Free Solar Panels UK & Rent-a-Roof: What These Offers Actually Mean

If you have seen adverts for “free solar panels” or been approached by a company offering to install solar at no cost, here is what is actually going on. Genuinely free solar does exist — mainly through ECO4 — but it reaches a narrow set of eligible, lower-income, non-gas-heated homes, not the typical household. This page explains what happened to the rent-a-roof schemes of the 2010s, and the one thing that matters most about any offer: whether you will own the panels at the end of the process.

The FIT era: how rent-a-roof schemes worked (2010–2019)

Between 2010 and 2019, the government's Feed-in Tariff (FIT) paid households a fixed rate for every kilowatt-hour of electricity their solar panels generated — regardless of whether that electricity was used at home or exported. In the scheme's early years the generation rate for small domestic systems was around 40p/kWh, index-linked and guaranteed for 20–25 years (later tariffs for new installs fell sharply before closure).

This created a profitable model for companies: install panels on someone's roof at zero cost to the homeowner, register as the system owner, collect the government FIT generation payments for 25 years, and let the homeowner use the solar electricity for free. The company recovered its installation cost and made a profit on the FIT income.

For homeowners, the deal was: free electricity during daylight hours, no capital outlay, but no financial ownership of the scheme benefits. You could not transfer ownership of the FIT payments if you sold the property (though panel ownership and associated rights would usually transfer to the new buyer as part of the sale, with the lease obligation coming with it).

Why rent-a-roof schemes are effectively dead

The Feed-in Tariff closed to new applicants on 1 April 2019 (with limited grace periods that let already-accredited systems commission into 2020). The financial model that made rent-a-roof schemes viable disappeared with it. The replacement — the Smart Export Guarantee — only pays for electricity exported to the grid, not for total generation. SEG rates are supplier-set and modest (commonly around a few pence up to ~15p/kWh for the best widely-available tariffs), so there is no longer enough income for a company to profitably install panels for free and recoup costs over 25 years.

New rent-a-roof schemes offering free residential solar have not emerged since 2020. There is no credible business model for them under the current SEG framework.

Some commercial Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) exist where a company funds solar on a business property, keeps the SEG income, and sells the electricity to the business below grid price. This is the commercial analogue of rent-a-roof, and it can make sense for businesses with large daytime electricity demand and commercial roof space — but it is not a residential consumer product.

What “free solar” means today

When you see “free solar panels” advertised in 2026, it means one of three things:

1. ECO4 (genuinely free, but narrow)

The main route to a genuinely free residential solar installation today is ECO4, the government-mandated supplier-obligation scheme. Where it applies it funds the full installed cost and you own the panels outright — this is the real deal. But it is far narrower than “free solar” adverts imply, and it is not available to most households. Two conditions both have to be met:

• Household eligibility:someone in the home receives a qualifying means-tested benefit (such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit), or you qualify via your council's ECO4 Flex route — there is no single national income threshold; Flex criteria are set locally (many councils use a gross household income around £31,000, but this varies). The property also needs a low EPC rating (typically D or below for owner-occupiers).
• Solar is funded only as a heating measure: under Ofgem's ECO4 delivery rules solar PV is not a standalone measure. It is fundable only where the home's heating system is a heat pump, high heat retention electric storage heaters, or an electric heating system. Homes on mains gas central heating cannot get solar through ECO4, and solar is only a small share of all ECO4 measures delivered.

In short: free solar via ECO4 is real but reaches a specific minority of households — chiefly lower-income, non-gas-heated homes with a poor EPC. No cold caller can confirm your eligibility before a formal benefits/property check. ECO4 closes on 31 December 2026; its successor is the Warm Homes Plan (a £15 billion grant-funded programme from 2027). In the devolved nations there is also targeted help — for example, Home Energy Scotland offers an interest-free loan(not a grant) towards solar, and the Welsh Government's Nest scheme offers free energy-efficiency packages to eligible households (see devolved nation schemes).

2. A lease or solar finance arrangement (you do not own the panels)

Some companies offer “free installation” in exchange for a long-term lease of your roof or a solar finance agreement where they retain ownership. You get cheaper electricity from the panels while the company collects the SEG export payments and any other income. These are sometimes called solar as a service or zero-upfront installs.

These arrangements are not inherently fraudulent, but the term “free solar” is misleading when you are entering a 20–25 year financial obligation. The risks are:

• No SEG income: The panel owner collects export payments, not you. Over 20 years at £200–£400/year, that is £4,000–£8,000 you will not receive.
• Mortgage complications: Lenders increasingly scrutinise lease arrangements on properties. Remortgaging can become more complicated with a third-party lease attached to your roof.
• Sale complications: The lease obligation transfers with the property. Some buyers are put off; some solicitors flag it as a problem.
• Locked-in terms: Long lease contracts with escalating annual charges or fixed penalty clauses for early exit are common. Read the full contract carefully.

3. A scam or misleading marketing

Cold calls offering “free government solar” to anyone regardless of income are a red flag. Legitimate ECO4 installers do cold-call, but any legitimate process will involve a formal eligibility check before installation, not a “sign here and we'll be there next week” approach. Pressured sign-ups, requests for upfront cash, and vague contract terms are warning signs.

The ownership question: why it matters

The single most important question to ask about any solar offer is: who will own the panels?

• You own the panels: You can register for SEG and collect export payments yourself. You benefit fully from self-consumption savings. Selling the property transfers a clean asset. Remortgaging is straightforward.
• Company owns the panels: You get cheaper electricity during daylight hours. The company gets SEG payments and owns the asset. You carry the lease obligation and associated complications.

This distinction is not always made clear in “free solar” marketing. Ask for it in writing before agreeing to anything.

Historical FIT panels: if you already have a lease

If you bought a property with solar panels already installed under a historical FIT lease, you need to understand what you inherited. Check:

• Who holds the FIT registration (find out via Ofgem's register).
• Whether the lease is still active and who is receiving the FIT payments.
• The remaining term of the lease agreement.
• Whether you can buy out the lease (some companies allow this for a lump sum).

If the FIT registration was transferred to you when you bought the property, you may now be receiving the FIT payments yourself — check with your energy supplier.

Frequently asked questions