Questions
North Wales solar grant questions, answered briefly
Fifteen common questions from North Wales households, each answered in a few lines. The full pages behind them carry the detail and the sources.
In brief
The short version: no general solar grant in Wales; Nest for eligible low-income homes; the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for heat pumps; the loan scheme for owners; 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 and export payments for everyone.
Checked at source on 3 November 2026 · An independent guide from SEO-DONS LTD, not the Welsh Government, Nest or a council
Before the list
Three things that explain most of the answers
Wales isn't England. English council grants don't apply here; Nest is the Welsh route. See solar panel grants in Wales.
"Grant" gets stretched. Loans, VAT relief and export payments are real but aren't grants. See export payments and VAT.
North Wales is two places. The west has far more oil and LPG homes than the east, which changes the heat pump question. See the six council areas.
The questions
Are there solar panel grants in North Wales?
Not for most homes. Warm Homes Nest, the Welsh Government scheme, can include rooftop solar for eligible low-income owners and private tenants. There is no general solar grant in Wales.
Does my council run a solar grant?
In Wales, low-income home energy support is run nationally through Nest. The council-run Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only.
Who can get Nest?
Households with a means-tested benefit in homes rated E to G, or with a qualifying health condition and income below thresholds in homes rated D or lower. Owners and private tenants only.
What does Nest fit?
Packages designed for each home, which can include heating, insulation, heat pumps and rooftop solar. Solar and other renewables made up 26% of installations in its first months.
Can I choose my own installer with Nest?
No. Nest uses a network of Wales-based installers managed by its team.
What if I have no heating or hot water?
Nest has a crisis route for eligible households in that situation. Contact Nest and explain straight away.
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme apply in Wales?
Yes, for heat pumps and biomass boilers, through an MCS certified installer. £7,500 for most eligible homes; £9,000 for off-gas homes replacing oil or LPG until March 2027. Never for solar.
How common are oil-heated homes in North Wales?
Census 2021 shows 21.6% of Anglesey households and 16.9% in Gwynedd heating with oil only, against 7.8% in Wales as a whole.
Is the Warm Homes Loan Scheme a grant?
No. It’s a loan for owner-occupied homes through participating lenders, repaid in full.
Is there VAT on solar panels?
Not on panels installed in a home until 31 March 2027; from 1 April 2027 the rate is 5%.
Will I be paid for exported electricity?
Under the SEG, larger suppliers must pay a rate above zero for exports from a certified, metered system. It applies in Wales.
Is ECO4 still available?
It ends on 31 December 2026 with no successor supplier scheme. Treat new ECO4 offers with care.
How much electricity will panels make here?
PVGIS estimates about 883 to 995 kWh a year per south-facing kWp across the six council areas. Your roof’s direction and shading change it.
Do I need planning permission?
Usually not for panels on a house roof or for most air source heat pumps, under Welsh permitted development with conditions. Listed buildings and conservation areas need care.
Is this site the Welsh Government or Nest?
No. It’s an independent guide published by SEO-DONS LTD. It can’t approve anything and doesn’t pass your details on.
Read more
The full pages
- Warm Homes Nest and who it's for
- Oil and LPG homes and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
- The loan scheme and ECO4 in Wales
- Solar planning and heat pump planning
If your question isn't here, ask us. We reply by email.
Checked against
- Warm Homes Nest scheme annual report 2024 to 2025 (Welsh Government), read 3 November 2026
- Apply for Warm Homes: Local Grant (England only) (GOV.UK), read 2 November 2026
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get (GOV.UK), read 3 November 2026
- Census 2021 TS046, central heating, by local authority (Nomis), read 3 November 2026
- Warm Homes Loan Scheme factsheet (27 October 2026) (GOV.UK), read 3 November 2026
- VAT Notice 708/6, energy-saving materials (HMRC), read 3 November 2026
- SEG guidance for generators (PDF) (Ofgem), read 2 November 2026
- Extending the ECO4 end date: government response (GOV.UK), read 2 November 2026
- PVGIS solar estimates (SARAH3, 2005 to 2023) (EU Joint Research Centre), read 3 November 2026
- planning permission for heat pumps (Welsh Government), read 3 November 2026
- solar panels and planning permission (Planning Portal), read 3 November 2026
Not sure which scheme, if any, fits your home?
Tell us which council area you're in and what you're looking into. Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this guide, and we answer by email. We're not a scheme and can't approve anything, but we can point you to the right one.
What happens next
- Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this guide.
- We reply by email with the scheme page that fits, if there is one.
- Any application is between you and that scheme.