It is worth being clear about the seasons. Solar panels generate most from spring to early autumn, when a heat pump is mainly heating hot water. In December and January, when heating demand peaks, a typical roof produces only a small fraction of its summer output and covers little of the heat pump's needs. The strongest fit is daytime hot water heating for much of the year, with a battery or a time-of-use tariff helping in winter.
Scaffolding access for solar in Greater London is checked at the survey, including terraced streets with shared passages. Across Greater London and Greater London, winter solar output is modest, so our heat pump designs never rely on it for heating. Roof orientation and shading vary street by street in Greater London, so solar is assessed on each roof individually.
Who it suits
- Households at home during the day or with flexible hot water timing
- Homes with existing solar PV that currently export much of their output
- Households considering a battery to store daytime or cheaper overnight electricity
- Homeowners planning a heat pump who want to add panels at the same time
Grants and rules for heat pumps in England
Homes in Greater London can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which takes £7,500 off the cost of an air source heat pump when it replaces fossil-fuel or electric heating. Replacing oil or LPG heating qualifies for £9,000 for installations from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, and air-to-air systems for £2,500. The MCS-certified installer named in your quote applies for the grant and deducts it from the price.
There is no VAT on installing a heat pump anywhere in the UK until 31 March 2027. In England most houses can have an air source heat pump under permitted development, provided the unit meets the MCS noise and siting standards; the old 1 m boundary limit was removed on 29 May 2025. We flag listed buildings, flats and sensitive conservation-area positions at survey.
Prices
Solar panels and batteries are quoted separately after a roof survey. For heat pump system prices see the guide prices.
Towns we cover in Greater London
We cover 90 towns in Greater London for heat pumps with solar panels and batteries. Each links to local guide prices and the grant position for England.
| Town | Postcode district | Nearest town | Midwinter daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | N1 | Highbury | 7 h 49 min |
| Bexley | DA5 | Bexleyheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Barking | IG11 | Ilford | 7 h 49 min |
| Sutton | SM1 | Carshalton | 7 h 51 min |
| Croydon | CR0 | Purley | 7 h 51 min |
| Ilford | IG1 | Barking | 7 h 49 min |
| Harrow | HA1 | Pinner | 7 h 49 min |
| Tottenham | N17 | Wood Green | 7 h 49 min |
| Walthamstow | E17 | Leyton | 7 h 49 min |
| Dagenham | RM10 | Barking | 7 h 49 min |
| Romford | RM1 | Hornchurch | 7 h 49 min |
| Hayes | UB3 | Southall | 7 h 49 min |
| Wembley | HA9 | Hendon | 7 h 49 min |
| Fulham | SW6 | Putney | 7 h 50 min |
| Southall | UB1 | Hayes | 7 h 49 min |
| Putney | SW15 | Fulham | 7 h 50 min |
| Battersea | SW11 | Chelsea | 7 h 50 min |
| Purley | CR8 | Coulsdon | 7 h 51 min |
| Peckham | SE15 | Dulwich | 7 h 50 min |
| Chingford | E4 | Woodford Green | 7 h 48 min |
| Uxbridge | UB8 | Ruislip | 7 h 49 min |
| Wimbledon | SW19 | Morden | 7 h 50 min |
| Brixton | SW2 | Clapham | 7 h 50 min |
| Hounslow | TW3 | Twickenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Finchley | N3 | Hendon | 7 h 49 min |
| Mitcham | CR4 | Morden | 7 h 51 min |
| Feltham | TW13 | Hounslow | 7 h 50 min |
| Acton | W3 | Chiswick | 7 h 49 min |
| Beckenham | BR3 | Bromley | 7 h 50 min |
| Chelsea | SW3 | Battersea | 7 h 50 min |
| Streatham | SW16 | Balham | 7 h 50 min |
| Eltham | SE9 | Blackheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Morden | SM4 | Mitcham | 7 h 51 min |
| Carshalton | SM5 | Sutton | 7 h 51 min |
| Catford | SE6 | Lewisham | 7 h 50 min |
| Surbiton | KT6 | Kingston upon Thames | 7 h 51 min |
| Stratford | E15 | Leyton | 7 h 49 min |
| Chiswick | W4 | Acton | 7 h 50 min |
| Ruislip | HA4 | Pinner | 7 h 49 min |
| Greenwich | SE10 | Blackheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Barnet | EN5 | Mill Hill | 7 h 48 min |
| Wood Green | N22 | Crouch End | 7 h 49 min |
| Muswell Hill | N10 | Crouch End | 7 h 49 min |
| Highbury | N5 | Islington | 7 h 49 min |
| Coulsdon | CR5 | Purley | 7 h 51 min |
| Hornchurch | RM11 | Upminster | 7 h 49 min |
| Blackheath | SE3 | Lewisham | 7 h 50 min |
| New Malden | KT3 | Kingston upon Thames | 7 h 51 min |
| Woodford Green | IG8 | Chingford | 7 h 48 min |
| Richmond | TW9 | Twickenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Barnes | SW13 | Putney | 7 h 50 min |
| Notting Hill | W11 | Kensington | 7 h 49 min |
| Pinner | HA5 | Harrow | 7 h 49 min |
| Golders Green | NW11 | Hampstead | 7 h 49 min |
| Tooting | SW17 | Balham | 7 h 50 min |
| Chislehurst | BR7 | Sidcup | 7 h 50 min |
| Orpington | BR6 | Chislehurst | 7 h 51 min |
| Balham | SW12 | Tooting | 7 h 50 min |
| Bexleyheath | DA6 | Bexley | 7 h 50 min |
| Bromley | BR1 | Beckenham | 7 h 51 min |
| Camden | NW1 | Kentish Town | 7 h 49 min |
| Clapham | SW4 | Brixton | 7 h 50 min |
| Crouch End | N8 | Highgate | 7 h 49 min |
| Dulwich | SE21 | Brixton | 7 h 50 min |
| Ealing | W5 | Acton | 7 h 49 min |
| Edgware | HA8 | Mill Hill | 7 h 48 min |
| Enfield | EN1 | Southgate | 7 h 48 min |
| Forest Hill | SE23 | Sydenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Hackney | E8 | Stoke Newington | 7 h 49 min |
| Hammersmith | W6 | Notting Hill | 7 h 50 min |
| Hampstead | NW3 | West Hampstead | 7 h 49 min |
| Hendon | NW4 | Golders Green | 7 h 49 min |
| Highgate | N6 | Crouch End | 7 h 49 min |
| Kensington | W8 | Notting Hill | 7 h 50 min |
| Kentish Town | NW5 | Camden | 7 h 49 min |
| Kingston upon Thames | KT1 | Surbiton | 7 h 50 min |
| Lewisham | SE13 | Blackheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Leyton | E10 | Walthamstow | 7 h 49 min |
| Mill Hill | NW7 | Edgware | 7 h 48 min |
| Sidcup | DA14 | Chislehurst | 7 h 50 min |
| Southgate | N14 | Enfield | 7 h 48 min |
| Stoke Newington | N16 | Highbury | 7 h 49 min |
| Sydenham | SE26 | Forest Hill | 7 h 50 min |
| Teddington | TW11 | Twickenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Twickenham | TW1 | Teddington | 7 h 50 min |
| Upminster | RM14 | Hornchurch | 7 h 49 min |
| Wandsworth | SW18 | Putney | 7 h 50 min |
| Wanstead | E11 | Leyton | 7 h 49 min |
| West Hampstead | NW6 | Hampstead | 7 h 49 min |
| Woolwich | SE18 | Eltham | 7 h 50 min |
Heat pumps with solar panels and batteries questions
Can solar panels run my heat pump in winter?
Only partly. In midwinter, solar panels typically generate a small fraction of their summer output, and the shortest days coincide with the highest heating demand. Panels may help on bright winter afternoons, but most winter heating will run on grid electricity or a battery charged from a cheaper overnight tariff. Solar contributes most to hot water from spring to autumn.
Can my roof take solar panels?
Most pitched roofs in sound condition can take solar panels, but every roof needs checking. The survey looks at orientation, pitch, shading, roof covering and structure, plus access for scaffolding. Flat roofs can use angled mounting frames. The survey also checks where the inverter and any battery would go and how cables would reach your consumer unit.
Should I fit solar panels before or after a heat pump?
Either order works, but planning both together helps. Knowing the heat pump's electricity use helps size the panels and any battery, and the electrical work for both can be coordinated, including the consumer unit and any notification to the network operator. If you already have panels, the heat pump controls can be set to use their output for hot water.
Do I need a battery to benefit from solar with a heat pump?
No. Without a battery you can still use solar generation directly by timing hot water heating for the middle of the day. A battery adds flexibility by storing surplus for the evening, or by charging from a cheaper overnight tariff in winter. Whether it suits you depends on how much you would otherwise export and on your tariff.