HOW TO HIRE · PLUMBING & HEATING

How to hire a solar thermal installer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to solar thermal installers; MCS certification is the standard to ask for, and the installation is zero-rated for VAT.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a solar thermal installer in five steps

  1. Ask for MCS certificationIt is voluntary, but it is the recognised standard for solar thermal; check the installer on MCS's search.
  2. Check the cylinderA cylinder with no solar coil usually has to be replaced with a twin-coil one.
  3. Look at the roofOrientation, shading and access — and scaffolding priced if it is needed.
  4. Expect 0% VATSolar collectors installed in a home are zero-rated until 31 March 2027.
  5. Ask about servicingThe fluid in the system needs checking every few years; agree who does it.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

MCS certification

No law reserves solar thermal work to anyone, and no grant listed in the family research depends on it, but MCS certification is the recognised installer standard and MCS installers must belong to a consumer protection scheme.

Look the installer up on MCS's installer search. mcscertified.com →

0% VAT on solar collectors

HMRC's Notice 708/6 treats evacuated tube and flat plate solar collectors, with their pipework, pump, cylinder and controls, as energy-saving materials — zero-rated when installed in a home until 31 March 2027.

Check the quote charges 0% VAT on the solar thermal installation. gov.uk →

Building regulations sign-off

Microgeneration and renewables are on gov.uk's list of work that a competent person scheme installer may self-certify in England, and a new cylinder may be notifiable too.

Ask which competent person scheme the installer uses, and for the certificate. gov.uk →

Unvented cylinder rules (England)

If the system uses an unvented hot water cylinder, Approved Document G makes fitting it notifiable work in England, unless the installer is on a scheme for it.

Ask whether your cylinder is vented or unvented, and who notifies it. gov.uk →

VAT

Installing solar thermal panels in a home is zero-rated (0%) until 31 March 2027, then 5%; panels sold without fitting, or fitted to a hotel or commercial building, are standard-rated. Registration is compulsory above £90,000 of taxable turnover, and a registered firm has to charge it and itemise it rather than fold it into the price.

Check the solar thermal quote shows 0% against the installation, and ask for the installer's VAT number. gov.uk →

“Are you MCS certified for solar thermal?”

A good answer: Yes, findable on MCS's search, or a clear explanation of the standard they work to instead.

“How much of my hot water will the solar thermal system provide?”

A good answer: An estimate for your roof and household, given in writing — not a promise of free hot water all year.

“Does my cylinder need replacing for the solar thermal coil?”

A good answer: A look at the cylinder; most need a twin-coil one.

“Flat plate or evacuated tube — which suits this roof?”

A good answer: A reasoned choice: tubes work better in cold weather, flat plates cost less.

“Is scaffolding included?”

A good answer: Priced as its own line if the roof needs it.

“What servicing does the system need?”

A good answer: A check of the fluid and pump every few years, with a price.

Getting the quote right

  • Collector type and number, and the cylinder
  • Pipework, pump station and controller listed
  • Scaffolding as its own line
  • Commissioning, warranty and the servicing interval
  • Who actually attends to fit the collectors and cylinder — employed staff or subcontracted roofers
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 0% on the qualifying installation shown on its own line

Walk away if

  • Promises a grant the family research does not list
  • The standard VAT rate charged on collectors fitted to a home
  • No look at the cylinder before quoting
  • Vague about who climbs the roof and how
LOW
£3,000
TYPICAL
£5,000
HIGH
£6,000

What a solar thermal installer costs: £3,000–£6,000 per install

Solar thermal is quoted as an installed price after a roof and cylinder survey; scaffolding and a new cylinder are the usual extras. Solar Thermal Installation price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Solar thermal installers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyRoof orientation, shading, access and the cylinder are checked.
  2. AccessScaffold or other access put up for work on the roof.
  3. Collectors and pipeworkPanels fixed to the roof and insulated pipes run to the cylinder.
  4. Fill and commissionThe system filled with solar fluid, pressure-tested and the controller set.
  5. Hand overController explained, paperwork left, servicing agreed.

Flat plate collector
A flat solar panel that heats fluid running through it.
Evacuated tube
Glass tubes that keep heat in better in cold weather.
Twin-coil cylinder
A hot water cylinder with one coil for solar and one for the boiler.
Pump station
The pump and controls that move fluid between panels and cylinder.
Solar fluid
Antifreeze mixture that carries heat from the panels.
MCS
The certification scheme for small-scale renewable installers.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the commissioning recordFluid type, pressure and settings, with the warranty and any MCS certificate.
Watch the controllerOn a sunny day the controller should show the panels heating the cylinder.
Diarise the serviceThe fluid needs checking every few years.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy are tied to a booking, so yours about the solar thermal system carries weight. If something is not right, the make-it-right step gives the solar thermal installer the first chance to fix it before it is published.

STEP 1Put it in writing to the solar thermal installerMessage the solar thermal installer with the date, what went wrong and the fix you want. If the solar thermal system fell below reasonable care and skill — the test in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 — sections 55 and 56 give you a free redo or a cut in the price.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepA score under four stars opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the solar thermal installer gets the chance to put the solar thermal system right first, and we chase it to an end before you publish.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the solar thermal system, or to have the complaint passed to Trading Standards, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedAn unpaid refund or repair bill from the solar thermal system goes to small claims: £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland using simple procedure, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland — all designed to be used without a solicitor.

Hiring a solar thermal installer: questions people ask

There is no legal requirement, but MCS certification is the recognised standard; ask for it.

0% when installed in a home until 31 March 2027, then 5%. Panels sold without installation are standard-rated.

The family research found none for solar thermal: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers heat pumps and biomass boilers, not solar panels.

£3,000–£6,000 per install, about £5,000 typical. Read the solar thermal installation price guide for the factors behind it; to see installers near you, enter your town above.

A commissioning record and warranty, an MCS certificate if the installer is certified, and the building regulations certificate from their competent person scheme.

Two to three days for most installations.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in plumbing & heating

How to hire: Heat Pump InstallationHow to hire: Air Source Heat PumpHow to hire: Water Tank InstallationHow to hire: Immersion Heater InstallationHow to hire: Central Heating InstallationHow to hire: Boiler ReplacementHow to hire: Underfloor HeatingHow to hire: Power FlushingAll 701 hiring guides →

Solar thermal installers near you

Solar thermal installers in LondonSolar thermal installers in ManchesterSolar thermal installers in BirminghamSolar thermal installers in GlasgowSolar thermal installers in BelfastAll solar thermal installers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. MCS — the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for consumers
  2. gov.uk — VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (Notice 708/6)
  3. gov.uk — competent person schemes: current schemes and how they are authorised
  4. gov.uk — Approved Document G: sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency (England)
  5. nidirect — energy saving grants in your area
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  8. Energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6) — 2.1 Zero-rated installations; 2.11 Solar panels
  9. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register