tariff. Savings depend on your usage, export payments and tariff.
Installed prices vary with capacity, electrical work and the equipment you already have. Compare itemised quotes rather than relying on a headline price.
If your inverter works properly, replacing it solely for newer features may not pay back. Compare repair, replacement, warranty and compatibility before deciding.
Get a qualified solar professional to assess faults. Don't open electrical equipment yourself.
More efficient panels do not automatically justify replacing working ones. Compare extra yearly generation with the full installation cost, roof work, warranties and existing tariff arrangements.
Adding panels may be more sensible than replacing them, where the roof and electrical system allow.
Better monitoring can help you spot faults and understand your usage. A solar-aware EV charger may shift charging into sunny periods.
Check compatibility and the real benefit before paying for new equipment.
Enter your own estimated annual net saving (after any lost export income and extra running costs). This simple calculation is not a quotation or guarantee.
Enter both figures to see a simple payback estimate.
Payback = installed cost ÷ annual net saving. This ignores future tariff changes, financing, degradation and replacement costs. If your savings are uncertain, obtain a tailored estimate before buying.
Our goal is to help you make a sensible decision — even when that means you don't need to spend anything.
More simple homeowner guides are being prepared.
A question-submission feature is planned, but isn't available yet.
A local installer and engineer directory is planned for a future stage.
General information only. Savings and suitability depend on your home, equipment and tariff. Check current terms and obtain qualified advice where appropriate.