Bromley · Warm Homes Loan Updated 2026-11-03
Warm Homes Loan Scheme: solar panels and batteries in Bromley and south-east London
The Warm Homes Loan Scheme is a UK-wide loan scheme, offered by lenders under the government's Warm Homes Plan, for low-carbon home improvements, including solar panels and battery storage. Homeowners apply to one of the lenders listed on GOV.UK; there is no income test, and the lender runs its own credit and affordability checks. The work must be done by an MCS-certified installer. Coutts Electrical is MCS certified for solar PV and battery storage, and we can give you the written quotation a lender will want to see. We are not a lender or credit broker and don't arrange the loan.
Get your MCS installation quote
This form comes to Coutts Electrical, an MCS-certified installer for solar PV and battery storage. We survey the job and give you a written quotation, which a lender will ask for. Coutts Electrical is not a lender or credit broker and does not arrange the loan.
Before you start
The government and lenders never cold-call to sell Warm Homes Loans or charge a fee to apply. If someone calls or knocks unannounced offering one, or asks for money to “secure” a loan, don’t go ahead.
Coutts Electrical is an electrical contractor and MCS-certified solar and battery installer based in Keston. We are not a lender or credit broker, and we do not arrange the loan. If you send us an enquiry from this page, it comes to us as the installer, for a survey and a written quotation.
How the scheme works
The Warm Homes Loan Scheme is part of the government’s Warm Homes Plan. Lenders, such as banks, offer the loans, and government support sits behind the scheme. GOV.UK publishes the list of participating lenders; more lenders are due to join, with the next lender window in late 2026 for onboarding in early 2027.
| Question | The answer on 3 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Who can apply? | Owners of a residential home in the UK, with or without a mortgage, and private landlords borrowing in their own name |
| Is there an income limit? | No income threshold. Each lender runs its own credit and affordability checks |
| Solar panels | Up to £15,000 |
| Battery storage | Up to £15,000 |
| EV charger | Only as an add-on to solar panels or a battery |
| Insulation | Not covered |
| Installer | Must usually be MCS certified; you can't fit it yourself |
| Rates and terms | Set by each lender. Ask the lender directly |
The scheme also covers heat pumps and some other systems. We don’t install heat pumps, so we haven’t covered them here.
How to start, step by step
- Get an installation quote. A lender needs to know what the work is and what it costs. We survey your roof and electrics and give you a written quotation for solar panels, a battery, or both, with the VAT position shown on it (0% on solar panels and batteries in homes until 31 March 2027).
- Choose a lender from the GOV.UK list. The list of Warm Homes Loan lenders is on GOV.UK. Contact the lenders directly about their loan products, interest rates, repayment terms and eligibility rules. We can’t tell you which to choose.
- Apply to the lender. The lender decides whether to lend, after its own checks.
- The installation. We install and commission the system and register it with MCS. GOV.UK says the finished work may be checked as part of an audit.
What it can be combined with
- 0% VAT. Solar panels and batteries supplied and fitted in homes carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, so the quotation, and any loan, is for a lower total.
- Other government funding, but not for the same item. GOV.UK says you can’t use a Warm Homes loan and other government funding to pay for the same improvement.
If your household is on a lower income and your home is rated D to G, you may be able to get the work funded instead through your council’s Warm Homes: Local Grant; GOV.UK explains how to check.
Our guide to the Warm Homes Loan Scheme rules sets out exactly what the scheme covers for solar panels, batteries and EV chargers. For what a battery adds day to day, see battery storage.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “Warm Homes Loan Scheme” guide, including eligibility and lenders (checked 3 November 2026): gov.uk/warm-homes-loan-scheme
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, “Warm Homes Loan Scheme: scheme rules”, version 3, September 2026: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- GOV.UK, “Warm Homes Loan Scheme factsheet”, 27 October 2026: gov.uk
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, “Warm Homes Plan”, updated 18 March 2026 (0% VAT until 31 March 2027): gov.uk
- MCS, “Find an MCS certified installer” (Coutts Electrical Contractors Ltd: Battery Storage, Solar PV; checked 3 November 2026): mcscertified.com
02 Questions
The Warm Homes Loan,
answered with sources.
What is the Warm Homes Loan Scheme?
A UK-wide scheme in which lenders, such as banks, offer loans for energy-saving improvements to homes, with government support behind it. It covers solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps and some other low-carbon systems. The government's factsheet on the consumer launch is dated 27 October 2026. It is a loan, not a grant, so it is repaid.
Who can get a Warm Homes loan?
GOV.UK says you must own the home you're applying for, with or without a mortgage, and it must be a residential property in the UK. The scheme rules also allow private landlords borrowing in their own name. There is no income threshold, but each lender runs its own credit and affordability checks and may have more rules of its own.
How much can I borrow for solar panels and a battery?
The scheme rules, version 3 of September 2026, cap the loan at £15,000 for solar panels and £15,000 for a battery. An EV charger is eligible only as an add-on to solar panels or a battery, and insulation is not covered. Lenders set their own terms within those limits.
Do I need an MCS-certified installer?
Yes, for solar panels and batteries. GOV.UK says you must usually use a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified installer, and you can't do the work yourself. Coutts Electrical Contractors Ltd is listed on the MCS register for solar PV and battery storage.
Does Coutts Electrical arrange the loan?
No. We are an electrical contractor and installer, not a lender or credit broker. We don't arrange, introduce or recommend loans. You choose a lender from the list on GOV.UK and apply to them directly; we supply the survey and written quotation for the installation.
Does 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 still apply if I use the loan?
Yes. Solar panels and batteries supplied and fitted in homes carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, and that applies whether you pay with savings or a loan. GOV.UK says you can't use a Warm Homes loan and other government funding to pay for the same improvement.
Will anyone cold-call me about a Warm Homes loan?
They shouldn't. The government and lenders never cold-call to sell Warm Homes Loans or charge a fee to apply. If someone contacts you out of the blue, or asks for money up front, don't go ahead, and report it to your local Trading Standards service.
03 Start here
Get your MCS
installation quote.
Tell us your postcode and roughly what you are after. We come out, survey it properly, and put a written price in front of you — with the VAT position confirmed on it.