Contact Solar Review (2026): Who They Are, EDF Ownership, Reviews & Verdict
Contact Solar is the installer behind every EDF solar system in Britain — a Chorley company with twelve years’ trading and more than 10,000 roofs to its name, bought outright by EDF in February 2024. Most people searching for it want to know one of three things: is it any good, who owns it, and is it the same as buying from EDF. This review answers all three, reads the 1,400-plus reviews for what the complaints actually say, and sets out where a Contact Solar quote beats a local MCS installer and where it doesn’t. We don’t sell Contact Solar or EDF systems.
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Choose Contact Solar if you want an installer with a long record and a big parent, you’ll take EDF’s supply for the tariffs, and you want a battery. Get a local quote if you’re after panels only, want to choose the panel brand, need more than a 3.6kW inverter, or want a ten-year workmanship guarantee in writing.
Compare with a local MCS quote →Who Contact Solar are
Contact Solar Ltd is a solar PV and battery installer based at Eaton Avenue in Chorley, Lancashire, trading for twelve years and describing itself as having more than 10,000 customers. It grew through the 2010s as a regional installer across the North West and Midlands, expanded nationally, and picked up the credentials that matter: MCS certification (without which there are no export payments), TrustMark registration, Which? Trusted Trader status, and a Trustpilot profile that has stayed around 4.8 through a period when several bigger names’ scores fell apart. It does domestic solar, batteries and EV chargers, plus some commercial and social-housing work.
Two things distinguish it from most national installers. It employs its own installation teams rather than subcontracting by region — the single biggest predictor of consistent quality — and it operates a no-deposit, pay-on-installation model, which removes the deposit-protection anxiety that dominates every installer-collapse story. Both predate EDF.
The EDF acquisition — and what it means for you
On 21 February 2024 EDF Energy announced it had bought Contact Solar outright, describing it as the base for a “whole house” offer combining solar, batteries, EV charging and heat pumps, and saying it planned to train EDF’s own engineers to install solar alongside Contact Solar’s teams. Contact Solar’s director stayed on; the brand, the Chorley base and the crews were retained.
For a customer, three things changed. First, tariffs: a Contact Solar install now qualifies you for EDF’s exclusive solar tariffs — 18p export and the Empower deal with no standing charge for a year — which are the best supplier bundle in the UK and are explained in full in our EDF solar review. Second, backing: your warranties now sit under a company that isn’t going to disappear, which matters more in 2026 than it did in 2023 — Effective Home (British Gas’s former installer) went into administration in June and battery maker GivEnergy in April. Third, scale: EDF’s marketing budget means Contact Solar is busier, which shows up in the reviews as occasional scheduling and communication strain.
What didn’t change: the equipment (Sunsynk), the pricing model, and the fact that it’s the same people on the roof. If you had a Contact Solar quote in 2023 and one in 2026, the main difference is the tariff attached to it.
Contact Solar vs buying through EDF: is there any difference?
No — and it’s worth being precise, because the two websites can make it look like two offers. Whether you enquire at contact-solar.co.uk or through EDF’s solar pages, Contact Solar surveys, quotes and installs, at the same prices with the same kit. The only thing that differs is eligibility for EDF’s exclusive tariffs, which require an EDF electricity supply contract as well as the install. If you want the 18p export rate and the standing-charge holiday, take the EDF route and move your supply; if you’re staying with another supplier, you’ll get that supplier’s export rate on an identical system. Either way, the questions to ask are the same: which panel, which inverter size, and what the workmanship warranty is in years.
Contact Solar reviews: what 1,400 customers actually say
“Contact Solar reviews” is the second-biggest search about the company, so here’s a fair reading rather than a score.
| Measure | Contact Solar (Trustpilot, 2026) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| TrustScore | 4.8 / 5 | Same as Glow Green and Heatable; above most nationals |
| Reviews | 1,400+ | Enough to be meaningful; smaller than the 10,000+ of the biggest platforms |
| Five-star | 91% | Strong |
| One-star | 2% | Low — most nationals run 4–8% |
| Replies to negatives | Yes — about half, usually within 48 hours | Better than average; not universal |
| Other badges | Which? Trusted Trader · TrustMark · MCS | Independently audited |
What people praise: installers described as polite, clean and tidy; clear explanation of the system at handover; efficient one-day installs; transparent contracts; and helpful follow-up on using the app and tariffs. What people complain about: communication gaps between survey and install, with customers having to chase for dates; scaffolding delays; a handful of property-damage incidents during fitting (a satellite dish, a case of panels going on the wrong roof — resolved, but real); and slow warranty-claim handling. That’s the complaint profile of a busy, competent installer, not a bad one — the one-star share is low and the problems are process, not workmanship. Read the three-star reviews yourself and filter to 2026; our how to choose an installer guide explains what to look for.
Contact Solar prices
Contact Solar’s pricing is EDF’s pricing, so we won’t repeat the full table — it’s in the EDF review. In brief: from £5,775 including 0% VAT for a small system; batteries from £3,995 including a Sunsynk inverter; reported packages of about £7,395 (2–4kW), £8,995 (5–6kW) and £10,095 (7kW with battery); installation and a scaffolding allowance included; no deposit. Against the market: panels-only is £1,000–£2,000 above a good local installer for the same size, the panel-and-battery bundle is competitive, and the no-deposit terms are better than any other national. Size-by-size benchmarks are in solar panel cost UK.
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Get My Local Solar Price →Equipment and warranties
Inverter and battery: Sunsynk — a 3.6kW hybrid in the entry packages (the largest that connects without a G99 application) with 5.32kWh or 3kWh batteries, both on 10-year warranties. Sunsynk is a solid mid-market brand with good tariff integration; our Sunsynk review covers the range. For anything over about 4kW of panels, ask for a 5kW or 6kW inverter — a 3.6kW unit on a 6kW array clips summer output. Panels: 25-year warranty stated, brand not named upfront; JA Solar, Longi and Trina have all appeared. Ask for make and model — best solar panels UK tells you what you’re being offered. Workmanship warranty: not published; EDF’s pages refer to a “lifetime support guarantee”, which is a service promise rather than a labour warranty. Get the term in years, in writing, and whether it’s insurance-backed — solar panel warranties explains why that distinction matters.
Survey, lead times and coverage
Remote survey within three working days, a fixed quote, then installation “in as little as four weeks” — customers broadly confirm three to six. Contact Solar’s own teams cover England, Wales and some areas of Scotland; the Highlands, islands and Northern Ireland are outside the map. Installs are one to two days with the power off for about an hour; G99 applications for systems over 3.68kW are handled for you. Because the installer and the brand are the same company, aftercare goes to one place — a genuine advantage over the three-party chains at some competitors. How long solar installation takes covers the stages.
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Match Me With a Local Installer →Checking the company yourself
A lot of the searches around Contact Solar are people doing due diligence — “Companies House”, “company check”, “Trustpilot”, “who owns” — which is exactly the right instinct after a year of installer failures. The five-minute version: confirm Contact Solar Ltd on the MCS installer register under that exact name; check the Companies House entry for its filing history and the EDF ownership; read the Trustpilot profile filtered to one and three stars; confirm Which? Trusted Trader status on Which?’s own site; and ask the surveyor which team will do your install. Contact Solar passes all of that. The same checklist, applied to any installer, is in solar panel companies UK, along with the story of the ones that didn’t pass.
Contact Solar vs other national installers vs a local installer
| Contact Solar (EDF) | Octopus | E.ON Next | Project Solar UK | Good local installer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who installs | Own teams | Own teams | Regional contractors | Own teams | Themselves |
| Trading history | 12 years | Solar since 2023 | — | Since 2011 | Varies — check |
| Trustpilot | 4.8 (1,400+) | 4.8 (supplier-wide) | 4.5 (supplier-wide) | 4.6 (4,800+) | Google reviews |
| Deposit | None | £500 | 25% | Varies | £500–£1,000 |
| 5–6kW price | ≈ £8,995 | ~£8,000+ | £6,495 | Quote | £6,500–£8,500 |
| Panels named upfront | No | Yes (JA Solar) | Yes (Aiko) | Yes | Yes |
| Workmanship warranty | Not published | See review | 2 yrs | 10 yrs | 10 yrs |
| Exclusive tariff | 18p + no standing charge (12m) | Flux | 17.5p | — | Any SEG |
| Lead time | ~4 weeks | Varies | 6–10 wks | Varies | 2–8 wks |
Full reviews: EDF, Octopus, E.ON, British Gas, Hive; the whole field in solar panel companies UK, and how to find a local installer for the last column.
Contact Solar: pros and cons
Pros
- Twelve years and 10,000+ installs — a real track record.
- 4.8 Trustpilot, 91% five-star, 2% one-star; Which? Trusted Trader.
- Own installation teams, not subcontractors.
- No deposit — pay on installation.
- EDF ownership: warranties under a major parent.
- Access to EDF’s 18p export and no-standing-charge tariffs.
- Sunsynk inverter and battery on 10-year warranties.
- Around four weeks to install.
Cons
- Panels-only prices £1,000–£2,000 above local rates.
- Panel brand not named upfront.
- 3.6kW inverter in entry packages — undersized above ~4kW.
- Workmanship warranty not published.
- Communication gaps and scheduling delays are the recurring complaint.
- Best tariffs require switching supply to EDF; both are 12-month deals.
- Coverage gaps in Scotland; no Northern Ireland.
- Busier since the acquisition — expect to chase for dates.
Verdict: should you use Contact Solar?
Contact Solar is one of the safer national installers in Britain: a long record, its own crews, low complaint rates, no deposit at risk, and — since 2024 — EDF standing behind the warranty. If you want a battery, you’re willing to take an EDF supply for the tariffs, and you value certainty over the last few hundred pounds, it’s a sound choice.
It isn’t the cheapest for panels alone, it doesn’t tell you what panel you’re getting until late, and its entry inverter is small. So do what you’d do with any installer: get the quote, insist on the panel make and model, the inverter size and the workmanship term in writing, then put it next to one local quote on the same specification. If Contact Solar still wins, sign with confidence.
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Contact Solar: frequently asked questions
Who owns Contact Solar?
EDF. Contact Solar Ltd, based in Chorley, Lancashire, was bought outright by EDF Energy on 21 February 2024 and now trades as part of the EDF Group. It continues under its own name, with the same Chorley base and installation teams, and is the company that surveys and fits every EDF-branded solar system in England, Wales and the parts of Scotland it covers. Before the acquisition it had traded independently for over a decade.
Is Contact Solar a good company?
By the measurable evidence, yes. It has twelve years’ trading history, over 10,000 installations, a 4.8 TrustScore from more than 1,400 Trustpilot reviews with 91% five-star and 2% one-star, Which? Trusted Trader status, MCS and TrustMark certification, and since 2024 the backing of EDF. The recurring complaints are communication gaps between survey and install, scaffolding delays, occasional property damage during fitting and slow warranty claims — typical of a high-volume installer rather than signs of a bad one. It responds to most negative reviews.
Can I buy from Contact Solar directly, or only through EDF?
Both routes lead to the same company. Contact Solar still takes enquiries under its own name, and EDF’s solar pages route customers to it; either way Contact Solar surveys, quotes and installs. The difference is the tariff: the 18p Export Exclusive and Empower no-standing-charge deals require you to be an EDF electricity customer with an EDF-installed system, so if you want those, the EDF route with an EDF supply contract is the one to take. Prices and equipment are the same.
How much do Contact Solar panels cost?
Contact Solar’s pricing is EDF’s pricing: from £5,775 including 0% VAT for a small system, batteries from £3,995 including a Sunsynk inverter, and reported packages of around £7,395 for 2–4kW, £8,995 for 5–6kW and £10,095 for 7kW with a battery, all with installation and a scaffolding allowance and no deposit. Panels-only prices sit £1,000–£2,000 above a good local installer; the panel-and-battery bundles are competitive.
What equipment does Contact Solar install?
Sunsynk hybrid inverters and batteries (5.32kWh and 3kWh units, 10-year warranties), with a 3.6kW inverter in the entry packages and larger units on request. Panels carry a 25-year warranty but the brand isn’t named upfront; Contact Solar has fitted JA Solar, Longi and Trina among others. Ask for the panel make and model and the inverter size in writing before you sign.
What changed at Contact Solar after EDF bought it?
For customers, three things: EDF’s exclusive tariffs (18p export, a year with no standing charge) became available on Contact Solar installs; the no-deposit, pay-on-installation model was retained and promoted; and the company’s warranties now sit under a FTSE-scale parent rather than an independent SME, which matters after a year in which Effective Home and GivEnergy both failed. What didn’t change: the Chorley base, the installation teams, the Sunsynk kit and the Trustpilot profile, which has continued to score around 4.8.
Company details are from EDF’s acquisition announcement (21 February 2024), Contact Solar’s and EDF’s own pages, and Contact Solar’s public Trustpilot profile as read in September 2026; scores, review counts, prices and terms change. Review themes are our summary of public customer reviews, not verified individual cases. “Typical local quote” ranges are Going Solar UK estimates from 2026 installer pricing. Going Solar UK is an independent introducer with no commercial relationship with Contact Solar or EDF; our rating reflects publicly available information and customer feedback rather than a test installation.