KEYFACT Energy
Faith in solar savings is soaring, but a surge in sloppy installations and poor aftercare could derail the nation’s green progress, warns a new survey from a leading energy firm.
Solar power specialist GreenFox Energy has teamed up with Scottish Building Society to unveil findings from its 2025 UK Solar Sentiment Survey, showing a dramatic shift in consumer attitudes. In just three years, UK homeowners have gone from sceptical to convinced about the financial benefits of solar energy but mounting distrust in installers and poor industry standards risk derailing the boom.
The survey, based on responses from over 2,000 UK adults, highlights how consumer priorities have evolved during the past three-year period.
Cost savings trump environmental concern, as 66% of householders now see solar as a major cost-saving opportunity, up 16 points from last year and more than double the enthusiasm seen in 2023.
This rise in positive sentiment toward solar power’s economic benefits is triple the rate of increase in those citing environmental motives, confirming a shift towards saving money is driving solar adoption, more than saving the planet.
Interestingly, greater numbers of people in the North feel solar energy is more cost effective compared to the South. Four out of five users in Yorkshire and Humber report their systems are saving them money. In Greater London, however, only three out of five agreed.
While solar panels are growing in popularity, doubts about installers persist. Latest figures show 15% of solar homeowners still wouldn’t be confident to recommend their fitter, and half say they never received system registration details. Worryingly, as many as one in six installers may be working without proper qualifications.
Although 90% of homeowners say they’d pay for solar maintenance, with most willing to spend over £30 a month, less than 1% actually have a care plan in place, likely due to the lack of availability of such products in the market. With poor after-sales support a common customer experience, experts fear cowboy operators are moving in on the UK’s booming solar market.
Yet there’s reason for optimism. GreenFox Energy sees signs of a maturing market, with consumers increasingly demanding the same professionalism from solar providers that they expect from heating engineers or electricians.
GreenFox Energy Co-founder Eddie Curran said
“The results of this year’s Solar Sentiment Survey mirror what our engineers and customer service teams are hearing from customers every day.
“Solar energy has gone mainstream and is now widely accepted to be the smart choice for homeowners looking to cut energy bills and future-proof their homes as the UK faces into a lower-carbon future. As the market continues to mature, we'd expect to see a continuation of this year's key trends: increasing positivity about the benefits of solar, but also an increasing gap being called out by customers between the best solar companies and the under qualified opportunists.
“As the market grows customers are becoming more aware of what good looks like and - quite reasonably - have higher expectations around what is a major investment decision. This will translate to a greater focus on skill, quality and provision of lifetime care services as customers more critically assess the market for solar engineers.”
Paul Denton, Chief Executive of Scottish Building Society who are sponsors of the Solar Sentiment survey, added:
“It’s encouraging to see increasing confidence in solar energy as a cost-saving solution for households. However, the findings also underline the importance of addressing gaps in trust and information when it comes to installations.
“As a mortgage provider, we’re willing and ready to lend on all types of home improvements and by improving transparency and support within the industry, we can help homeowners feel more confident in adopting energy-saving technologies and enjoying their long-term benefits.”