Learning how to sell solar panels in the UK now means learning how to sell them compliantly. UK homes installed a record 267,032 rooftop solar systems in 2025, up 31% on the previous record set in 2011 (pv magazine, 2025). Demand is strong, so the deals you lose are rarely lost on price alone. They are lost on trust, on unclear quotes, and on sales practices that fall foul of the consumer codes.
This guide takes the installer's view of the whole sale, from the first conversation to a signed contract. It covers the Renewable Energy Consumer Code rules on deposits and cancellation, when you need Financial Conduct Authority permission to offer finance, and how the Advertising Standards Authority now polices savings claims. Treat compliance as part of the pitch, not paperwork bolted on afterwards.
Key Takeaways
- Sell into record demand: the UK passed 1.85 million certified small-scale solar installations by late 2025, the fifth straight year of growth (MCS, 2025).
- Cap your deposit at 25%: RECC members cannot take a deposit above 25% of the contract value, and deposit plus advance payment cannot exceed 60% (RECC).
- Refund within 14 days: customers get a 14-day cooling-off period, and a cancelled deposit must be returned within 14 days (RECC).
- Check your finance permissions: introducing or arranging credit is a regulated activity that needs FCA authorisation (FCA).
- Substantiate every saving: in 2025 the ASA ruled solar bill-saving claims of up to £1,341 a year misleading for want of evidence (ASA, 2025).
Why does how you sell matter as much as what you sell?
Because the market is crowded and closely watched. UK rooftop solar reached 206,682 installations in the first ten months of 2025, a record run that has drawn regulators, lenders and consumer bodies to the sector (MCS, 2025). Sloppy selling now carries a real cost to your registration and reputation.
Homeowners have never had more installers to choose from, and they behave like it. Most gather several quotes and check reviews, accreditations and finance terms before signing anything. New build developers are a growing share of the work, accounting for 35% of certified installs in 2025 (MCS, 2025), and they expect documented compliance as standard.
That scrutiny cuts both ways. A clean sales process, backed by the right code membership and clear paperwork, becomes a selling point in itself. On surveys I have sat in on, the installers who win repeat work are usually the ones who make the buyer feel protected rather than pressured.
What a compliant solar sales pitch includes
A compliant pitch pairs honest marketing with a clear, itemised quote and a realistic performance estimate. The RECC consumer code covers advertising, quotations, contracts, deposits, cancellation and aftercare, and members must meet all of it (RECC). Skipping any part exposes both the customer and your certification.
Start with marketing you can evidence. Every headline saving, payback figure or generation claim needs a documented basis you can produce on request. Your written quote should set out the system size in kWp, the panels, inverter and any battery, the total price, and an estimated annual generation figure the customer can rely on.
Differentiation is where the installer's view pays off. Volume sellers tend to push a single package price, so a pitch that starts from the customer's roof, usage and shading reads as more honest and more expert. That approach also matches what the codes expect, which means your best sales angle and your compliance obligations point in the same direction.
The consumer code you sign up to shapes much of this. Most solar installers choose between RECC and HIES, and the differences affect how you contract and protect customers. Our guide to HIES vs RECC breaks down which code fits which kind of business.
How do RECC deposit and payment rules shape the sale?
They cap what you can ask for upfront. Under RECC, the initial deposit cannot exceed 25% of the contract value, and the deposit plus any advance payment together cannot exceed 60% of the estimated cost (RECC). You can request an advance no earlier than three weeks before delivery of the goods.
Those limits protect customers if a company stops trading, so members must insure the deposits and advance payments they take, alongside their workmanship warranties (RECC). Deposit protection is not optional, and buyers increasingly ask to see it. Our guide to deposit protection insurance explains how the cover works in practice.
Payment structure is also part of the pitch. Staged payments tied to clear milestones, rather than large sums taken early, reassure customers and keep you within the code. Pair this with a workmanship guarantee backed by insurance, explained in our insurance-backed guarantee guide.
Do you need FCA authorisation to offer solar finance?
Usually yes, if you introduce or arrange credit. Offering finance to customers is a regulated activity, and acting as a credit broker requires authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Even introducing customers to a lender can count, so check where your role sits before you advertise finance at all.
The FCA separates primary and secondary credit brokers, with different rules for firms whose main business is not lending (FCA). Recent policy has tightened how ancillary credit firms register, with transition dates running through 2025 and into 2026. If a finance provider handles the credit and you only pass on a name, you may still need permission.
Get advice before you build finance into the sale. Trading credit without authorisation is a serious breach, and it undermines the trust the rest of your compliance is meant to build. Where you are properly authorised, spread-cost finance can widen your market to buyers who cannot pay the full price upfront.
How should you handle the 14-day cooling-off period?
Treat it as a fixed right, not a formality. Consumers who agree a contract at home get 14 days to cancel without penalty under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, and RECC members must give written notice of that right (RECC). Rush a signature and you risk an unenforceable contract.
If the customer wants installation to begin inside the 14 days, you need their express written consent, and they remain liable for work already done if they later cancel (RECC). Document that consent clearly. Where a contract is cancelled, the deposit must be repaid within 14 days, so keep your refund process quick and traceable.
What savings claims can you actually make?
Only claims you can prove for the specific customer. In 2025 the ASA repeatedly ruled solar savings adverts misleading, including a claim that a system could shrink electricity bills by up to 94% and another promising up to £1,341 a year (ASA, 2025). Undisclosed assumptions were the common fault.
One installer advertised a fixed fully installed price that did not hold once a property had a three-phase supply or needed a larger system, and the ASA found the omission misleading (ASA, 2025). The lesson is simple. Quote from the customer's own consumption and roof, show your assumptions, and drop headline figures that only apply in a best case.
Genuine incentives give you plenty to work with. Zero-rate VAT and Smart Export Guarantee payments are real, documented benefits you can present without overreach, and both are covered later in this guide.
Price, payback and incentives that close the sale
The close turns a large upfront cost into a clear return. A typical 4kW system costs around £6,500 in 2026, and most homes see a payback of six to nine years at current electricity prices (FMB, 2026). Set against 25 years of generation, that is a strong case to make.
Give customers honest ranges rather than a single tempting number. Costs scale with system size, and savings depend on how much energy the household uses during daylight hours (Renewable Energy Hub, 2026).
- 3kW system: around £5,000 installed, typical for a smaller home.
- 4kW system: around £6,500 installed, the most common UK choice.
- 6kW system: around £8,500 installed, suited to higher usage.
- 8kW system: around £11,000 installed, for larger households.
- 10kW system: around £14,500 installed, for high demand or EV charging.
Add the incentives on top. Solar, batteries and the associated labour carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk), and exported power earns money through the Smart Export Guarantee, with tariffs ranging from about 4p to 25p per kWh depending on supplier (The Eco Experts, 2026). Our Smart Export Guarantee rates guide keeps the current numbers to hand, and the 0% VAT guide explains invoice treatment.
Sequence those numbers in the customer's favour. Lead with the annual saving and the export income, then show the payback, and only then the headline cost. A buyer who first sees a six to nine year payback against a 25-year asset reads the price very differently from one who is shown the cost cold, and the order costs you nothing to change.
Codes and guarantees that build the most trust
The ones a customer can verify. MCS certification, a recognised consumer code, insurance-backed guarantees and TrustMark registration together signal a business that will still be here in ten years. Buyers now treat these as entry requirements rather than extras, especially on new build work (MCS, 2025).
Display your accreditations early and explain what each one protects. TrustMark registration, covered in our TrustMark guide, sits alongside MCS and your consumer code as a mark buyers recognise. Back it with real aftercare: monitoring, a clear fault process and a maintenance offer that keeps you in contact after handover.
Keeping all of this consistent across every quote is where good software helps. A single system that carries the compliant quote, performance estimate and finance details through to installation, such as Reonic's Installer OS, removes the gaps where errors and missed rules creep in.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to sell solar panels without MCS certification?
Selling is not illegal without MCS, but the customer loses access to the Smart Export Guarantee and most grants, which require an MCS certificate. In practice, uncertified work is very hard to sell and cannot access export payments, so almost all reputable UK installers hold MCS certification before they start selling.
Can I take a larger deposit if the customer agrees?
No. Under the RECC consumer code the initial deposit cannot exceed 25% of the contract value, regardless of consent, and deposit plus advance payment cannot exceed 60% (RECC). The cap protects customers if a firm stops trading, and breaching it puts your code membership at risk.
Do I need FCA authorisation if a third party provides the finance?
Often yes. Introducing customers to a lender or arranging credit is credit broking, a regulated activity that requires FCA authorisation, even when another firm advances the money (FCA). The rules differ for primary and secondary brokers, so confirm your exact role and permission before advertising any finance option.
How long is the cooling-off period for solar sales?
Fourteen days. Consumers who contract at home can cancel without penalty within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, and RECC members must give written notice of the right (RECC). To start work sooner you need the customer's express written consent, and any refund is due within 14 days of cancellation.
What happens if the ASA finds my solar advert misleading?
The ruling is published and you must withdraw or amend the advert. Several UK solar firms were named in 2025 for unsubstantiated savings claims (ASA, 2025). Repeated breaches can be referred to Trading Standards, so keep evidence for every figure and avoid best-case headlines you cannot support.
