Solar Panel Grants in the East Midlands: What Is Open, County by County
Most households in the East Midlands cannot get a grant for solar panels or a battery. What every home does get is 0% VAT on an installed system until 31st March 2027, plus Smart Export Guarantee payments for the electricity it exports, as long as the system and installer are MCS certified and the home has a smart meter. Lower-income households in less efficient homes (EPC D to G) may get the Warm Homes: Local Grant through their council, where the council is still taking applications.
Businesses get tax relief rather than a national grant. On 29th September 2026, local grants that name solar were open to businesses in Bulwell (Nottingham) and, in neighbouring South Yorkshire, Sheffield. Doncaster, also in South Yorkshire, had a low carbon grant open, but its page does not list solar.
This page covers the East Midlands plus neighbouring Staffordshire and South Yorkshire. We checked council, combined authority and national scheme pages on 29th September 2026 and link to the official pages you are most likely to need.
East Midlands and neighbouring counties: solar grants at a glance
| Area | Homes on lower incomes | Businesses | Community groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottinghamshire | Warm Homes: Local Grant waiting lists in the city and most districts | Bulwell Business Decarbonisation Grant (Bulwell wards only) | Efficiency East Midlands (EEM) Community Spaces Fund, Great British Energy (GBE) Community Fund |
| Derbyshire | Warm Homes: Local Grant open or taking registrations in most districts and Derby | Nothing open for solar | Chesterfield Community Grants Fund, EEM, GBE |
| Leicestershire | Closed to new applications in the county council's scheme and in Leicester; Oadby and Wigston not confirmed | Nothing open for solar | EEM, GBE, Harborough community grants (solar not named) |
| Lincolnshire | Applications invited in North Lincolnshire (the funding hub says not open); waiting lists or closed elsewhere | Nothing open for solar | GBE Community Fund |
| Staffordshire | Open in the eight districts; Stoke has used this year's money | No grant; an interest-free loan (solar not named, so ask first) and funded advice (not in Stoke) | GBE Community Fund |
| South Yorkshire | Open in Sheffield; unclear in Doncaster and Barnsley; none in Rotherham | Low carbon grants of up to 50% in Sheffield (solar named) and Doncaster (solar not named on its page); work must be finished by December 2026 | GBE Community Fund |
What every East Midlands household can get
0% VAT for every East Midlands home
Solar panels and batteries fitted in a home carry 0% VAT until 31st March 2027, then 5% from 1st April 2027 (HMRC VAT Notice 708/6). You do not apply for it: the installer charges no VAT. It also covers a battery added to existing panels, or a battery on its own. Kit bought without installation pays 20%.
See our guide to 0% VAT on solar for homeowners and our page on home battery storage.
Export payments
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) pays you for electricity you send to the grid, at a rate above zero set by the SEG supplier you choose, which does not have to be your electricity supplier. For a home system, the installation and the installer must be certified under MCS or an equivalent scheme, and you need a meter that records half-hourly exports, usually a smart meter (gov.uk).
Coming: the Warm Homes Loan Scheme
The Warm Homes Loan Scheme is not confirmed as available yet. Under its rules, the government will pay approved lenders to cut the interest rate on loans for solar and batteries (up to £15,000 each) for owner-occupiers and private landlords. There is no income limit, but lenders still run their normal credit and affordability checks. The scheme rules set a consumer launch phase from September 2026, but gov.uk had not named any participating lenders when we checked on 29th September 2026. This is information, not financial advice.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays towards heat pumps and biomass boilers, not solar or batteries. For the national rules in more depth, read our guide to solar panel grants across the UK.
East Midlands grants for lower-income homes
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is the main grant in our area that can pay for solar on a private home. Councils deliver it until 31st March 2028, and owner-occupiers who qualify pay nothing.
It covers owner-occupiers and private renters in England. A means-tested benefit, or a postcode in one of the most income-deprived areas, also qualifies. An assessment decides what gets fitted, so solar is not guaranteed, and a battery only goes in alongside new or existing solar.
Check your county section below first, because some areas take applications through their own partner (E.ON in neighbouring Sheffield, Community Home Solutions in neighbouring Staffordshire) and East Lindsey asks you to contact its team rather than use gov.uk. Elsewhere, start with the eligibility check on gov.uk. Its helpline on 0800 098 7950 helps you apply online.
ECO4 and solar
ECO4 ends on 31st December 2026 (Ofgem), and the government has said there will be no successor supplier obligation. It only funds solar in homes heated by a heat pump, high heat retention storage heaters or qualifying electric heating, so a home that keeps a gas boiler cannot get solar through it (Ofgem ECO4 guidance). Several councils and agencies in our area have stopped taking new referrals.
Not sure which of these applies to you?
Book a feasibility assessment. We will look at your roof and your electricity use and tell you straight whether a grant or scheme is likely to apply. Or call us on 0115 773 7575.
Book a feasibility assessmentEast Midlands grants for businesses
There is no national grant for business solar. The help comes through tax, business rates and a few local grants.
Tax relief, rates and export
- Capital allowancesThe Annual Investment Allowance lets a business deduct up to £1m a year of plant and machinery spending. Solar panels are special rate, so they cannot use the 40% first-year allowance. HMRC guidance does not name batteries, so ask your accountant.
- Business ratesIn England, on-site renewable generation kit, and batteries used with it, is exempt until 31st March 2035. The Valuation Office Agency removes it from the rateable value automatically.
- Export and VATSEG covers systems up to 5MW. Commercial installs pay 20% VAT, but buildings used by a charity solely for a relevant charitable purpose, including charity-run village halls, pay 0% until 31st March 2027, then 5%.
Our guide to capital allowances on solar PV has the tax detail, and our page on business solar funding covers ways to spread the cost. Take tax advice before relying on any of it.
Local business grants
Local grants that name business solar were open in Bulwell (see Nottinghamshire) and in neighbouring Sheffield (see South Yorkshire). Doncaster had a similar low carbon grant open, but its page does not name solar. Many older council grants ran on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which covered activity to 31st March 2026, and have closed. The East Midlands Combined County Authority's Local Growth Fund plan includes energy resilience help for small and medium-sized businesses, with nothing open yet. Our commercial solar page shows what we fit for businesses.
Farms
No national farm solar grant is open. The Sustainable Farming Incentive does not pay for solar (it funds land management), and SFI26 closed on 22nd September 2026. The Improving Farm Productivity grant, which paid £15,000 to £100,000 towards solar PV, is also closed (gov.uk). More on farm solar solutions.
East Midlands grants for community groups
- Great British Energy Community FundCloses 11.55pm on 12th November 2026. For legally constituted, incorporated community organisations set up to run energy projects, such as co-operatives, community benefit societies and registered charities, where the project will be at least 50% community owned: up to £40,000 for feasibility, £100,000 for development, and capital grants of up to £3m, capped at 50% of the project's capital cost. A battery counts only alongside another eligible technology such as solar (gbe.gov.uk).
- Great British Energy Partnerships GrantAlso closes on 12th November 2026. Councils apply with a community energy group, for up to £40,000 then £100,000 (gbe.gov.uk).
- EEM Community Spaces FundThe Efficiency East Midlands Foundation's fund, managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation. Closes 9am on 19th October 2026, with funded work carried out in 2027. Up to £5,000, with solar panels named, for village halls, clubs and community venues in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland that own the venue or hold a lease of 10 years or more.
Schools cannot apply to the Community Fund directly, though a community group can apply for a project on a school site that benefits the wider community. Great British Energy's own school solar funding goes to sites the government selects. The Department for Education's solar pilot for up to 150 schools and colleges in Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the South East is privately funded. DfE is choosing the schools itself (its guidance says final selection concludes at the end of summer 2026, with procurement starting in autumn 2026), so there is nothing to apply for. Our guide to solar for schools covers the other routes.
Nottinghamshire and Nottingham solar grants
Nottingham City Council Business Decarbonisation Grant: closed
All of the funding for the city-wide grant has been committed and it takes no new applications. Claims were due by 6th March 2026. It paid £1,000 to £10,000 (up to £15,000 in exceptional cases) at 50% of the cost and covered solar panels. Our old page about this grant now points here. Businesses in the Bulwell wards can still apply for the Bulwell grant further down this section.
Homes: waiting lists only
Every Warm Homes: Local Grant route we found here has a waiting list or is limited to households the council contacts. Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) handles most of them and says there is "a waiting list in all areas across Nottinghamshire".
- Nottingham CityOversubscribed. Nottingham City Council says it "could be a wait of up to a year", and its page is the only Nottinghamshire scheme page that names batteries.
- Gedling, Broxtowe, Ashfield, Bassetlaw and RushcliffeRegister through NEP and expect to wait several months.
- Newark and SherwoodThe council says its grant is for low-income households in privately rented homes and it will contact tenants it has already identified. Its energy page also points residents to NEP to register interest.
- MansfieldA council report of October 2025 said the grant would fund insulation only in 2025/26, with solar PV to be considered for 2026/27 and 2027/28 after a separate procurement. We found no update and no public page to apply.
For ECO4, NEP has closed to new applications and Nottinghamshire County Council's involvement ended on 31st March 2026. Nottingham City and Bassetlaw councils' pages still list ECO4 routes, but ECO4 ends on 31st December 2026 and only pays for solar in homes heated by a heat pump, high heat retention storage heaters or qualifying electric heating.
Open now for businesses and community groups
- Bulwell Business Decarbonisation GrantNottingham City Council's grant, funded by the Levelling Up Fund, for businesses with premises in the Bulwell or Bulwell Forest wards that have traded for 12 months or more and are not home-based. It pays £500 to £5,000, up to 75% of the project cost excluding VAT, for capital items. It names "installation of solar panels for renewable energy generation" but does not mention batteries. It stays open until the money is committed, and grants must be claimed by 10th March 2028. Our own office is in Bulwell.
- Community venues and groupsThe EEM and GBE funds above both cover Nottinghamshire, with advice from the Midlands Net Zero Hub.
We found no other open environmental or energy efficiency grant for Nottingham or Nottinghamshire businesses that names solar. Bassetlaw's business decarbonisation page would not load when we checked, so ask the council.
Recently closed
- District grantsMade in Broxtowe business grants closed on 20th July 2026, and Rushcliffe's community and business grants have closed.
Who to contact
- NEP on 0115 947 2207, or NEP's Warm Homes page.
- Nottingham City Council's Greener HousiNG page and its Bulwell business grants page.
Our page on solar panels across Nottinghamshire covers our work in the county.
Derbyshire and Derby solar grants
Open now for homes
Most Derbyshire councils are taking applications or registrations for the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
- North East DerbyshireOpen, first come, first served. Names solar and battery storage, the battery only with solar.
- Amber ValleyOpen, through the council's online form or Marches Energy Agency. The council's 2025 launch news said "Applications are open now, and funding is limited" and named solar panels and solar batteries. The council says it is not yet signed up to receive applications made through gov.uk, so use its own form.
- Derby CityOpen through YES Energy Solutions in parts of the city the government has identified. The council's November 2025 launch news says "up to £30,000 per property".
- Bolsover, High Peak and ChesterfieldOpen. Bolsover and High Peak list solar. Chesterfield takes registrations of interest and does not list solar.
- Derbyshire DalesOpen to register, but the council cannot guarantee capacity or funding before the scheme ends in 2028.
- Erewash and South DerbyshireStatus not confirmed, so check with the council.
ECO4 through Derbyshire County Council ends on 31st December 2026, and "most funding has already been allocated".
Businesses and community groups
We found nothing open that pays for business solar or batteries. For community groups:
- Chesterfield Community Grants FundOpen until 23rd October 2026 for not-for-profit groups in the borough, who must speak to a Community Development Worker before applying. It funds "renewable energy technologies at community buildings", with capital awards up to £50,000, and has already paid for solar on two community buildings.
- EEM and GBE fundsBoth cover Derbyshire and Derby (see community groups above).
Recently closed
- Bolsover Net Zero Growth Grant, which paid £1,000 to £25,000 at up to 80% and could fund energy generation and storage, closed on 1st June 2026. The Green Entrepreneurs Fund and the Derbyshire Dales business grants have also closed.
Who to contact
Your council's page has the number and form: North East Derbyshire (applications through Warm Homes North East Derbyshire), Amber Valley, Derby City, Bolsover, High Peak, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, and Chesterfield's Community Grants Fund.
More on what we do in the county on our page about solar panels across Derbyshire.
Leicestershire and Leicester solar grants
For homes
The county council's scheme and Leicester City's were not taking new applications when we checked, and we could not confirm whether Oadby and Wigston's still has funding.
- Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton and North West LeicestershireThe county council runs the grant here and is not accepting new applications because of demand, although Melton's own page still says registrations are open. You can register interest on gov.uk and the county will hold your details.
- Leicester CityClosed. The city council says applications "may reopen in 2028, subject to funding".
- Oadby and WigstonThe borough runs its own scheme, separate from the county's. Its page still shows a "Check Eligibility and Apply" button (last updated 12th February 2026), but we could not confirm that funding remains, so ring the council on 0116 288 8961 first.
The county council's ECO4 Flex eligibility route is open until 31st December 2026 through the installers on its list, but the council warns that some suppliers and installers have reduced or withdrawn their offers. Its page does not list solar; Leicester City's ECO4 Flex page does, subject to the ECO4 heating rules above. We found no council-backed Solar Together round in Leicestershire: the county council no longer lists it, and Harborough's registration link no longer works.
Businesses and community groups
We found nothing open that pays for business solar, and Leicestershire is outside the East Midlands Combined County Authority's Local Growth Fund area. For community groups:
- Harborough Ward Member Community Grant and Rural Grant SchemeOpen, and you start by approaching your ward councillor. Ward grants start at £500, and rural grants of £500 to £20,000 are for the smaller villages on the council's list. Solar is not named, but in March 2026 Harborough's previous Community Grant Fund awarded £13,400 for solar panels and battery storage on a scout hut and £5,000 for solar panels on a village hall.
- EEM and GBE fundsBoth cover Leicestershire and Leicester (see community groups above).
Recently closed
- Oadby and Wigston's Green Grant, which funded solar panels for one business and a battery for another, closed on 30th September 2025. Blaby's Business Growth and Decarbonisation Grant (up to £3,000) closed on 30th June 2026 and Charnwood's Community Facilities Grant on 25th September 2026; neither named solar.
Who to contact
- Leicestershire County Council's Warm Homes page and Leicester City Council's Warm Homes page.
- Oadby and Wigston's energy efficiency funding page.
See solar panels across Leicestershire for what we do in the county.
Lincolnshire solar grants
For homes
- North LincolnshireThe council's page invites applications through the gov.uk service, and YES Energy Solutions, which delivers the grant, lists solar panels. The Midlands Net Zero Hub, which holds the funding, says the grant is not currently open for applications, so check with YES on 01422 880100 before relying on it.
- Boston, East Lindsey and South HollandWaiting list, with no guarantee of processing before the scheme ends in March 2028. East Lindsey asks you to contact its team directly. These council pages do not list solar.
- North East LincolnshireWaiting list, and only if the council is successful with further funding.
- West Lindsey, North Kesteven and South KestevenNot taking new applications because of demand. The City of Lincoln shares the same energy advice team, but we found no Lincoln council page giving its status, so ask that team.
Switch Together Lincolnshire (formerly Solar Together), the council-backed group buying scheme for solar and batteries, closed for registration on 24th July 2026. No next round has been announced.
Businesses and community groups
We found nothing open for business solar or batteries, and no business energy grant from the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority. Community groups can apply to the GBE Community Fund until 12th November 2026.
Recently closed
- North Kesteven's Business Energy and Resources Grant, which listed solar panels and battery storage, closed to applications on 30th September 2025. Grants4Growth, a general business grant in South and East Lincolnshire, closed on 31st March 2026; we could not confirm it paid for solar.
Who to contact
- North Lincolnshire Council's energy efficiency page and North East Lincolnshire's home energy page.
- Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland: East Lindsey's team on 01507 613573, or its Warm Homes page.
- Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Kesteven and West Lindsey: Lincs 4 Warmer Homes gives energy advice, not grants, on 01427 675199.
Read about solar panels across Lincolnshire on our county page.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent solar grants
For homes
- Staffordshire Warmer HomesStaffordshire County Council's page (updated 15th September) says the Warm Homes: Local Grant has been open since 24th November 2025 in all eight district and borough council areas, and it can fund solar panels. It also accepts households vulnerable to cold or in problem debt. Funding is limited and applications are prioritised by need, so qualifying does not guarantee an installation.
- Stoke-on-TrentPaused. The city council has used its funding for 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027 and cannot progress new applications, but you can register interest for later funding.
Open now for businesses and community groups
We found no open grant for business solar or batteries. The county's September 2026 Economic Bulletin still mentions solar grants under the Low Carbon Business Evolution Programme, but the Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (SBEN) does not include it in its current funding list, so check with SBEN on 01785 277 379. Staffordshire is not a Local Growth Fund area. Two things are open:
- Scale Up StaffordshireAn interest-free loan (subject to status) of £5,000 to £100,000, covering 80% of the cost, for businesses in Staffordshire or Stoke trading for three years or more. Energy efficiency upgrades are one of its themes, but solar is not named, so ask first.
- SBEN Energy Efficiency Advice ProjectFunded advice, including solar feasibility, until March 2027 for businesses in non-domestic premises in the county council area (not Stoke) that pay their own bills and use at least 8,000kWh of gas and electricity a year. Places are limited.
The Business Energy Advice Service's grants of up to 50% cover only the West Midlands Combined Authority area (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton), not Staffordshire or Stoke. Community groups can use the GBE Community Fund until 12th November 2026.
Recently closed
- Green Solutions, which gave Staffordshire and Stoke businesses 50% match-funded grants of £1,000 to £100,000 and recommended technologies including solar and batteries, has ended.
Who to contact
- Staffordshire County Council's Warmer Homes page, or Community Home Solutions on 0115 718 1822, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Warm Homes page, and SBEN for the Scale Up loan.
Our county page covers solar panels across Staffordshire.
South Yorkshire solar grants
For homes
- SheffieldThe Warm Homes: Local Grant is open, with applications through E.ON. Solar PV is listed, and owner-occupiers with savings under £23,250 get priority.
- Doncaster and BarnsleyBoth councils hold Warm Homes: Local Grant funding, but neither page says whether solar is offered.
- RotherhamNot on the government's list of Warm Homes: Local Grant councils.
Sheffield City Council said in February 2026 that its Energy Hub at 108 Pinstone Street would give impartial advice, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
Open now for businesses and community groups
The Local Growth Fund Low Carbon Project, funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, gives small and medium businesses with commercial premises an energy survey and, if the project meets the grant rules, a grant of up to 50% of the cost. Sheffield names solar panels as an eligible improvement. The work must be finished by December 2026.
- SheffieldOpen, £1,500 to £30,000. Grants over £12,500 need substantial energy savings.
- DoncasterOpen, £1,500 to £12,499, with larger grants considered for substantial savings. Its page does not name solar (Sheffield's does), so ask Business Doncaster first.
- RotherhamListed by Invest Rotherham, but its page still says the grants are part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which ended in March 2026, so ask first.
Community groups can apply to the GBE Community Fund until 11.55pm on 12th November 2026. The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub can help, but its support request form closes at 11.55pm on 4th November 2026.
Recently closed
- Barnsley's low carbon programme, which named solar panels and battery storage, is fully allocated for 2026/27.
Who to contact
- Sheffield City Council's low carbon project page, or Business Sheffield on 0114 224 5000.
- Business Doncaster on 01302 735 555, and Invest Rotherham.
- Sheffield's Warm Homes page, or E.ON on 0333 202 4820.
Our page on solar panels across South Yorkshire covers our work there.
Solar grant cold calls in the East Midlands
If someone rings offering "free solar" under ECO4, remember that ECO4 only pays for solar in homes heated by a heat pump, high heat retention storage heaters or qualifying electric heating. The Warm Homes: Local Grant goes through your council or gov.uk, and the council arranges the assessment and the work. If a caller says you qualify for a grant, check with your council before you sign anything or pay a deposit. Great British Energy's official website is gbe.gov.uk. Our guide on how to spot solar panel scams covers the other warning signs.
Solar grants in the East Midlands: your questions
Is there a solar panel grant for every household in the East Midlands?
No. None of the four East Midlands counties we cover, or neighbouring Staffordshire and South Yorkshire, has a grant open to every household. Every home gets 0% VAT on an installed system until 31st March 2027, and can be paid for exported electricity through the Smart Export Guarantee if the system and installer are MCS certified and the home has a smart export meter. Lower-income households in homes rated EPC D to G may qualify for the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Can I get a solar panel grant from Nottingham City Council?
If your household qualifies (through income, benefits or postcode, in a home rated EPC D to G), you can join the Warm Homes: Local Grant waiting list, which the council says could take up to a year. The city-wide Business Decarbonisation Grant has closed, so only businesses in the Bulwell and Bulwell Forest wards can still apply, through the Bulwell Business Decarbonisation Grant.
Will the Warm Homes: Local Grant pay for a battery?
It can, but only alongside new or existing solar panels, and only where the assessment recommends it. Of the schemes open or running a waiting list in our area, batteries are named on Nottingham City's page, on the site of North East Derbyshire's delivery partner and in Amber Valley's 2025 launch news. Elsewhere, ask your council first. A battery with no solar is not funded.
Are there solar grants for businesses in the East Midlands?
Very few. On 29th September 2026 the only open council grant we found for business solar across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire was the Bulwell Business Decarbonisation Grant in Nottingham. Neighbouring South Yorkshire has low carbon grants of up to 50% in Sheffield, which names solar panels, and in Doncaster, where you should ask first. Elsewhere, businesses rely on capital allowances, the business rates exemption and export payments.
Is there help for village halls and community buildings?
Yes, but the deadlines are close. The EEM Community Spaces Fund offers up to £5,000 for venues in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and their cities, closing at 9am on 19th October 2026. The GBE Community Fund, closing on 12th November 2026, is only for incorporated community organisations set up to run energy projects, with the project at least 50% community owned. A village hall run by a charity and used solely for charitable purposes also pays 0% VAT on solar until 31st March 2027.
Talk to us before you sign anything
Book a feasibility assessment and we will tell you whether anything on this page is likely to apply to you, and what the numbers look like if it does not. Call 0115 773 7575, 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
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