Solar, battery and EV questions from Dorset homeowners.

It depends on your roof, your system and how your household uses electricity, so we do not quote a blanket percentage. The more of your own generation the house uses, the less it buys from your supplier, and a battery can raise that share. Your property review covers your actual home.

No. Alongside paying outright, qualifying customers can ask about monthly payments and no-upfront-cost routes, and selected short-term 0% offers may be available from time to time. Finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval, and the installation team acts as a credit broker, not a lender.

Asking about payment options is not a finance application and does not affect your credit file.

We review likely suitability and a member of the solar team may contact you to clarify the details. If the property looks suitable, a surveyor checks the roof, shading and electrics in person and you receive a written proposal with expected generation, warranties and payment routes. Asking commits you to nothing.

It can, which is why exposure is looked at during the survey. Homes near the sea see stronger wind and salt air, so fixings, equipment choice and an occasional check for salt residue are all part of the plan. It shapes the specification and does not rule solar out.

Age on its own is rarely the problem, condition is. We check the covering, the structure beneath it and any repairs due, since a tired roof is better sorted before panels go on it.

Thatch cannot carry panels directly, so a ground-mounted array or another roof on the plot is usually the answer. Stone and slate roofs are workable, but they need fixings matched to the material, which we check at every survey.

South-facing is ideal, but east and west roofs can work well too. We look at space, direction, pitch, shading and condition, and if a roof is not suitable we say so.

Yes, though output drops. Daylight is enough, direct sun is a bonus, and winter naturally produces less than summer. We judge a system on the whole year, not on any single day.

It turns on when you use your electricity. If the bulk of it is after the panels stop, a battery holds daytime generation back for you. Whether the sums work is covered in your proposal.

Often. A battery can normally be fitted next to existing panels without changing them, provided the inverter and set-up are compatible, which we check first.

It can be. Charged overnight on a cheap tariff, it covers the expensive hours, although the sums usually work better when panels are involved.

Only if it has been set up for backup, which depends on the battery, the inverter and the wiring. If it matters to you, say so at the start.

Yes. With the right charger and inverter the car can take surplus solar first. See our EV charging page for more.

The EV Chargepoint Grant currently covers 75% of the cost up to £500, but it has been restricted to renters, flat owner-occupiers and leaseholders, and landlords installing for tenants since 2022 (the £500 cap itself is an April 2026 increase from £350). Homeowners in a standard house are no longer eligible.

Most home solar installations fall under permitted development and do not need planning permission. A conservation area, a listed building or the Dorset National Landscape can add steps, and a listed building always needs listed building consent. See our Why Dorset page for the detail.