Buy solar panels or a heat pump without being mis-sold

This guide is for homeowners in the UK who are thinking about solar panels, a battery or an air source heat pump and want to avoid the high-pressure selling, inflated savings claims and poor installations that cause many complaints. It takes you from deciding whether the technology suits your home, through comparing quotes and signing a contract, to handover and what to do if the system underperforms. You will finish with a shortlist of properly certified installers, a quote comparison you understand, a contract with your rights protected, and a paperwork pack you can rely on for years.

What is inside

• Full step-by-step method9 detailed steps with decision points
• Ready-to-use templatesQuote request email to installers · Cancellation notice within 14 days · Formal complaint about poor performance
• Timed action plan8 stages from “Week 1” to “Months 1–12”
• Costly mistakes to avoid4 traps and what to do instead
• Complete checklist12 items to tick off
• Insider tips and fixes4 tips and 4 common problems solved

Step by step

1. Check whether your home suits the technology

   Start with your own numbers, not a salesperson's. Gather 12 months of electricity and gas use from your bills or supplier app, note your roof direction, any shading, and your loft and wall insulation. For a heat pump, the key questions are how well the house holds heat and whether radiators may need upgrading, so ask for a room-by-room heat loss calculation rather than a guess. For solar, the main checks are usable roof area, orientation and how much electricity you use in daylight. If your Energy Performance Certificate is old, look it up on GOV.UK and consider whether insulation should come first, because it is often the cheaper win.