A solar panel system needs hardly any maintenance at all – they even self-clean when it rains. A quick washdown with a hose a few times a year will shift any other dirt or dust, so there’s no need to call an expert out.

No. No red tape, no hassle – a solar panel system doesn’t need any special permission from your local authority to be fitted onto your home.

The only exception to this is if you live in a listed building or live in a designated Conservation Area or World Heritage site. Even then, you can still have solar panels installed – they need fitting onto a roof that isn’t visible from a road. Read more in our in-depth guide.

There’s a big difference between sunlight and daylight. Solar panels need daylight to generate power – not the sun’s rays.

This means you can still generate power even on cloudy days. In fact, less direct sunlight can be beneficial – too much heat can reduce the power solar panels capture by up to 25%.

Source: cedgreentech.com/article/how-does-heat-affect-solar-panel-efficiencies

You do not have to add a home battery to your solar system. However, without one you will only be able use the energy your solar panels generate at the time it is generated. When there is no solar energy to use, you will revert to using energy from your energy supplier.

A smart battery allows you to store your solar energy for use it any time (e.g. during the evenings and at nighttime). You can also top up the charge of the battery at a time when energy prices are cheaper, if you are on a compatible energy tariff that offers cheaper rates during off-peak periods. As such, batteries typically increase the savings you can generate from your system.

A home battery does not need to be installed at the same time of your solar panels; it can be added to your system later.

During your free home survey, one of our solar energy specialists will assess your home and rooftop – this will determine what your solar panel system options are and how many PV panels you need to produce sufficient energy for your household.

We can also give you a good idea of how much money you could make by trading your solar energy on the Grid.

There are many factors that can impact how much money you will save from installing solar panels – such as your roof orientation, the number of panels you install and your current energy usage and habits. We therefore recommend getting a free quote where where we can provide personalised savings estimates based on your property and current energy usage.

The Energy Saving Trust has a calculator which projects estimated savings based on different locations, living habits and whether a Smart Export Guarantee tariff is used to sell export energy back to the National Grid. Annual savings projections are as high as £600 in July 2024 (London property, with SEG Tariff, home all day usage)

Using battery storage alongside your solar panels can further increase your savings – because a battery will store the surplus energy that you produce, so you can use it when the sun goes down instead of drawing it from the National Grid.

All Halifax customers are eligible for a £500 discount on their installation quote. When you register your details with us for a free quote, we will take some information on which Halifax products you have to validate your discount. We will then automatically apply the discount when we compile your quote during your home survey appointment.

Please visit the Halifax website and register or sign into your Green Living Reward to check you’re eligible before you start any work.

You can find out more about the Green Living Reward here

Once your solar panel and / or battery is installed please visit the Halifax website and sign into your Green Living Reward account.

You will need to upload your final invoice from Effective Home as evidence to claim the reward

No, we currently only service customers within England, Scotland, and Wales. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer our services to customers in other regions at this time.