Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions people ask before they buy, with the working shown and every source linked. Where the honest answer is "not yet", we say so.
Solar
Are Solar Panels Worth It in the UK? (2026)
A worked payback for a £7,238 4.4kWp array at three self-use rates and two export tariffs, 7.8 to 14.9 years, and the five cases where the answer is no.
Updated Sept 2026
G98 vs G99: Which DNO Notification Does Your Solar Need? (UK 2026)
G98 covers up to 16A per phase (3.68kW single-phase, 11.04kW three-phase), notified 28 days after. Above that, a G99 application before you install.
Updated Sept 2026
How Long Do Solar Panels Last? (UK 2026)
Panel warranties run 15–30 years and the warranted degradation curves put year-25 output at 89.9–91.0%. Here is the arithmetic, from four manufacturers' own datasheets.
Updated Sept 2026
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need? (UK Guide, 2026)
Work out your solar array size from your annual kWh, with real generation figures by region, orientation and pitch, official UK installation costs, and a worked payback at the October 2026 price cap.
Updated Sept 2026
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost? (UK, 2026)
UK solar costs from DESNZ's official 2025/26 data: £1,955/kW under 4kW, £1,645/kW above it, so a typical 4.4kWp array is £7,238, and generates at about 7p/kWh.
Updated Sept 2026
Best Smart Export Guarantee Rates (UK 2026)
Every UK export tariff we could read on 21 September 2026, 3p to 25p per kWh, with the conditions attached and what the rate does to your solar payback.
Updated Sept 2026
Solar Inverters Explained: String, Hybrid and Micro (UK 2026)
What a hybrid inverter does, how to size one against your array, why two MPPTs matter, and why a 3.68kW inverter is the biggest you can fit under G98.
Updated Sept 2026
Do I Need Planning Permission for Solar Panels? (UK 2026)
Most UK rooftop solar is permitted development, but only if it meets every condition in the Order. The quoted limits for England, Wales, Scotland and NI.
Updated Sept 2026
Balcony Solar
Are Balcony Solar Panels Worth It in the UK?
Nine worked paybacks for register-listed plug-in solar kits at the October 2026 cap rate, what the 800W inverter throws away, and when the answer is no.
Updated Sept 2026
Balcony Solar Batteries: Where the UK Rules Stand (2026)
Plug-in batteries can't be self-installed in Great Britain yet. Why the rules exclude them, what DESNZ is studying, and how balcony storage would work when they're allowed.
Updated Sept 2026
Are Plug-in & Balcony Solar Panels Legal in the UK? (2026)
Plug-in solar became legal in Great Britain on 27 August 2026. The 800W rule, the ENA register, why batteries don't qualify yet, and how to register your kit.
Updated Sept 2026
Balcony Solar for Renters, Flats & Leaseholders (UK 2026)
You don't need to own a roof to own solar. What renters and flat-owners can install without permission, what needs consent, and how to take it with you when you move.
Updated Sept 2026
Home Batteries
Are Solar Batteries Worth It in the UK? (2026)
Two worked payback calculations for UK home battery storage in 2026, using indicative catalogue prices, the October 2026 price cap and Ofgem's own day/night consumption split, including the cases where the answer is no.
Updated Oct 2026
Home Battery Storage Without Solar: Worth It in 2026?
You don't need solar panels to benefit from a home battery. Here's how off-peak tariff arbitrage works, what you can save, and the 0% VAT rule.
Updated Sept 2026
How Much Battery Storage Do I Need?
A simple way to size a home battery, based on your daily usage, peak-hour demand and whether you have solar.
Updated Sept 2026
Power Stations
Heat Pumps
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme Explained (UK 2026)
£7,500 towards a heat pump in England and Wales, £9,000 off-gas until March 2027: who qualifies, how the money reaches you, and what Ofgem's own figures say about uptake.
Updated Sept 2026
Ground Source Heat Pump Cost (UK 2026)
Nesta puts the average MCS-certified ground source install at around £21,000. Here is what the £7,500 grant leaves, borehole versus trench, and the measured running costs.
Updated Sept 2026
Heat Pump vs Gas Boiler: Which Is Cheaper in 2026?
An honest comparison of heat pumps and gas boilers on running cost, upfront price, comfort and carbon, and when each one wins.
Updated Sept 2026
How Much Does a Heat Pump Cost in the UK? (2026)
What a UK air source heat pump actually costs in 2026: the median BUS installation price, what the £7,500 grant leaves you paying, and an honest running-cost comparison against gas at the October 2026 price cap.
Updated Sept 2026
Air Conditioning
The £2,500 Air-to-Air Heat Pump Grant: Air Conditioning on the BUS (UK 2026)
GOV.UK pays £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump, which is a split air conditioner. The unmentioned condition: it must heat the whole property, not one room.
Updated Sept 2026
How Much Does Air Con Cost to Run? (UK 2026)
A 9,000 BTU portable costs about 20p an hour at the October 2026 price cap; a 3.5kW split costs about 8p. Worked from wattages and Ofgem's rate.
Updated Sept 2026
What Size Air Con Do I Need? BTU by Room (UK 2026)
A 12m² bedroom needs about 6,000 BTU, a 20m² living room 10,000 and a 30m² open-plan space 15,000. Here is the rule that produces those numbers.
Updated Sept 2026
Energy Tariffs
Best EV Tariff (UK 2026): Octopus Go, Intelligent Go and the Rivals by Region
Which EV tariff is cheapest for overnight charging in your region, what each one needs from your car or charger, and when a flat tariff still wins.
Updated Sept 2026
Best Heat Pump Tariff (UK 2026): Cosy Octopus and the Rivals by Region
Which tariff makes a heat pump cheapest to run in your region, what each needs, and whether it changes the answer to heat pump versus gas.
Updated Sept 2026