Solar Incentives
There are three main programmes available to Edinburgh homeowners to support their solar journeys.
0% VAT
Scheme
Tax relief, not a grant
Qualifying installations are zero-rated until 31 March 2027
There's nothing to apply for. If your installation qualifies, the installer applies the correct VAT rate to your quote and invoice.
Who it's for
Broad eligibility
- Homeowners and landlords, from stone tenement flats to new-build houses
- No income test applies
- It doesn't matter whether this is your first solar system or an additional one
- The same treatment applies UK-wide, with no separate Scottish scheme or council form
What's covered
Zero-rated at the point of sale
The relief covers the panels, inverter, cabling, control gear and labour when one installer supplies and fits the system together. A battery installed alongside the panels can qualify too, and so can adding one to a system you already have.
How you buy matters
Check the supply route
Example saving
£375
On a £7,500 installation, that's roughly what 0% VAT saves compared with the 5% rate due to return once the relief ends.
What you need to do
Nothing. There's no grant form or VAT application to fill in.
Check the correct VAT rate is shown on the installer's quote and invoice.
Ask how any separate work, like a roof repair done alongside the solar, has been treated.
If you'd like a clearer picture of how this applies to your own property, our vetted installers can walk you through exactly what's covered before you commit to anything.
ECO4
Scheme
Supplier-funded, not a general grant
Edinburgh's ECO4 Flex route closed to new applications in April 2026
ECO4 is a supplier-funded energy efficiency scheme, not a solar-specific grant. Suppliers decide which projects get funded, not households.
Who it's for
Conditional on heating type
- The property already runs, or will run, on an eligible electric heating system, such as a heat pump or a suitable storage heater
- Some of the generated solar power needs to go towards heating the home
- The household is considered lower-income or vulnerable, and the supplier agrees to fund the project
How it works
Not a fixed grant
Energy suppliers are required to fund improvements in lower-income and vulnerable homes, with Ofgem overseeing the rules. But suppliers decide which projects actually get funded, rather than households applying for a set amount. Solar sits inside this as a heating measure, not a standalone electricity upgrade.
Check your heating system
The detail most people miss
Where things stand
Edinburgh's ECO4 Flex route closed to new applications
National ECO4 scheme is scheduled to end
What to check instead
Check Warmer Homes Scotland. It's generally the stronger route for Edinburgh right now, with the local ECO4 route closed.
Confirm your heating system. ECO4 solar only applies where the property has, or will get, an eligible electric heating system.
Don't assume from income alone. A low income or a poor EPC rating doesn't guarantee a fit. The heating system is what decides it.
Warmer Homes Scotland is generally the stronger route to check for Edinburgh households right now, or our accredited installers can give you a straightforward quote if a scheme route doesn't apply.
Warmer Homes Scotland
Scotland's national fuel poverty scheme
A live, active route for Edinburgh households right now
Delivered through Home Energy Scotland and Warmworks. Qualifying for the scheme doesn't guarantee solar specifically, Warmworks decides what the property actually needs.
Who it's for
Two routes to qualify
- Homeowner or private tenant, with landlord permission if renting, using the property as your main home for at least six months
- A property Warmworks assesses as having a poor energy rating, within Council Tax bands A to G and 230 square metres or under
- A household that qualifies through a vulnerability route, such as a member aged 75 or over, certain medical certification, or a qualifying benefit
How it works
Solar isn't guaranteed
An adviser at Home Energy Scotland checks your initial eligibility, then refers you to Warmworks if it looks like a fit. Warmworks carries out the property assessment and decides what the home needs, which could be insulation, a heating upgrade, solar, or a mix of measures.
Common mix-up
Two different schemes
Scale of support
£10,000+
Scottish Government reporting puts potential support at this scale across the whole programme, not a fixed amount set aside for solar specifically.
What happens next
Contact Home Energy Scotland. An adviser checks your initial eligibility first, not the council or an installer.
Wait for the Warmworks assessment. If it's a fit, Warmworks assesses the property and decides what it actually needs.
Check landlord permission if renting. Private tenants need this in place before any work goes ahead.
If it turns out solar isn't part of what Warmworks recommends, or you'd rather move ahead outside the scheme, our recommended installers can give you a straightforward quote based on what your roof can actually take.
Make Your Move.
Go Solar.
Be it for your home or business, start your solar transformation today with a no-obligation quote.
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