The short answer: yes, and they make each other better value. But solar panels will not run a heat pump through the winter on their own, because the two peak in opposite seasons.
How much electricity a heat pump adds
A typical home uses about 9,500 kWh of gas a year for heating and hot water. A heat pump that delivers three units of heat for each unit of electricity would need around 3,200 kWh of electricity to do the same job. That is more than a typical home's entire electricity use today. This is our own estimate, and real homes vary widely.
The seasonal mismatch
Solar panels produce most of their output between April and September. Most heating is needed between November and March. So solar helps most with:
- hot water, all year round
- heating in spring and autumn
- cooling, if you choose an air-to-air heat pump
In mid-winter, most of the heat pump's electricity will still come from the grid.
Why it still pays
- You use more of your own solar power. Every unit the heat pump uses is worth about 26p, compared with around 15p if exported.
- A battery earns more. It can store cheap overnight electricity in winter to run the heat pump during the day.
- One installation visit. Fitting both together can save on scaffolding and electrical work.
Size the solar for the future
If you plan to add a heat pump, size the solar system for the extra demand now. Going from 4 kW to 6 kW costs far less per kW than the first 4 kW. See cost by system size.
Funding you can combine
| Scheme | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales. £9,000 for eligible homes heated by oil or LPG, until 31 March 2027 |
| Warm Homes Loan Scheme | Up to £20,000 for an air-to-water heat pump, plus up to £15,000 each for solar panels and a battery |
| 0% VAT | Applies to installed heat pumps, solar panels and batteries until 31 March 2027 |
You may be able to use a Warm Homes loan alongside a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, but not to pay for the same cost twice. All of these need an MCS-certified installer.
See solar panel grants and funding.
Solar cost calculator UK edition
What would solar cost, and what would it be worth to you?
Six questions. No email address, no phone number. You get a size, a price range, a yearly figure and a payback range, with every assumption shown underneath.
Question 1 of 6
Your estimate
This is an estimate for general information, not a quote. It was correct at the time of publication and uses the assumptions shown. The performance of solar PV systems is impossible to predict with certainty, because sunlight varies from place to place and year to year. Only a survey by a certified installer can give you an accurate design and price. This is not financial advice.
Your answers go with you in this browser tab only, so the quote form does not ask again.
How we worked this out
| Assumption | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | 3 kW solar: £5,000–£6,000; 4 kW solar: £6,000–£8,000; 5 kW solar: £7,000–£9,000; 6 kW solar: £8,000–£11,000; 5 kWh battery: £2,500–£5,000; 10 kWh battery: £4,500–£8,000 | Published UK price guides, government installation cost data (2025/26) and MCS installation costs (2025) |
| Electricity price | 26.32p per kWh | Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit, October to December 2026 |
| Export rate | 15p per kWh | Which? fixed export tariff comparison, April 2026 |
| Output per kW | 850 kWh per year for a south-facing roof | National estimate used by this calculator: a 4 kW system generating 3,400 kWh per year |
| Roof direction factors | South: 100%; South-east: 95%; South-west: 95%; East: 82%; West: 82%; North-east: 67%; North-west: 67%; North: 55%; Flat roof: 90%; Not sure: 82% | Published UK output tables; indicative factors used by this calculator |
| Shade factors | No shade: 100%; Some shade: 90%; Heavy shade: 75% | Calculator estimates; an MCS installer measures shade on site |
| How home use is estimated | Home use of solar power is estimated using an approximation based on MCS 032 | |
Sources
Correct at the time of publication, 14 November 2026.
- GOV.UK, Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get: https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme/what-you-can-get
- Ofgem, Boiler Upgrade Scheme: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/boiler-upgrade-scheme-bus
- GOV.UK, Warm Homes Loan Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/warm-homes-loan-scheme
- Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/your-energy-bill/energy-price-cap-unit-rates-and-standing-charges