OVO Solar Panels Review (2026): Prices, the 20p Export Rate, “Free” Panels & Verdict
OVO came late to selling solar and has built the most generous-looking package of any energy supplier: a 20p export rate, a 10-year workmanship warranty, a battery for under £2,500 extra and “free solar panels” for loyal customers. Some of that is as good as it sounds. This review works out which parts: what you actually pay, who fits the panels (not OVO), what’s on the roof (OVO won’t say upfront), what the free-panels offer really is, and whether an OVO system beats a local MCS quote for your home. We don’t sell OVO systems and we’re not paid by OVO.
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OVO solar & battery installation
★★★★☆ Best supplier tariff and warranty, least transparency on kit
Buy from OVO if you want solar and a battery, you’ll take OVO’s electricity for the 20p export rate, and you value a 10-year workmanship guarantee. Get a local quote if you want a small system, want to choose your panels, or want to know exactly who’s fitting it before you sign.
Compare with a local MCS quote →How OVO’s solar offer works
OVO is one of Britain’s largest energy suppliers, much larger since it took over SSE’s retail customers in 2020. It sells solar panels and batteries under its own brand, but it doesn’t employ installers. It has picked 16 regional partner companies, one per region, from around 200 it says it assessed, and each partner does all of OVO’s surveys and installs in its area. OVO holds the contract, gives you a single point of contact and backs the warranty.
This sits between the other suppliers’ models. It’s tighter than E.ON’s and British Gas’s regional subcontractor networks, because one team covers a region long-term. It’s looser than EDF, which owns its installer outright (Contact Solar), and Octopus, which employs its own fitters. What OVO adds that nobody else does is the combination of the highest supplier export rate and the longest supplier workmanship warranty. Coverage is all 12 GB regions.
OVO solar panel prices (2026)
OVO publishes “from” prices by house size and worked examples. All include installation, scaffolding and 0% VAT; complex roofs are priced after survey.
| OVO price point | System | OVO price | Typical local MCS quote* | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 bed home | Small system | from £5,000 | £4,500–£6,000 | Average |
| 3-bed home | ~4kW | from £6,000 | £5,500–£7,500 | Competitive “from” price; check the specification |
| OVO example: 6 panels | 2.7kWp | about £6,411 | £4,500–£5,500 | Expensive per kW (~£2,370/kW); confirm whether a battery is included |
| OVO example: 14 panels | 6.3kWp | about £7,990 | £7,500–£9,500 | Sharp (~£1,270/kW); the sweet spot |
| 4-bed home | Larger system | from £8,000 | £7,500–£10,000 | Fair |
| Battery add-on | ~5.2kWh usable | around £2,444 | £3,000–£4,000 | Cheap, as long as the model is decent (ask) |
*Our ranges from 2026 quotes; full size-by-size figures in solar panel cost UK. The pattern is clear. OVO’s pricing falls steeply with system size: the 14-panel example costs barely £1,600 more than the 6-panel one for more than twice the capacity. If your roof takes 12–16 panels, OVO is among the keenest suppliers; if it only takes six, a local installer is likely to be £1,000-plus cheaper. The battery price is the other standout. At about £2,444 for 5.2kWh usable it undercuts E.ON’s Sunsynk (£3,995) and most local quotes, which is why the solar-plus-battery bundle is where OVO wins.
OVO solar panels and battery
OVO’s offer is built around solar plus a battery. The battery is cheap, the 20p export rate needs one bought through OVO, and the Beyond free-panels discount only applies to solar-and-battery installs. On a 14-panel system with the 5.2kWh battery, you’re looking at roughly £10,400 all in, against £10,500–£13,000 for the same from a typical local installer, before the tariff advantage.
Two cautions. First, 5.2kWh is a modest battery for a 6.3kW array: it will fill by late morning on a summer day, and the surplus exports (at 20p, which softens the blow). Households with high evening use or an EV may want a second unit, so ask what OVO charges for 10kWh. Second, OVO doesn’t name the battery brand upfront, and after GivEnergy stopped trading in April 2026 the brand matters more than it did. A battery warranty is only as good as the company behind it. Get the make and model in writing. Are solar batteries worth it, what size battery and best solar batteries will help you judge the answer.
What panels, inverter and battery does OVO use?
OVO doesn’t say publicly. The panels carry a 25-year manufacturer performance warranty, which points to a Tier 1 brand, but which one, and which inverter and battery, depends on your regional partner and what they stock. That’s the same gap we criticised in the Hive and EDF reviews, and it matters more than it sounds. Panel brand moves the price and output by a few per cent. The inverter is the component most likely to fail in years 8–12, so its brand and warranty length matter much more. Before any deposit, ask for:
- Panel make, model and wattage (best solar panels UK tells you what the names mean)
- Inverter make, model, size and warranty (inverters explained)
- Battery make, model, usable capacity and warranty
- An MCS-method generation estimate for your roof
A good regional partner will answer in one email. If the answer is vague, treat that as information about the partner.
The export tariffs: 20p, 15p, 12p and 4p
This is the heart of OVO’s offer, and it’s the best in the market for the right customer.
| OVO export tariff | Rate | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| SEG Install Exclusive (solar + battery) | 20p/kWh | Solar and battery bought through OVO, and OVO electricity supply |
| SEG Install Exclusive (solar only) | 15p/kWh | Solar bought through OVO, battery from elsewhere or none, OVO supply |
| SEG Beyond Exclusive | 12p/kWh | Any OVO electricity customer, whoever installed the panels (install requirement dropped February 2025) |
| Standard SEG | ~4p/kWh | Anyone, no OVO supply needed |
At 20p, a 6.3kW system with a 5.2kWh battery exporting around 2,500kWh a year earns about £500 in export alone, £75 more than at EDF’s 18p, £60 more than at E.ON’s 17.5p and £200 more than at a typical 12p. It’s all-day, flat-rate and simple. Three things to weigh against it. You must stay an OVO electricity customer, so if OVO’s import rates become uncompetitive, you lose the export rate when you switch. Battery owners on a time-of-use tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go or Flux can sometimes do better overall by charging cheaply overnight. And supplier “exclusive” rates get revised: OVO’s own Beyond rate fell from 15p to 12p in 2025. Treat 20p as a strong current rate, not a 25-year promise. SEG tariffs compared has the full market.
Keep the tariff option open: price the same system locally
OVO’s 12p Beyond rate is open to any OVO customer whoever installs. A vetted local installer quotes the same panels and battery, named, with a ten-year workmanship guarantee. Free survey, fixed price.
Get My Local Solar Price →“OVO free solar panels” and Beyond explained
A lot of people search for “OVO free solar panels” or “OVO earn solar panels”, and the answer is less exciting than the phrase. OVO Beyond is OVO’s free loyalty programme. Through it, customers can earn up to five solar panels over two years, redeemable as a discount worth up to £500, but only against an OVO solar-and-battery installation, within the earning period or the three years after, subject to availability. So it’s a loyalty discount on a system you’re buying, worth having if you were going to buy from OVO anyway, and not a reason on its own to choose OVO.
Genuinely free solar exists only through government schemes. As a large supplier, OVO delivers ECO4 until it closes in December 2026, which can fund solar for lower-income households in poorly rated homes, mainly those without gas heating. The Warm Homes: Local Grant runs through councils. Our free solar panels guide sets out who qualifies, and solar grants UK covers the rest. Adverts for “OVO free solar panels” aimed at everyone else are lead-generation forms, not OVO.
Who installs it: the regional partners
OVO describes its 16 partners as “established local companies, not subcontractors”, which is fair in that each is a single long-term partner rather than a pool of whoever’s free that week. But they are still separate companies doing the work under OVO’s name, and your experience depends on which one covers your postcode. That’s why the first question to ask is which company will survey and install. Then look them up on the MCS register and Companies House, and read their own reviews, not OVO’s. After a year in which Effective Home (British Gas’s former Hive partner) went into administration, knowing the actual installer matters. OVO holding the warranty helps, but it’s a contractual promise, and you want the people on your roof to be good in the first place. How to choose a solar installer has the checklist.
OVO solar warranties
| Cover | OVO | E.ON Next | Good local installer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workmanship | 10 years, OVO-guaranteed | 2 years (as listed) | 10 years, insurance-backed |
| Panel performance | 25 years (manufacturer) | 30 years (Aiko) | 25–30 years |
| Inverter | Not stated; ask | Not stated | 5–12 years, named |
| Battery | Not stated; ask | 10 years | 10–12 years |
OVO’s 10-year workmanship warranty is the best of any major energy supplier and matches a good independent. OVO calls it the longest of any major energy company, and on the published terms that’s right. Because it’s OVO-guaranteed, it doesn’t depend on the regional partner staying in business, a real advantage given 2026’s collapses. The gap is on the component warranties, which OVO doesn’t publish because the kit isn’t named. Get both in writing. Solar panel warranties explains which documents pay out.
Finance and paying
OVO advertises “0% finance available” and “flexible financing” but doesn’t publish the lender, term or conditions, so treat it as unconfirmed until you see a credit agreement. If it’s genuine 0% over three to five years, it’s excellent. If “0%” comes with a higher price than paying cash, the interest is in the price. The test is one question: what’s the cash price? Our solar panel finance guide costs every route, including E.ON’s 0% over three years and Nationwide’s 0% green borrowing, and shows when the monthly payment is covered by the saving.
Already have panels? OVO smart meters, registering and readings
Many “OVO solar panels” searches come from people who already have panels and want OVO to pay them. The short version: OVO’s SEG Beyond Exclusive pays 12p to any OVO electricity customer, whoever installed the system, and you’ll need your MCS certificate and an export-capable smart meter. A second-generation SMETS2 meter records export; older meters may need swapping, which OVO does free as your supplier. Legacy Feed-in Tariff payments continue with whichever supplier administers them and transfer with the house when you move. Solar panels and smart meters covers the meter side, moving house with solar panels the transfer, and SEG tariffs compared whether 12p is worth switching for.
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Match Me With a Local Installer →OVO vs EDF vs E.ON vs Octopus vs British Gas vs a local installer
| OVO | EDF | E.ON Next | Octopus | British Gas / Hive | Good local installer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installed by | 16 regional partners | Own subsidiary | Regional contractors | Own teams | Partner companies | Themselves |
| Best-value point | 12–16 panels + battery | Panels + battery bundle | 12 panels (£6,495) | Larger systems + battery | 8 panels + 5kWh (£6,835) | Any size |
| Battery add-on | ~£2,444 (5.2kWh) | from £3,995 incl. inverter | £3,995 (Sunsynk) | Varies | ~£1,800 on bundle | £3,000–£4,000 |
| Kit named upfront | No | Inverter/battery only | Panels only | Yes | No | Yes |
| Best export rate | 20p | 18p (12m) | 17.5p | Flux / ~12p fixed | ~15.1p | Any SEG |
| Workmanship warranty | 10 yrs | Not published | 2 yrs | See review | Not clearly published | 10 yrs |
| Finance | “0%” (terms unpublished) | Zopa 8.9% | 0% to 3 yrs | Zopa | £69/mo sub or Zopa | Varies |
Full reviews: EDF, E.ON, Octopus, British Gas and Hive; the whole market is in solar panel companies UK. On published terms OVO has the strongest supplier package for a solar-and-battery buyer who’ll take OVO’s supply: the best export rate, the best workmanship warranty and the cheapest battery. It trails on transparency and on small systems.
OVO solar panels: pros and cons
Pros
- 20p export rate, the highest fixed supplier rate in the UK.
- 10-year OVO-guaranteed workmanship warranty, the longest of any major supplier.
- Battery around £2,444 for 5.2kWh usable, well under market.
- Sharp pricing on 12–16 panel systems.
- One long-term partner per region, not a rotating pool.
- Beyond loyalty discount of up to £500 for existing customers.
- 12p export for any OVO customer, whoever installed.
- Nationwide coverage across all 12 regions.
Cons
- Panel, inverter and battery brands not named upfront.
- Small systems expensive, around £2,370/kW on the 6-panel example.
- Quality depends on your regional partner.
- 20p needs OVO supply and an OVO battery; lose the supply, lose the rate.
- “Free panels” is a £500 discount, not free panels.
- Finance terms not published.
- 5.2kWh battery is small for a 6kW+ array.
- Exclusive rates have been cut before (Beyond: 15p to 12p).
Verdict: who should buy solar panels from OVO
On published terms, OVO has the best package of any UK energy supplier for someone buying solar and a battery together: a 20p export rate, a 10-year workmanship warranty OVO stands behind, and a battery priced well under market, with the sharpest pricing on 12–16 panel systems. If that’s you and you’ll take OVO’s electricity, it deserves a quote.
It’s weaker for small roofs, and it asks you to trust a kit list it won’t publish and a regional partner you haven’t met. So insist on three things in writing before any money moves: the panel, inverter and battery make and model; the name of the installing company; and the finance terms if you’re borrowing. Then put the OVO quote next to one local quote on the same specification. If OVO still wins once the 20p is counted, and for a battery buyer it often will, buy with confidence.
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OVO solar panels: frequently asked questions
How much do OVO solar panels cost?
OVO’s published starting prices in 2026 are from £5,000 for a 1–2 bed home, £6,000 for a 3-bed, £8,000 for a 4-bed and £10,000 for 5 bedrooms or more, including installation, scaffolding and 0% VAT. Its own worked examples put a 6-panel (2.7kWp) system at about £6,411 and a 14-panel (6.3kWp) system at about £7,990, with a battery of roughly 5.2kWh usable at around £2,444 extra. Pricing strongly favours larger systems, so confirm in writing exactly what’s included. OVO advertises 0% finance but doesn’t publish the terms.
Are OVO solar panels any good?
The package is among the best from any energy supplier: a 10-year workmanship warranty (E.ON lists two), a 20p export rate for solar-and-battery customers, and a cheap battery add-on. The weak points are transparency and consistency. OVO doesn’t name the panel, inverter or battery brands upfront, and installation is done by one of 16 regional partner companies, so quality depends on who covers your postcode. Get the kit make and model and the installer’s name in writing before paying anything.
What is OVO’s solar export rate?
OVO has three export tiers. SEG Install Exclusive pays 20p per kWh if you buy solar and a battery through OVO and take your electricity from OVO, or 15p if you buy panels through OVO but the battery elsewhere. SEG Beyond Exclusive pays 12p to any OVO electricity customer, whoever installed the panels. The standard SEG rate for non-customers is around 4p. OVO’s 20p is currently the highest fixed supplier export rate in the UK, ahead of EDF’s 18p and E.ON’s 17.5p.
Does OVO give free solar panels?
Not in the way the phrase suggests. Through its free OVO Beyond loyalty programme, customers can earn up to five solar panels over two years, redeemable as a discount worth up to £500 — but only against an OVO solar-and-battery installation, and subject to availability. It’s a loyalty discount on a system you buy, not free panels. Genuinely funded solar for lower-income households comes through ECO4 (which OVO delivers as a large supplier) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Who installs OVO solar panels?
Not OVO’s own staff. OVO works with 16 regional partner companies — one per region, chosen from around 200 installers it assessed — which carry out the survey and installation under OVO’s brand and standards, with OVO as the single point of contact and warranty holder. It’s a tighter model than a national subcontractor network, but your experience still depends on your regional partner. Ask for the company’s name and check it on the MCS register before you sign.
Do OVO smart meters work with solar panels?
Yes. A second-generation (SMETS2) smart meter records both import and export, which OVO needs to pay you for exported electricity under the Smart Export Guarantee. If you had panels fitted by someone else and want OVO’s 12p SEG Beyond Exclusive rate, you’ll need your MCS certificate, an export-capable smart meter and an OVO electricity supply. Older SMETS1 or non-smart meters may need replacing, which OVO does free of charge as your supplier.
Prices, packages, partner arrangements, warranty terms and export rates are as published on OVO’s solar pages and OVO’s Beyond offer terms in September 2026, with export tariff conditions as reported by independent comparison sites; all change and supplier-exclusive tariffs can be revised. 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 OVO; our rating reflects publicly available information rather than a test installation. OVO and OVO Beyond are trademarks of OVO Group.