Solar panels in the UK: the saving is the claim regulators read
The ASA upheld a complaint on 4 March 2026 about a national press ad for Hive that told readers they could shrink electricity bills by up to 94% in the first year with solar. The ASA found the ad did not disclose that its savings claim was modelled, nor what the model's criteria were. The ad already carried a line saying savings were based on year one, so a footnote did not settle it. In another ruling, on 26 November 2025, the ASA found a regional press ad for GGRS Energie did not refer to points that could affect how much a consumer may save. Each is a single ruling about a single ad, and in each the ASA found both that the ad omitted material information and that its saving claim was not adequately substantiated (Hive, GGRS Energie).
The CMA's compliance advice, published 16 July 2024, says to avoid "up to" unless you have credible evidence that at least a significant proportion of consumers have a good chance of reaching the stated outcome, and that the figure reflects the range of factors that affect performance, such as the size of the property. It covers solar PV panels. The basis therefore goes on the ad: modelled or measured, for what size of home, against which tariff. Our paid media work puts that line on every ad and landing page before it runs.
Export income is the part you cannot promise. In Great Britain, a solar customer can apply for a tariff with any SEG licensee, and the licensee determines the rate, which must always be above zero. Ofgem's generator guidance, dated February 2020, says applicants with small solar PV are asked to demonstrate that the installation and installer are suitably certified. The proof may be an MCS certificate, though the SEG recognises that other schemes may be equivalent. Without it, a licensee is not obliged to offer payments.
One scale check before you set a lead budget: MCS recorded 267,032 certified rooftop solar installations in 2025, and more than 36% of solar went onto new builds. The panels on those new builds are likely bought by housebuilders, so the pool of homeowners searching for a solar panel installer (a solar installer, in the US) is smaller than the count suggests.
For solar, count surveys booked against homes that own their roof, and quotes that carry the saving basis in writing, so the customer can check the quote against the advert.
Heat pumps in the UK: the grant belongs in the quote, not the headline
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is open to people in England and Wales, so a Scottish enquiry needs a different answer. It pays £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, one grant per property, plus an additional £1,500 until March 2027 where the property is heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection, which Ofgem states as £9,000 off. A hybrid is out: you cannot get a grant for a gas boiler combined with an air source heat pump.
The scheme is installer-led: MCS certified installers apply for and redeem vouchers on a property owner's behalf. The homeowner's route is to get quotes from MCS certified installers and agree one, after which the installer applies. The enquiry you want is therefore a quote request, and a "claim your grant" button wrongly suggests the homeowner applies. The CMA says to avoid terms like "cashback" where government funding is paid direct to the installer. Because you redeem the voucher, write "grant towards" and show it as a line on the quote.
Savings claims get the same scrutiny as solar. On 4 March 2026 the ASA upheld a complaint about a paid social ad for British Gas that said "Save up to £546 with a heat pump and our exclusive tariff". The ASA recorded that 34% of 194 customers in the modelled scenario achieved the saving. That is one ruling about one advertiser's model. MCS counted more than 60,000 heat pump installations in 2025, the most in a single year, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme funded nearly half of them, so qualify grant-led enquiries early: country, heating fuel, and whether the home has a gas boiler. A landing page built through lead generation asks those questions before a survey is booked, so more of the surveys booked are at homes that can take the grant, and the number to read is grant-eligible surveys as a share of all surveys booked.
On badges, MCS says its redeveloped installer scheme is now live and lists consumer code membership under it as no longer mandatory. MCS reported on 18 June 2026 that DESNZ, the government's energy department, recognises the redeveloped scheme as a Code of Practice for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, so installers certified to it no longer need Consumer Code membership for grant jobs. The transition runs until 31 March 2027; if you have not moved across yet, keep your RECC or HIES membership until you do. HIES says its accredited installers operate under a CTSI Approved Consumer Code. If you are in the RECC, its advice to consumers warns against signing with a company whose representative offers a discount for signing the contract that day or claims that there is limited availability. "Book today and save" and "only five install slots left" are the mechanics that code names.
Home batteries and VAT in the UK: the add-on that inherits the solar claim
The CMA's advice also covers solar storage batteries, where sold with solar PV panels, so a bill-saving claim for a solar and battery bundle meets the same "up to" test as solar alone. MCS recorded more than 40,000 certified battery installations in the UK in 2025.
UK VAT puts a date on all three product lines. HMRC's notice on energy-saving materials covers installations in homes made between 1 May 2023 and 31 March 2027, currently at the zero rate of VAT, and says that from 1 April 2027 they revert to the reduced rate of 5%. Solar panels, ground source and air source heat pumps are on the list, and batteries joined from 1 February 2024. So a quote that runs past 31 March 2027 needs the date written on it, and the zero rate should not be promised beyond it. Email follow-up keeps each quote moving towards a decision before that date.
Solar installers in the US: the 30% credit is gone, so the pitch changes
The federal residential credit has ended. The IRS says the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit covered solar panels, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and battery storage and is not available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Any "30% back" copy is out of date.
SEIA and Wood Mackenzie's third-quarter 2026 outlook expects a 23% contraction in US residential solar for 2026 (a forecast, not a measured result), says installers report longer sales cycles and falling close rates, and sees growth returning in 2027 on prepaid third-party-ownership (TPO, a lease or power purchase agreement) offers and continued TPO tax credit eligibility.
The FTC's business guidance, dated 7 August 2024 and written before the credit ended, tells solar companies to disclose the total cost, be clear about financing options and not overpromise savings from tax credits, rebates or incentives, and says offers for "free" or "no cost" solar panels are scams. "Free solar" therefore stays out of your ads. If your reps knock doors, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule makes it unfair and deceptive for door-to-door sellers to skip disclosures about a three business day right to cancel on sales over $25.
For credentials, the Department of Energy calls NABCEP the industry-standard certification. Check your own state's contractor licensing board: California, for one, has a C-46 Solar Contractor classification.
With installers reporting falling close rates, the numbers to track are survey to quote and quote to signed, by offer type (cash, loan, or third-party-owned), so the budget follows the offer that still closes. SEO and AI visibility gives each offer and each state its own page.
Heat pumps in the US: state rebates now carry the offer
The IRS 25C credit gave $2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps and could be claimed for improvements made through December 31, 2025, and the 25D list names geothermal heat pumps, not air source. After 2025, the federal tax credits for a homeowner's purchase have ended. The Department of Energy says its Home Energy Rebates are available in select states and points owners to their State Energy Office. Build the offer per state and utility, and name a rebate only where it is live for that customer.
We take on solar and heat pump installers in the UK and the US, work across both countries' time zones, and quote in GBP or USD.
↳ Frequently asked
01Can I advertise a set percentage saving on solar panels?
In the UK, the CMA advises avoiding "up to" unless you hold credible evidence that a significant proportion of customers have a good chance of getting the outcome, and the figure reflects factors such as property size. The ASA upheld a complaint about a Hive solar ad that did not say its saving was modelled or on what criteria, and found the claim not adequately substantiated. In the US, the FTC tells solar sellers to keep claims truthful and not overpromise savings from tax credits, rebates or incentives.
02Can I call the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant cashback in my ads?
The CMA advises against terms like cashback where government funding is paid direct to the installer, and under the scheme the installer applies on the customer's behalf. Describing it as a grant towards the price keeps you clear of that wording. The scheme covers England and Wales only, so a Scottish enquiry needs a different answer.
03Do my solar customers need an MCS certificate to be paid for exported power?
In Great Britain, Ofgem's Smart Export Guarantee generator guidance, dated February 2020, says applicants with solar PV up to 50kW are asked to show the installation and installer are suitably certified. That may be an MCS certificate, though other equivalent schemes are recognised. A licensee need not pay export payments if certification cannot be shown, so give each customer the paperwork.
04Can I still tell US homeowners they get 30% back in tax credit?
No. The IRS says the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. An ad promising 30% back also runs into the FTC's guidance against overpromising savings from tax credits, so lead with what is live in the customer's state, or with a third-party-owned offer where it fits.
05I am in the RECC. Can I offer a discount for signing on the day?
Avoid it. The RECC tells consumers not to sign with a company whose representative offers a discount for signing the contract that day, or claims the product is in limited supply, so a same-day discount and "only five install slots left" are both pressure tactics the Code names. Put the price on the quote and let it stand for a stated period instead.
06Why do so many of my heat pump surveys end without a quote?
One cause the form can screen out is a home that cannot take the grant. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales only, pays nothing towards a hybrid system with a gas boiler, and adds £1,500 for oil or LPG homes off the gas grid until March 2027. Ask country, heating fuel and whether the customer wants to keep the boiler before booking, then compare survey-to-quote rates by product line.
07Do I still need to show RECC or HIES if I am on the new MCS scheme?
No. MCS lists consumer code membership as no longer mandatory under its redeveloped installer scheme, and says that since 18 June 2026 installers certified to it no longer need one for Boiler Upgrade Scheme jobs either. If you are still moving across, which MCS says must happen by 31 March 2027, keep your RECC or HIES membership until you do. Put only the credentials you hold on the page.