Saving energy at home: which device is right for you?

A heat pump, solar panels, a home battery and an EV charger can each cut your energy bills, but they work best when they suit your home and are set up to work together. There is no single order that is right for everyone. A few questions do make the choice much clearer. We go through them below, with the rules that apply in the UK in 2026.

The decision tree in five questions

1. Do you heat with gas, oil or LPG?

Then heating is usually where the biggest saving is. A heat pump turns each kWh of electricity into several kWh of heat. How many depends mostly on the flow temperature your home needs: in our database the median SCOP is about 4.9 at 35 °C (underfloor heating) and 3.7 at 55 °C (radiators). Swapping a few radiators for larger ones often lets the heat pump run cooler. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards an air-to-water or ground source heat pump ¹; Scotland has its own grant and loan ². See our heat pump grants guide and compare heat pumps on SCOP, noise and refrigerant – noise matters, because under MCS 020(a) the sound power decides whether you need planning permission ³.

2. Do you have a suitable roof?

Solar panels need little maintenance and are zero-rated for VAT when installed in a home ⁴. Exported power earns money through the Smart Export Guarantee, but SEG rates are usually well below what you pay for imported electricity ⁵, so every kWh you use yourself is worth more than one you export. If you might add a battery later, consider a hybrid inverter now: 34 of the 86 inverters in our database are hybrid.

3. Do you drive electric, or plan to?

An EV is often the biggest and most flexible load in the home. A smart charger can charge on cheap overnight rates or on solar surplus. Since 2022, chargers sold in Great Britain must have smart functions and default settings that avoid peak times ⁶. Of the 67 chargers in our database, the manufacturer lists solar surplus charging for 30 and load balancing for 60. Compare EV chargers.

4. Are you still left with lots of surplus – or on a time-of-use tariff?

Only then does a home battery come into play. It shifts solar power from day to evening, or charges on cheap night rates and covers your peak-time use. Since February 2024 batteries are also zero-rated for VAT when installed ⁷. Still, a battery costs a lot and loses a few percent on every cycle; a heat pump that heats a little more at midday or an EV that charges on surplus often uses the same energy more cheaply. Compare home batteries.

5. Will the devices work together?

More and more of the benefit comes from the combination. When buying, look for:

• Heat pump: SG Ready, so an inverter or energy management system can boost heating on solar surplus.
• Inverter: hybrid if a battery may follow; an open interface (such as Modbus) for energy management.
• EV charger: solar surplus charging, load balancing with a CT clamp, and OCPP so you are not tied to one app.
• Battery: the right coupling (AC for a retrofit, DC with a hybrid inverter) and support for time-of-use tariffs.

Which combination suits you?

What to watch in the UK in 2026

Smart Export Guarantee

Energy suppliers with at least 150,000 domestic customers must offer an SEG tariff, and the rate must always be above zero. Suppliers set the rate and contract terms themselves, so it pays to compare. To qualify, a solar installation up to 50 kW needs MCS certification, and you need a meter that records exports half-hourly – in practice a smart meter ⁵.

VAT on energy-saving materials

Solar panels, heat pumps and batteries installed in homes are zero-rated until 31 March 2027 ^4,7. EV chargers do not count as energy-saving materials and carry standard-rate VAT.

Grants

• Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales): £7,500 for air-to-water and ground source heat pumps, £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps in homes ¹. Your MCS installer applies on your behalf.
• Scotland: Home Energy Scotland offers a grant and interest-free loan for heat pumps and other measures ².
• Solar panels and batteries have no universal grant; lower-income households should check local and income-based schemes.

Check your supply

A heat pump, EV charger and inverter together draw or export a lot of power. Your installer normally notifies the network operator when adding a heat pump, charger, solar panels or battery, and larger generation or storage systems need approval before they are connected. Load balancing in the charger stops the main fuse being overloaded when everything runs at once.