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.
Homes in West Yorkshire with existing panels can often have the heat pump set to heat water from their daytime output. Roof orientation and shading vary street by street in West Yorkshire, so solar is assessed on each roof individually. For West Yorkshire households out during the day, a battery can carry daytime solar into the evening heating period.
Who it suits
- Households at home during the day or with flexible hot water timing
- Homes with a roof facing anywhere from east through south to west, with little shading
- Homes with existing solar PV that currently export much of their output
- Homeowners planning a heat pump who want to add panels at the same time
Grants and rules for heat pumps in England
In England the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards an air source heat pump (£9,000 if it replaces oil or LPG, from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027), and since 28 April 2026 a valid EPC is no longer needed. The grant is applied for by the MCS-certified installer and shown as a deduction on your quote.
Installing heat pumps is zero-rated for VAT across the UK until 31 March 2027. Since 29 May 2025, permitted development in England allows up to two air source heat pumps on a house, each up to 1.5 m³, with no blanket 1 m boundary rule — the installation must still meet the MCS planning standards, including the noise check. Listed buildings, flats and some conservation-area positions need extra consent, which we check 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 West Yorkshire
We cover 20 towns in West Yorkshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds | LS1 | Morley | 7 h 25 min |
| Bradford | BD1 | Cleckheaton | 7 h 25 min |
| Huddersfield | HD1 | Brighouse | 7 h 26 min |
| Wakefield | WF1 | Ossett | 7 h 26 min |
| Halifax | HX3 | Brighouse | 7 h 25 min |
| Dewsbury | WF12 | Ossett | 7 h 26 min |
| Morley | LS27 | Dewsbury | 7 h 25 min |
| Keighley | BD21 | Bingley | 7 h 24 min |
| Castleford | WF10 | Pontefract | 7 h 25 min |
| Pontefract | WF8 | Castleford | 7 h 26 min |
| Yeadon | LS19 | Guiseley | 7 h 24 min |
| Brighouse | HD6 | Halifax | 7 h 26 min |
| Cleckheaton | BD19 | Liversedge | 7 h 25 min |
| Ossett | WF5 | Dewsbury | 7 h 26 min |
| Guiseley | LS20 | Yeadon | 7 h 24 min |
| Liversedge | WF15 | Cleckheaton | 7 h 26 min |
| Horsforth | LS18 | Yeadon | 7 h 24 min |
| South Elmsall | WF9 | Pontefract | 7 h 27 min |
| Mirfield | WF14 | Liversedge | 7 h 26 min |
| Bingley | BD16 | Keighley | 7 h 24 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.
Is a solar diverter useful with a heat pump?
It can be, but less so than with a gas boiler. A diverter heats water through the immersion heater, which turns one unit of electricity into one unit of heat, while a heat pump typically makes around three. Scheduling the heat pump to heat water at midday usually uses solar more efficiently, with a diverter adding top-ups on very sunny days.
How much do solar panels and a battery cost with a heat pump?
Solar PV and batteries are quoted separately from the heat pump, because the price depends on your roof, the number of panels, scaffolding, the inverter and any battery size. We survey the roof and give a written quote for that part of the work. The heat pump itself is priced from its own guide ranges, shown on our prices page.
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.