Official MSE Free Solar Panel guide discussion

juliestar

Hi is there any reason why we can't have info on heat pumps and solar panels - don't they go together in a new all electric future? Doesn't having a heat pump make having solar that much more cost effective?

QrizB

juliestar said:

Hi is there any reason why we can't have info on heat pumps and solar panels

No reason. Altough this thread is mostly about the "rent a roof" solar panel companies, who ceased operating some years ago. If you want to discuss his, you'd be better off with a separate thread.

juliestar said:

 don't they go together in a new all electric future?

Not really, they're two separate things that do two separate jobs.

juliestar said:

Doesn't having a heat pump make having solar that much more cost effective?

Another not really. For the warm and sunny six months of the year you'll be generating more electricity than your heat pump can use. For the cold and dull months you'll be generating far less than it needs.
You might as well think of them as two separate items that both happen to connect to the electrical grid.

debitcardmayhem

juliestar said:

Hi is there any reason why we can't have info on heat pumps and solar panels - don't they go together in a new all electric future? Doesn't having a heat pump make having solar that much more cost effective?

Not sure where you are coming from, if you mean on this forum, then start a new thread, if not google/bing/duckduckgo are your search engine friends(other search engines are available)

David97

Thanks for the new guide to solar panels - very helpful.

I think there are also some planning/approval issues.  I understand (from a company rep) that 4Kw systems can be connected to the grid on a 'rubber stamp' basis.  8Kw systems need approval so that the electricity supply in the street can be balanced (potential issue if everyone has big solar systems and they are feeding power back to the grid).  Above 8Kw then you have to follow the rules as an electricity generator - more complex!

I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information, but it would be worth looking into if you want to install more than 8Kw of solar panels.

portman_blue

Hi
Not been through this forum so the answer may already exist.
But - there's a company called Tomato Energy https://www.tomato.energy/tomatopia-solar  that's fitted a couple of houses with solar panels near me in the Telford area. Their website says that installation of the panels and a storage unit is free. They apparently charge £100 a month for electricity for 5 years and and then you are on your own.
Any experience of the company? Is it too good to be true?

QrizB

portman_blue said:
But - there's a company called Tomato Energy https://www.tomato.energy/tomatopia-solar  that's fitted a couple of houses with solar panels near me in the Telford area. Their website says that installation of the panels and a storage unit is free. They apparently charge £100 a month for electricity for 5 years and and then you are on your own.
Any experience of the company? Is it too good to be true?

There's a long thread on Tomato Energy:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6549717/tomato-energy-electric-only-supplier-too-good-to-be-true

Note that they're currently not taking on new customers while they sort their admin out. Opinions vary on the significance of this.

Edit:

If you're reading this in 2026 or later, Tomato Energy went bust in November 2025. You'll find all the grisly details starting on page 240 or so of the thread linked above.

Aussie_Tips

The latest revision of the MSE article "Solar panels – are they worth it?" By Clare Casalis gives a very negative view on the payback of Solar panels, suggesting that "Hefty upfront costs mean it could take 10 years to break even"

There's no way to feedback on the article, so I'd like to open the debate here to challenge some of the articles assertions.

Firstly the pricing of fully installed solar. The article suggests a 3.5kwp system costs over £6k - that's over £1,700/kwp fully installed. That's almost double the market price (from actual installs & quotes), which is closer to £900/kwp of solar fully installed

Secondly, it talks about the average price if a battery being £4.5k, however it gives no reference as to the size of that battery. Just as the market price for solar has dropped to around £900/kwp fully installed, the market price for a home battery fully installed is around £450/kWh.

Netexporter

The prices do sound unduly pessimistic but I suppose they'd get flack if they priced it for an easy installation on a bungalow with concrete tile roof.

QrizB

As I understand it, @Martyn1981 and others have challenged MSE over their pricing but MSE have just pointed to the Energy Saving Trust who are supposedly an authoritative source for such things.

They quote £6100 here:

https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/solar-panels/

Aussie_Tips

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955261#Comment_81955261

Yeah that's another out of date reference source. The point of an authoritative and informed article (and I consider MSE to be both) is that it should validate the sources of information, not just reference them as fact.