The questions Hampshire homeowners ask us most.

Yes, completely. It costs you nothing. We’re paid by the installers we match you with, not by homeowners. They pay to be introduced to real people who are genuinely looking at solar, and we make sure only trusted local installers get in front of you. No catch, no hidden fees.

Every installer on our books is checked before we let them near a homeowner. Accredited, properly insured, real customer reviews, actual base in Hampshire or the South. We speak to them, look at their work, and if anything feels off we pass. If you ever get a bad experience with an installer we’ve matched you with, tell us. We take it seriously and it shapes who stays as a trusted installer on our site.

No, there’s no obligation at all. Get the quotes, take your time, compare, and if none of them feel right you can walk away. We’d genuinely rather you didn’t install solar than end up with a system you regret.

Usually two or three. Enough to compare properly, not so many that you’re swamped with calls. We’d rather match you with a handful of really good installers than a dozen mediocre ones.

Yes, no problem. Quotes are usually valid for around 90 days, though prices for kit like batteries and inverters can shift a bit over longer periods. There’s no pressure to commit on any timescale. If a quote expires just let the installer know and they’ll refresh it.

For a typical Hampshire home, panels only tend to run around £5,000 to £8,000. Add a battery and you’re looking at more like £8,000 to £14,000. It depends on your roof size, how many panels you need, and the kit each installer uses. Your quotes will spell it all out.

Most Hampshire homeowners save somewhere between £850 and £1,200 a year, based on figures from the Energy Saving Trust and the Federation of Master Builders. It depends heavily on how much energy you use, when you use it, and whether you have a battery. Bigger savings tend to come from homes with a battery on a time-of-use tariff.

Typically 8 to 12 years for panels only, a bit longer with a battery. Payback speeds up if energy prices rise or if you switch to a smart tariff like Octopus Go or Intelligent. Panels last 25 years or more, so most people are on effectively free electricity for a decade or more after payback.

Yes, until at least March 2027. The government cut VAT to zero on solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and other energy-saving materials for domestic installs. Your installer will apply it on your quote automatically.

Better than most of the country, actually. Hampshire sits in the top third for annual sunshine in the UK, similar to Sussex, Kent and parts of the South West. A well-sited system in Hampshire typically produces around 950 to 1,050 kWh per kW of panels per year, compared to closer to 800 to 900 in Scotland and Northern England. Not Spanish-summer levels, but genuinely productive.

Not always. Batteries make the biggest difference for homes that use most of their electricity in the evenings, or if you’re on a time-of-use tariff like Octopus Go or Cosy. If you’re home during the day and running most appliances then, a battery matters less. A good installer will look at your usage before recommending one, rather than upselling by default.

Yes, and a lot of homeowners do exactly that. Panels first, battery later once you’ve seen your actual generation and usage patterns. Worth telling your installer up front though so they can pick an inverter that plays well with a battery down the line. AC-coupled setups are easier to retrofit, hybrid inverters are neater if you know you’re adding one within a couple of years.

Still worth doing. East- or west-facing roofs typically produce around 80% of what a south-facing roof would, and some homeowners actually prefer the spread of generation across the day. Even north-facing roofs can work in some cases, though the return isn’t as good. Your quotes will tell you what to expect for your specific setup.

Yes to both. Panels work off daylight, not just direct sunshine. On a heavily overcast day you’ll still get around 10 to 25% of your peak output. Winter production is lower because the days are shorter and the sun sits lower in the sky, roughly 20 to 30% of what you’d get in June. Annually it all averages out and the numbers people quote for savings already account for that.

Most modern panels come with a 25-year performance warranty and often last well beyond that. After 25 years they’re still producing around 85% of their original output. Inverters usually need replacing once during that time, typically after 10 to 15 years.

A decent install comes with a stack of warranties, not just one. Typically: 25 years on panel performance (output stays above around 85% of original), 10 to 25 years on the panel product itself depending on the brand, 10 to 12 years on the inverter (some brands like SolarEdge and Enphase go to 25), around 10 years on batteries, and a workmanship warranty from the installer covering the roof and cabling work (usually 5 to 10 years). MCS-accredited installers also have to offer an insurance-backed guarantee on top.

This is exactly what the insurance-backed guarantee is for. Every MCS-accredited installer has to offer one, and it means if the company folds, an independent insurer takes over the workmanship side of the warranty. Product warranties on the panels, inverter and battery sit directly with the manufacturers so they’re unaffected either way. You’re covered on both fronts.

For most Hampshire homes, no. Solar panels are usually classed as permitted development. The main exceptions are listed buildings, homes in conservation areas, and installations that would sit forward of the front of the house. If you’re not sure, mention it on the form and any decent installer will flag it before quoting.

A typical panels-only install takes one day. Add a battery and it’s usually one and a half to two days. You don’t need to take time off work as long as someone can let the installer in and there’s access to your loft or plant room. Scaffolding usually goes up the day before.

Yes, it’s called the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Every energy supplier has to offer a rate for the electricity you export, and rates vary a lot. Octopus, EDF and E.ON tend to offer the best. Your installer can walk you through which tariff makes sense once your system’s live.

The panels stay. Solar tends to add value rather than complicate a sale, though you’ll want to make sure the paperwork (MCS certificate, warranty documents, DNO approval) is easy to hand over. Some homeowners include the system explicitly in the sale listing as a selling point.