EDF Solar Panels Review (2026): Prices, Contact Solar, the 18p Tariff & Verdict
EDF’s solar pitch is the boldest of any energy supplier: “£0 electricity bills for a year”, an 18p export rate, no deposit, and panels fitted in four weeks by an installer EDF owns rather than rents. Some of that is as good as it sounds. This review works out which parts — what you actually pay, what’s on the roof, who fits it, what the tariffs do after month twelve — and whether an EDF system beats a local MCS quote for your home. We don’t sell EDF systems and we’re not paid by EDF.
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Going Solar UK rating
EDF solar installation (Contact Solar)
★★★★☆ Best supplier tariffs, mid-market price, unnamed panels
Buy from EDF if you’re already an EDF customer, you want a battery, and you’ll use the year of 18p export and no standing charge to get the payback moving. Get a local quote if you want panels only, a named panel brand, a bigger inverter, or a ten-year workmanship guarantee in writing.
Compare with a local MCS quote →What EDF Solar is — and who Contact Solar are
EDF is the UK’s fourth-largest energy supplier and, unusually among the big suppliers, it owns its solar installer. In February 2024 it bought Contact Solar, a Chorley-based MCS-certified installer with a Which? Trusted Trader badge and a long domestic track record, and now sells solar under the EDF name with Contact Solar doing the surveys and installs. That puts EDF between the two models you’ll see elsewhere: not Octopus’s fully in-house teams, but not E.ON’s or British Gas’s regional subcontractors either. The accountability is cleaner — one company, one warranty relationship — and the quality is more consistent than a partner network, because it’s the same installer everywhere it operates.
EDF’s solar customers get what the supplier deals always promise: the panels, the battery, the tariff and the bill from one place, with the tariffs doing most of the persuading. Coverage is England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
EDF solar panel prices (2026)
EDF publishes a starting price and a battery price, and third-party guides have reported its package prices through 2025–26. All include installation, a scaffolding allowance and 0% VAT; complex roofs are quoted higher after survey.
| EDF package | Typical system | EDF price | Typical local MCS quote* | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Small system (c. 4 panels, 1.9kW, Sunsynk 3.6kW inverter) | from £5,775 | £4,000–£5,000 | Expensive per kW — the “from” price buys a very small system |
| 2–4kW | 6–9 panels | ≈ £7,395 | £5,000–£6,500 | £1,000–£2,000 over local rates |
| 5–6kW | 11–14 panels | ≈ £8,995 | £6,500–£8,500 | Mid-market; ask what inverter is fitted at this size |
| 7kW + battery | 16 panels + 5.32kWh Sunsynk | ≈ £10,095 | £10,500–£12,500 | Competitive — the bundle is where EDF prices sharpen |
| Battery only (with inverter) | 5.32kWh Sunsynk + 3.6kW hybrid | from £3,995 | £3,500–£4,500 | Fair; includes the inverter, which many “battery” prices don’t |
*Our ranges from 2026 quotes; full size-by-size figures in solar panel cost UK. Two things stand out. First, no deposit — EDF asks for nothing until installation, which is better than E.ON’s 25% and British Gas’s staged payments and removes the deposit-protection worry entirely. Second, the pricing pattern: panels alone are dear, panels-plus-battery are keen. That’s deliberate — EDF makes its money on the tariff relationship, and a battery is what makes the Empower tariff work — so if you’re only after panels, the EDF price is rarely the one to take.
Panels, inverter and battery
Inverter and battery: Sunsynk. EDF names the brand, which many suppliers don’t. Sunsynk is a solid mid-market hybrid brand with good tariff integration, and the batteries (5.32kWh, or a 3kWh unit in the entry bundle) are stackable LFP with a 10-year warranty — our Sunsynk review covers the range. The catch is the size: EDF’s entry packages are built around a 3.6kW hybrid inverter, which is the largest that connects without a G99 application. That’s fine for a 4kW array; on a 5–6kW or 7kW system it would clip a meaningful share of summer output, so ask which inverter is being fitted for anything larger and expect a 5kW or 6kW unit. Inverters explained covers why this matters.
Panels: not named upfront. EDF’s pages say only “25-year warranty”. Contact Solar has fitted JA Solar, Longi and Trina among others — all Tier 1, all fine — but you should know which before you sign, and a 25-year product warranty (rather than 12–15) narrows it to the better ranges. Ask for make and model in writing. Best solar panels UK tells you what the names mean.
The tariffs: Export Exclusive, Empower and the “£0 bills” offer
This is EDF’s real product, and it’s the best supplier bundle in the UK for the first year. Three tiers:
| Tariff | What it pays / does | Who gets it | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export Exclusive 12m | Up to 18p/kWh for exported electricity | EDF electricity customers with solar or battery installed by EDF | 12 months, then renewal rate |
| Export 12m (standard SEG) | ≈ 15p/kWh fixed | EDF electricity customers, any installer | 12 months |
| Export Variable | ≈ 3p/kWh | Anyone, no EDF import required | Variable |
| Empower Fixed Exclusive 12m | No standing charge for a year + 10p/kWh overnight discount for battery charging | EDF customers with an EDF-installed system (battery needed to benefit fully) | 12 months |
| GoElectric | 6.99p/kWh overnight, 11pm–6am | EV owners; combines well with a battery | Ongoing |
The “£0 electricity bills for a year” claim is these two exclusives working together. Remove the standing charge (£200-plus a year at typical rates), pay 18p for everything exported, charge the battery cheaply overnight, and EDF models a home using around 2,700kWh a year with solar and a 3kWh battery netting out to roughly nothing over twelve months. It’s a genuine calculation, not a trick — but it’s for a low-use household with a small battery on a good roof, and it’s for one year. A family using 4,500kWh with a north-east roof won’t get there, and in year two both tariffs revert to whatever EDF is offering then. Read it as a £400–£700 first-year bonus on top of the normal solar economics, which is still the most generous supplier incentive going. How SEG tariffs compare puts EDF’s rates next to E.ON’s 17.5p and Octopus’s Flux.
Are EDF solar panels worth it? The tariff maths
Take the 7kW-plus-battery bundle at £10,095. A 7kW system generates around 6,000kWh a year in the Midlands; with a 5.32kWh battery a household using 4,000kWh self-consumes perhaps 60%, saving £600 at 25p, and exports 2,400kWh — £432 at 18p, against £288 at a 12p tariff. Add the standing-charge holiday (≈£220) and the overnight discount (≈£80), and year one is worth roughly £1,330 — a payback pace of 7.6 years if it lasted. In year two, on 15p export and a normal standing charge, it drops to about £960 and the payback stretches towards ten years. That’s still respectable, and the bundle price is fair. The same maths on the £8,995 panels-only package, with no battery to use the Empower discount, comes out at £800–£900 a year for a system a local firm would fit for £7,000 — which is why the verdict splits the two. Run your own in the calculator and sanity-check with are solar panels worth it.
Price the same system locally — keep the EDF tariff option open
EDF’s standard 15p export is available to EDF customers whoever installs. A vetted local installer quotes the same panels and battery, often for less, with a ten-year workmanship guarantee. Free survey, fixed price.
Get My Local Solar Price →Installation, lead times and coverage
EDF quotes a remote survey within three working days and installation in as little as four weeks, which matches what customers report and is faster than E.ON (six to ten weeks) and most local firms (two to eight). Contact Solar’s own teams do the work across England and Wales and “some areas of Scotland”; if you’re in the Highlands, Northern Ireland or the islands you’re outside the map. Systems above 3.68kW need a G99 application, which EDF handles. The install itself is one to two days. Because the installer is EDF-owned, complaints and aftercare go to one company — a real advantage over the three-party chain at British Gas/Hive. How long solar installation takes covers the stages.
EDF solar warranties
| Cover | EDF / Contact Solar | Good local installer |
|---|---|---|
| Panel product | 25 years (brand not named upfront) | 25–30 years, named |
| Inverter | 10 years (Sunsynk) | 5–12 years |
| Battery | 10 years (Sunsynk) | 10–12 years |
| Workmanship | Not published on EDF’s pages; “lifetime support guarantee” is stated — ask what that means in writing | 10 years, insurance-backed |
| Company longevity | Very high (EDF); installer is a subsidiary | Varies |
Ten years on both inverter and battery is better than most supplier packages, and EDF owning the installer means the warranty relationship is unlikely to evaporate the way Effective Home’s customers experienced in June 2026. But “lifetime support guarantee” is marketing language, not a workmanship warranty — get the labour warranty term, in years, and whether it’s insurance-backed. Solar panel warranties explains which documents actually pay out.
Want the panel brand and inverter size in writing before you decide?
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Match Me With a Local Installer →What EDF solar customers say
- Praised: speed from quote to install, the no-deposit arrangement, tidy work by Contact Solar’s teams, and the first-year bill impact — the “£0 bills” customers who fit the profile are very happy.
- Criticised: the panel brand being revealed late; the 3.6kW inverter on systems that could use more; confusion when the twelve-month tariffs renew at lower rates; and, for battery-only buyers, the small 3kWh unit in the entry bundle.
- Neutral: EDF’s overall Trustpilot score is for energy supply and says little about solar — look for reviews naming Contact Solar and filter to 2025–26.
“EDF free solar panels”, grants and ECO4
EDF doesn’t give panels away. As a large supplier it’s obliged to fund efficiency measures for eligible lower-income households under ECO4 until the scheme closes in December 2026; for qualifying homes — mainly those without gas central heating and rated EPC D–G — that can include solar, delivered by ECO-approved installers. That’s a government scheme EDF administers, not an EDF offer. The “£0 bills for a year” promotion is a tariff on a system you pay for. Everything else calling itself “EDF free solar panels” online is lead generation. Free solar panels sets out who really qualifies and solar grants covers the wider support.
Already have panels? Registering, readings, FiT and moving house
A lot of “EDF solar panels” searches come from people who already own a system and want the supplier side sorted. In brief: to register for EDF’s export tariff you need your MCS certificate and a smart meter that records export, and EDF customers get the 15p standard rate whoever installed the panels; Feed-in Tariff payments continue for legacy systems and transfer to a new owner when you move house via EDF’s change-of-ownership form; smart meters work with solar and EDF’s second-generation meters record export automatically — see solar panels and smart meters; and if you’re switching supplier, your SEG and import can be with different companies. Solar panel monitoring covers checking your generation independently of the meter readings.
EDF vs Octopus vs E.ON vs British Gas vs a local installer
| EDF | Octopus | E.ON Next | British Gas / Hive | Good local installer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installed by | Own subsidiary (Contact Solar) | Own teams | Regional contractors | Partner companies | Themselves |
| Deposit | None | £500 | 25% | Varies | £500–£1,000 typical |
| 5–6kW price | ≈ £8,995 | ~£8,000+ (with Enphase micros) | £6,495 (Aiko) | Quote | £6,500–£8,500 |
| Panels | Not named upfront | JA Solar, named | Aiko 485W, named | Not named upfront | Your choice |
| Inverter | Sunsynk 3.6kW (entry) | Enphase micros | Unnamed hybrid | Unnamed | Named |
| Export tariff | 18p (12m) / 15p standard | ~12p / Flux | 17.5p | ~15.1p | Any SEG |
| Extra tariff perk | No standing charge 12m + 10p overnight discount | Time-of-use arbitrage | — | 25% off imports 12m | — |
| Workmanship warranty | Not published | See review | 2 yrs | Not clearly published | 10 yrs |
| Lead time | ~4 weeks | Varies | 6–10 wks | ~30 days | 2–8 wks |
Full reviews: Octopus, E.ON, British Gas and Hive; the whole market is in solar panel companies UK. EDF’s distinct position: the best first-year tariff bundle and the cleanest ownership of its installer, at a mid-market price with the least transparency on panels.
EDF solar panels: pros and cons
Pros
- 18p export — the highest fixed supplier rate in the UK.
- No standing charge for a year on Empower — worth £200+.
- No deposit; pay on installation.
- Installer is EDF-owned — one company, consistent teams.
- Around four weeks to install.
- Sunsynk inverter and battery named, 10-year warranties on both.
- Panel-and-battery bundles competitively priced.
- GoElectric at 6.99p overnight for EV owners.
Cons
- Panels not named until you have a quote.
- 3.6kW inverter in the standard packages — too small above ~4kW.
- Panels-only prices £1,000–£2,000 above local rates.
- Both headline tariffs last twelve months, then reset.
- “£0 bills” modelled on a 2,700kWh home with a 3kWh battery.
- Workmanship warranty not published.
- Coverage gaps in Scotland; no Northern Ireland.
- Must stay an EDF customer to keep the exclusive rates.
Verdict: who should buy solar panels from EDF
EDF is the strongest supplier choice for an existing EDF customer who wants panels and a battery, values speed and a no-deposit deal, and will use the year of 18p export and no standing charge to get ahead on the payback. The bundle prices are fair, the installer is EDF’s own, and the first-year economics are the best any supplier offers.
For panels only, or if you’re not an EDF customer, the case is weaker: you’re paying a mid-market price for an unnamed panel and a small inverter to access tariffs you could partly get anyway (15p export needs only an EDF import contract, not an EDF install). Get the EDF quote — it’s free and fast — insist on the panel brand, the inverter size and the workmanship term in writing, then put it next to one local quote on the same specification before you decide.
Put the EDF quote next to a local one — free
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EDF solar panels: frequently asked questions
Do EDF install solar panels?
Yes, through Contact Solar, a Lancashire-based MCS-certified installer that EDF bought outright in February 2024. Unlike E.ON and British Gas, which contract regional installers, EDF’s installer is a subsidiary — you deal with EDF, and the fitters work for a company EDF owns. Coverage is England, Wales and some areas of Scotland; Northern Ireland and the Scottish islands are excluded. EDF quotes a remote survey within three working days and installation in as little as four weeks.
How much do EDF solar panels cost?
EDF’s published starting price is £5,775 including 0% VAT for a small system, with batteries from £3,995 including an inverter. Reported package prices in 2025–26 are around £7,395 for a 2–4kW system, £8,995 for 5–6kW and £10,095 for a 7kW system with a battery, all including installation and a scaffolding allowance. No deposit is required. Those are mid-market figures — a good local installer typically quotes £6,000–£8,000 for 5–6kW — so the case for EDF rests on the tariffs and the convenience rather than the headline price.
What is EDF’s solar export tariff?
EDF has three tiers. Export Exclusive pays up to 18p per kWh for twelve months but requires EDF as your electricity supplier and an EDF-installed solar or battery system — the best fixed export rate from any UK supplier. EDF import customers with panels installed by anyone else get the standard Export tariff at around 15p fixed for twelve months. Non-customers get a variable rate of around 3p. All rates are fixed for a year and reset at renewal, so the 18p is a strong opening offer rather than a long-term guarantee.
Is EDF’s “£0 electricity bills for a year” offer real?
It’s real but conditional. The Empower Fixed Exclusive tariff removes the standing charge for twelve months and gives a 10p per kWh overnight discount for battery charging, available only to EDF customers with an EDF-installed system. Combined with 18p export, EDF models a typical home using around 2,700kWh a year with solar and a 3kWh battery reaching a net bill of roughly zero over the year. Higher-use homes, north-facing roofs or a smaller system won’t get there, and both tariffs are twelve-month products. Treat it as a strong first-year bonus, not a permanent state.
What solar panels and batteries does EDF use?
EDF’s pages name Sunsynk for the inverter (a 3.6kW hybrid in the entry packages) and battery (5.32kWh or 3kWh units), with a 10-year warranty on both. The panels are described only as carrying a 25-year warranty; the brand isn’t stated upfront and has varied — Contact Solar has fitted JA Solar, Longi and Trina among others. Ask for the panel make and model, and whether a larger inverter is being fitted for anything above about 4kW, before you sign.
Does EDF offer free solar panels or grants?
Not to the general public. As a large supplier EDF is obliged to fund energy-efficiency measures for eligible lower-income households under ECO4, which closes in December 2026 and can include solar for qualifying homes, mainly those without gas heating. That is a government scheme EDF delivers, not an EDF giveaway. The “£0 bills for a year” promotion is a tariff bundle on a system you pay for. Adverts for “EDF free solar panels” aimed at everyone else are lead-generation forms.
Prices, equipment, tariff rates and terms are as published on EDF’s solar pages in September 2026, with package prices as reported by independent guides in 2025–26; all change frequently and exclusive tariffs are twelve-month products — confirm every figure in your own quote and tariff terms. “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 EDF or Contact Solar; our rating reflects publicly available information and customer feedback rather than a test installation.