Grants and funding, West Yorkshire

Solar grants in West Yorkshire: what actually exists

Most of what you read about solar grants is out of date or a sales hook. This is the list we work from, checked on 3 November 2026, council by council, with who qualifies and who does not.

For every home

Three things every home can use

Until 31 March 2027

VAT on solar panels and batteries

Panels, home batteries (with or without solar) and the installation are zero-rated for VAT in Great Britain until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 the rate is 5%, confirmed in the Budget on 28 October 2026. It is already off every price we quote, so there is nothing to claim. The rate follows the invoice date, so the job needs installing and invoicing before the deadline; a deposit does not lock the rate.

Who: Any home. Not businesses.
Source: GOV.UK VAT notice 708/6

8p+

Ongoing

Smart Export Guarantee

Licensed suppliers must pay you for electricity you export. Rates run from a few pence to 15p or more a unit depending on the supplier and whether you have a battery. Not a grant, an income. Your installer talks through which tariff suits your set-up at the survey.

Who: Any MCS-certified solar installation.
Source: Ofgem on the SEG

£15k

Loans from September 2026

Warm Homes Loan Scheme

Government-backed low-interest loans for solar panels and home batteries, with no income test. The government gives the lender a grant of up to 20% of the loan, which the scheme rules say must be passed to you as a lower interest rate. Loans of up to £15,000 for solar PV and up to £15,000 for a battery, each with an MCS-certified installer. It is a loan, not a grant, so you pay it back, and the lender runs its own credit and affordability checks. We do not currently offer finance ourselves; the loan runs through participating lenders.

Who: Owner-occupiers and private landlords in England.
Source: GOV.UK: Warm Homes Loan Scheme rules

Call 07442 511817

Lower-income households

Where free solar is real, and where it is not

£36k

England, 2025 to 2028

Warm Homes: Local Grant

Government funding, run by councils, for insulation, heat pumps and solar panels at no cost to the household. You usually need a household income of £36,000 or less, or a means-tested benefit, or a selected postcode, and a home with an EPC rating of D, E, F or G. Owner-occupiers and private tenants qualify; landlords contribute. In West Yorkshire the GOV.UK list shows Leeds City Council £5.96 million, Bradford Council £6.33 million, Wakefield Council £1.5 million, Calderdale Council £3.2 million allocated; Kirklees Council (Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley) is not on the list, so check with the council. Leeds delivers through Sustainable Building Services and Groundwork Yorkshire. Councils appoint their own installers, so this is not something we quote for; if you look eligible we will say so.

Who: Income-tested, EPC D to G, England only.
Source: GOV.UK: apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant

ECO4

Extended to 31 Dec 2026

Energy Company Obligation

Funded by the energy suppliers for households on qualifying benefits, mostly for insulation and heating, with solar included in some cases. It has been extended once and there will be no ECO5; the Warm Homes Plan, including the loan scheme above, takes over. If you are on a qualifying benefit, ask your supplier before December.

Who: Qualifying benefits only.
Source: GOV.UK: extending the ECO4 end date

Warm Homes: Local Grant by council, as of 3 November 2026

Leeds City Council: £5.96 million allocated. Delivered by Sustainable Building Services and Groundwork Yorkshire. Household income under £36,000 or income-related benefits, or selected postcodes, and an EPC of D to G. Council website
Bradford Council: £6.33 million allocated. The council approved its Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme in June 2025 at the full allocated value. Council website
Wakefield Council: £1.5 million allocated. Listed on the GOV.UK allocation with £1,499,667. Check the council for whether applications are open. Council website
Calderdale Council: £3.2 million allocated. Listed on the GOV.UK allocation with £3,206,150. Check the council for whether applications are open. Council website
Kirklees Council: Not on the GOV.UK list. Kirklees does not appear on the GOV.UK list of successful local authorities. Check with the council before counting on it. Council website

Source: GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant successful local authorities. Allocations do not guarantee applications are open; check the council page.

Grant questions

The questions people actually ask

Figures as of 3 November 2026. The grants guide goes council by council in more detail, and the VAT deadline page covers the one saving every home gets.

Is there a grant for solar panels in Leeds in 2026?

Not for most homes. There is no cash grant for home solar in England unless you qualify for the Warm Homes: Local Grant (household income of £36,000 or less, or means-tested benefits, and an EPC of D to G) or, until December 2026, ECO4 through a qualifying benefit. Leeds City Council has £5.96 million of Warm Homes funding. What every home can use is 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, payment for exported electricity under the Smart Export Guarantee, and a government-backed low-interest loan of up to £15,000 each for solar and a battery under the Warm Homes Loan Scheme.

Which West Yorkshire councils have Warm Homes: Local Grant funding?

On the GOV.UK list checked 3 November 2026: Leeds City Council £5.96 million, Bradford Council £6.33 million, Wakefield Council £1.5 million, Calderdale Council £3.2 million. Kirklees Council does not appear, so Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Batley residents should check with the council directly. An allocation does not mean applications are open today; councils pause intake when a tranche is spent.

Can I really get free solar panels?

Only through a council-run scheme such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and only if you meet the income and EPC tests. If a company offers you free panels outside those schemes, ask who owns the panels and who gets the export income before you sign anything.

Does the 0% VAT apply to a battery without solar?

Yes. Since February 2024 a home battery fitted on its own qualifies for 0% VAT, as does a battery added to an existing solar system. The rate goes to 5% from 1 April 2027.

Do you apply for the grants for me?

The Warm Homes: Local Grant and ECO4 are applied for through your council or energy supplier, who appoint their own installers, so we point you to the right door rather than quote. The Warm Homes Loan is applied for through a participating lender; we make sure your quote has what the lender needs.

What changes after 31 March 2027?

The 0% VAT rate on solar panels and batteries ends and 5% applies from 1 April 2027. On a £10,000 installation that is £500 more. The rate follows the invoice date, so an installation completed and invoiced before the deadline keeps 0%.

Free survey, no obligation

Ready to see what solar could save on your home?

Five quick questions. We call back within one working day to check your home suits solar and book your free survey.

Or call us

07442 511817

Property
Type
Interest
Postcode
Details

Get your free quote

Is this for your home or your business?

Takes about a minute. We call back within one working day.