Best solar companies in the UK: how to compare them (September 2026)
Energy-supplier installers and independent MCS installers compared on the same published criteria, with facts from each company's own pages on 24 September 2026. No scores and no paid places.
There is no single best solar company: the right one depends on your roof, whether you want a battery, and whether you are happy to buy your electricity from the same company to get its export rate. This page compares three large energy suppliers that sell installed solar, Octopus Energy, E.ON Next and Hive (British Gas), with independent MCS-certified installers, using the same criteria for each and facts from the suppliers' own websites on 24 September 2026. We don't rank or score them. Of the packages compared here, E.ON Next's 12-panel (5.82 kWp) system had the lowest published price per kWp; Octopus offered the widest range of export and solar-battery tariffs of the three; Hive's discount suits British Gas customers; and an independent installer gives a wider choice of kit and roofs.
Solar Report has no commercial relationship with any company on this page. Nobody paid to be included, and nobody can pay for a position. Our editorial method explains how we check facts and why we don't publish scores.
The criteria we compare
We compare every option on the same nine points, because these decide what you pay, what you get and who helps when something goes wrong:
My yearly electricity use is
Your yearly electricity use helps us size your solar panel system.
- Who installs, and who your contract is with.
- Kit named up front: panel, inverter and battery models.
- Published starting prices, and what they assume.
- Export tie-in: the rate, and what you must do to get it.
- Workmanship warranty: length, and whether it is insurance-backed.
- Consumer code, as the company's own terms state it.
- Deposit and payment stages.
- Coverage and roofs the company can't fit.
- Company status on Companies House.
We don't use customer review scores, for reasons explained below.
Side by side
All facts are from each company's own pages and terms on 24 September 2026.
| Octopus Energy | E.ON Next | Hive (British Gas) | Independent MCS installer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who installs; your contract | Octopus; contract with Octopus | E.ON's installation company, its own installers and partner firms; contract with E.ON | An independent installer Hive introduces you to (Glow Green, Infinity Renewables or Greener Energy Group); contract with that installer | The installer |
| Panels | JA Solar 455 W | AIKO Neostar 3S 485 W | 470 W, brand not named | Your choice |
| Batteries | Fox EVO, Enphase IQ Battery 5P, Tesla Powerwall 3 | Sunsynk Elite 5.12 kWh, Tesla Powerwall 3 | About 5 kWh, model not named | Your choice |
| Starting prices | £6,663 (2 panels); £11,115 (12 panels + 10 kWh battery) | £4,995 (6 panels); £6,495 (12 panels) | £5,035 or £5,610 (8 panels), depending on the page | Quote |
| Export tie-in | Outgoing 12p if Octopus supplies your electricity on a compatible tariff; 4.1p otherwise | 17.5p fixed for 12 months, once, for E.ON installs with E.ON Next supply; then 13p with E.ON supply or 6p | 12p with British Gas supply, 3p otherwise. With British Gas supply, also 25% off the unit rate (not the standing charge) for 12 months | Any supplier's export tariff |
| Workmanship warranty | 5 years (insurance scheme, per its FAQ) | 2 years, insurance-backed | Set by the installer | Set by the installer; at least 2 years, insurance-backed, if a RECC member |
| Consumer code (own terms) | HIES; on HIES's register, 24 Sep 2026 | HIES; on HIES's register, 24 Sep 2026 | The installer's | Check the RECC or HIES website |
| Deposit and payments | £500 deposit on signing; balance after installation | 25% deposit on signing; staged payment when kit is allocated; balance within 7 days of completion | Installer's terms | If a RECC member: deposit no more than 25%, deposit plus advance no more than 60% |
| Can't fit | Flats, three-phase supplies, flat or thatched roofs | Scottish islands, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland; roof pitch outside 20°–50° | Depends on the installer; prices may differ in Scotland | Depends on the installer |
| Companies House (24 Sep 2026) | Octopus Energy Services Ltd: active | E.ON Energy Installation Services Ltd: active | Centrica Hive Ltd and the five installers it names: active | Check the installer |
Our full reviews give the detail and the conditions behind each figure: Octopus, E.ON Next and Hive and British Gas.
Prices on the same basis
Published prices are starting prices for simple jobs, and each company assumes something different, so compare them per kWp and read the basis.
| Package | Price | System size | Price per kWp | Basis stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E.ON Next, 12 panels | £6,495 | 12 × 485 W = 5.82 kWp | £6,495 ÷ 5.82 = £1,116 | On-roof panels; other assumptions not stated |
| Hive, 8 panels | £5,035 | 8 × 470 W = 3.76 kWp | £5,035 ÷ 3.76 = £1,339 | Glow Green, England and Wales, concrete tiles, single-phase |
| Hive, 8 panels | £5,610 | 3.76 kWp if the same 470 W panels | £5,610 ÷ 3.76 = £1,492 | Hive home page and British Gas; no wattage stated |
| E.ON Next, 6 panels | £4,995 | 6 × 485 W = 2.91 kWp | £4,995 ÷ 2.91 = £1,716 | On-roof, scaffolding on one side, single-phase, no complications |
| Octopus, 12 panels + 10 kWh battery | £11,115 | 12 × 455 W = 5.46 kWp | £11,115 ÷ 5.46 = £2,036 (includes a 10 kWh battery; not comparable) | April 2026 prices |
For scale, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero reports mean installed costs for domestic retrofit solar in 2025/26 of £2,109 per kW for systems up to 4 kW and £1,651 per kW for 4 to 10 kW, including VAT and excluding batteries. Octopus doesn't publish a panels-only price for a mid-sized system, so its figure isn't directly comparable: it includes a 10 kWh battery. A quote for your home will include your scaffolding, roof type and wiring, so use these figures to spot a price far out of line, not to pick a winner. Larger systems usually cost less per kWp, so compare packages of similar size.
Prices include VAT, which is 0% on solar panels and batteries supplied and installed in your home until 31 March 2027, and scheduled to become 5% from 1 April 2027.
What the tariff tie-ins are worth
Each supplier's best export rate needs you to buy your electricity from it; E.ON's also needs you to have bought your system from it. For every 1,000 kWh you export:
| Rate | Condition | Paid per 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| E.ON Next Export Premium, 17.5p | E.ON installed your system and supplies your electricity; 12 months only, no renewal | 1,000 × £0.175 = £175 |
| E.ON Next Export Exclusive, 13p | E.ON supplies your electricity, not on a time-of-use tariff; fixed for 12 months | £130 |
| Octopus Outgoing, 12p | Octopus supplies your electricity on a compatible tariff; variable | £120 |
| British Gas Export Premium, 12p | British Gas supplies your electricity; variable | £120 |
| E.ON Next Flex Export, 6p | Open to anyone, whoever supplies their electricity; variable | £60 |
A tied rate is worth having only if the supplier's import price suits your home, because you pay that on every unit you buy. Hive buyers whose electricity comes from British Gas (smart meter, direct debit) can also get British Gas's Solar Saver credit: 25% of the unit rate, not the standing charge, for 12 months; at the October to December 2026 price cap average of 26.32p, that is 1,000 × 26.32p × 25% = £65.80 for every 1,000 kWh imported. Octopus's Intelligent Octopus Flux, which runs your battery for you, was open only to customers who bought solar panels and a battery from Octopus on 24 September 2026. Our best export tariffs comparison covers every supplier we checked.
In Great Britain only, suppliers pay these rates through their Smart Export Guarantee tariffs, so they don't apply in Northern Ireland.
Independent MCS installers
An independent installer can fit the panels and battery you choose, and may take on roofs and homes the suppliers turn down: Octopus can't fit flats or three-phase homes, and E.ON doesn't cover the Scottish islands, the Isle of Wight or Northern Ireland. You also keep a free choice of electricity supplier and export tariff.
The protection depends on the company. MCS no longer requires installers to belong to a consumer code, so an MCS certificate alone doesn't mean the RECC or HIES rules apply. If the installer is a RECC member, the code requires it to cap your deposit at 25% of the price and your deposit plus any advance payment at 60%, insure those payments, and give a workmanship guarantee of at least two years that is insurance-backed and passes to a new owner if you move.
How to check any solar company
Use these checks whether the name is a supplier or a local firm:
- MCS certificate: search the company on MCS's installer search. In Great Britain, Smart Export Guarantee payments need MCS certification or an equivalent.
- Consumer code: look the company up on RECC's member list or HIES's installer search.
- Company status: search Companies House for the company named on the contract, not just the brand, and check it is active.
- Finance: if the company offers a loan, check it on the FCA register and compare the total amount payable, not the monthly figure.
- Written estimate: an MCS-certified installer must give you its performance estimate in writing before the contract is awarded; compare the assumptions between quotes.
- Warranties in writing: the workmanship warranty length, who honours it if the company stops trading, and who pays labour on a manufacturer's warranty claim.
- Payment stages: how much you pay before installation, and when.
Our guide to comparing solar quotes goes through a quote line by line.
Reviews and ratings: why we don't show scores
We don't publish our own star ratings, and we haven't used review-site scores to compare these companies. Supplier review profiles, such as the one on E.ON Next's solar page, mostly rate them as energy suppliers, not as installers. On 24 September 2026 a Trustpilot review widget on E.ON Next's solar page showed a rating of 4.5 out of 5 from about 233,600 reviews. It said it was "Showing our 5-star reviews", and the reviews shown, all dated May 2025, were about tariffs and account service rather than installations.
If you read reviews, filter them for solar or battery installations, look at the most recent ones and at how the company answers complaints, and note how many reviews there are.
Some "best installer" lists are published by installers that rank themselves first, or by sites that collect quote requests. Before you rely on a list, check whether it says how it ranks and whether anyone paid to be on it. We compare on published criteria only and are not paid by any company on this page.
Which type of company suits which home
| If this is you | Start by comparing | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want a battery and a smart tariff that runs it | Octopus against an independent quote | Intelligent Octopus Flux was open only to Octopus solar-and-battery buyers on 24 September 2026 |
| You want a low published price for a mid-sized system (5–6 kWp) on a simple roof | E.ON Next against an independent quote | E.ON's 12-panel package worked out at £1,116 per kWp, the lowest of the packages compared here |
| You already buy your electricity from British Gas | Hive against a direct quote from the same installers | Solar Saver credit and the 12p export rate need British Gas supply |
| You have a flat roof, three-phase supply, or live in Northern Ireland or on a Scottish island | Independent MCS installers | Octopus can't fit flat roofs or three-phase homes; E.ON doesn't cover Northern Ireland or the Scottish islands and needs a 20°–50° roof pitch |
| You want a specific panel or battery brand | Independent MCS installers | The suppliers fit a short list of products |
Whichever route you take, get at least two quotes for the same system size and battery, and test the numbers in our calculator.
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FAQ
Who is the best solar panel company in the UK?
No single company is best for every home. Among the three large supplier-installers we compared on 24 September 2026, E.ON Next's 12-panel (5.82 kWp) package had the lowest starting price per kWp of the packages we compared; for systems under 4 kWp, Hive's 8-panel prices were lower per kWp than E.ON's 6-panel package. Octopus offered the widest range of export and solar-battery tariffs, and Hive suited British Gas customers. An independent MCS installer can offer more choice of kit and roofs. Compare at least two quotes for the same system.
Are energy suppliers cheaper than independent installers?
Sometimes. E.ON's and Hive's published starting prices per kWp were below the government's average installed cost for domestic systems in 2025/26, but those are prices for simple jobs. Only a quote for your own roof tells you which is cheaper.
Is it worth buying solar panels from your energy supplier?
It can be, if you want to stay with that supplier: the best export rates from E.ON Next, Octopus and British Gas need you to buy your electricity from them, and E.ON's top rate also needs an E.ON installation. If you want to choose your supplier freely, an independent installer keeps that option open.
How do I check a solar company is legitimate?
Check its MCS certificate on the MCS installer search, its RECC or HIES membership on the code's own website, and its status on Companies House, using the company name on the contract. Ask for the MCS generation estimate, the warranties and the payment stages in writing before you sign.