Combined Solar & Heat Pump — Near-Zero Energy Bills
Power your heat pump with solar electricity and cut your annual energy bills to near zero. Get free quotes from MCS-certified installers for the UK's most cost-effective renewable combination.
Trusted By & Accredited With
MCS Certified 
Which? Trusted 
TrustMark 
RECC Why Solar + Heat Pump is the UK's Most Powerful Combination
Air source heat pumps run on electricity. Solar panels generate electricity. The synergy is simple in principle but significant in practice: every kilowatt-hour of solar electricity that directly powers your heat pump is worth 27.69p in avoided grid imports — far more valuable than the 15p/kWh Smart Export Guarantee rate.
A well-designed combined system in the South West of England — 4kWp solar panels, 9.5kWh battery storage, and an ASHP replacing an oil boiler — can reduce annual energy costs from approximately £1,800 (oil) to under £300. The heat pump covers 100% of space heating and hot water; the solar panels cover a substantial portion of the electricity the heat pump consumes.
The system is also future-proofed: as electricity prices rise relative to gas, the solar electricity that powers your heat pump becomes increasingly valuable. The combination locks in a substantial portion of your heating cost at zero marginal rate for the lifetime of the panels (25+ years).
System Integration: How It Works Together
Solar Generation → Heat Pump
Smart controls detect solar surplus and prioritise heat pump operation during generation windows. Shoulder seasons (March–May, Sept–Nov) provide the most useful overlap — moderate heating demand, meaningful solar output.
Battery Buffer → Evening Heat Pump
A 9.5kWh battery stores afternoon solar generation and discharges in the evening when heat pumps typically run for hot water top-up and space heating ramp-down. Without a battery, much of this energy would be exported at 15p/kWh.
Smart Tariff Integration
Time-of-use tariffs (Octopus Intelligent, Agile) allow your heat pump to charge thermal mass cheaply at 7p/kWh overnight. Combined with solar, your effective average electricity cost can fall below 12p/kWh — making the heat pump competitive even with gas.
Payback Comparison: System Combinations
| Configuration | Net Cost (after grants) | Annual Saving vs Oil | Payback (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASHP only | £5,000–£9,000 | £400–£700/yr | 10–18 yrs |
| 4kWp Solar only | £5,000–£8,000 | £600–£900/yr | 7–12 yrs |
| ASHP + Solar (4kWp) | £10,000–£17,000 | £1,200–£1,600/yr | 8–13 yrs |
| ASHP + Solar + Battery | £14,000–£22,000 | £1,400–£1,900/yr | 10–16 yrs |
Based on detached 3-bed property currently heating with oil in South West England. ASHP grant of £7,500 deducted. Estimates only — individual results vary.
Get Your Free Quotes
Takes under 4 minutes · No obligation
Claim Your £7,500 Heat Pump Grant
Combined System Homeowner Results
Every saving figure below is from the homeowner's own bills — not a marketing estimate.
"We were paying over £200 a month on electricity. After our 4kWp solar system went in last April, our last three bills have averaged £43. The whole process — from filling in the form to panels on the roof — took three weeks. No hard sell, just a local installer who knew what he was talking about."
"We were spending £3,200 a year on heating oil. The heat pump cost us £4,100 after the BUS grant. First winter running costs came to £820. I wish we'd done it five years ago. The matched installer knew exactly how to deal with our 1970s farmhouse layout."
"We added a GivEnergy battery to our existing solar at the same time. The whole system now covers about 85% of our electricity use. The installer who came knew Brighton roofs — he'd done dozens on our street. The form took four minutes and I had three quotes within a day."
Solar + Heat Pump Questions Answered
Get Your Combined System Quotes Today
Specialist installers who design solar and heat pump systems together. £7,500 BUS grant + 0% VAT solar. Free, no-obligation quotes.
Get My Free Quotes