The short answer
They do different jobs and work well together, so the order depends on your priorities and your current heating. A heat pump replaces a gas or oil boiler and cuts your heating carbon and (often) running cost, and it qualifies for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales. Solar panels generate electricity that can power that heat pump and everything else, lowering bills further. If your boiler is failing, the heat pump is the urgent move — take the grant. If your heating is fine but you want to cut bills now, solar (often with a battery) is the quicker, simpler win. Either order works; many homes do the heat pump first for the grant and the carbon cut, then add solar. Crucially, insulation comes before both — a well-insulated home makes a heat pump cheaper to run and smaller to size.
Solar panels and a heat pump are a natural pairing — self-generated electricity running low-carbon heating — but you rarely have to do both at once. The right starting point depends on your boiler, your budget and what you most want to achieve.
Order of works
- Heat pump grant£7,500 (Boiler Upgrade Scheme)
- Solar grant0% VAT; export payments (SEG)
- Do first if boiler failingHeat pump
- Do first for quick bill cutSolar (+ battery)
- Before eitherInsulation
How they work together
A heat pump runs on electricity, delivering around 3 to 4 units of heat per unit of electricity (a SCOP of roughly 3 to 4). Solar panels generate electricity from daylight. Pair them and your panels can offset some of the heat pump's electricity use, especially in spring and autumn, lowering running costs. The match is imperfect — a heat pump's biggest demand is in winter when solar output is lowest — but across the year solar still reduces the grid electricity the heat pump needs, and a battery or smart tariff improves the overlap.
Because they are independent systems, you can install them in either order or years apart. Solar does not require a heat pump, and a heat pump works fine on grid electricity alone. That means you can sequence them to suit your circumstances rather than committing to both together.
| Your situation | Sensible first step | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler failing / old | Heat pump | Replace heating now; claim £7,500 grant |
| Heating fine, want lower bills | Solar (+ battery) | Quicker, simpler, immediate saving |
| High daytime electricity use | Solar | Self-use offsets expensive imports |
| Poor insulation | Insulate first | Cuts heat demand for both |
| Plenty of budget, both planned | Either; often heat pump first | Grant deadline-free; add solar after |
Indicative guidance only — your circumstances decide. Sources: Energy Saving Trust; Ofgem.
The case for the heat pump first
If your boiler is old, unreliable or you are heating with expensive oil or LPG, the heat pump is the pressing change. It removes a fossil-fuel boiler, cuts heating carbon sharply, and can lower running costs, particularly versus oil, LPG or direct electric heating. The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales substantially reduces the upfront cost, making this the moment to act if your heating is on its last legs.
Doing the heat pump first also lets you size your future solar and battery around the home's new electricity demand, since the heat pump will increase your electricity use. You can then add solar later to chip away at that running cost. For households focused on decarbonising heat and taking the grant, heat pump first is a logical order.
The case for solar first, and how to decide
If your boiler is fine and you mainly want to cut bills and carbon now, solar is often the quicker, simpler win. A solar install is less disruptive than a heat pump, starts saving immediately by offsetting imported electricity, earns export payments under the Smart Export Guarantee, and a battery lets you use more of your own generation. There is no grant deadline pressure, and you keep your working boiler.
Solar first also suits homes with high daytime electricity use — home workers, EV owners charging by day — where self-consumption is strong. You can always add the heat pump later when the boiler nears the end of its life, claiming the grant at that point.
To decide, start with insulation, then look at your boiler. If it is failing, prioritise the heat pump and take the grant. If it is healthy and you want lower bills sooner with less disruption, start with solar (and consider a battery). If you intend to do both, either order works — many homes fit the heat pump first for the carbon cut and grant, then add solar to feed it. Get an MCS-certified assessment for whichever you start with, as both schemes and the export tariff require MCS certification.
Frequently asked questions
Do solar panels and a heat pump work well together?
Yes. A heat pump runs on electricity and solar panels generate it, so your panels can offset some of the heat pump's electricity use and lower running costs. The overlap is imperfect because heat demand peaks in winter when solar is lowest, but across the year solar still reduces the grid electricity the heat pump needs, especially with a battery.
Can I get a grant for both solar and a heat pump?
The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is for heat pumps, not solar panels. Solar benefits from a temporary 0% VAT rate on installation and earns export payments under the Smart Export Guarantee. So you can use the grant for the heat pump and the VAT relief and export payments for solar, but there is no single grant covering both.
Should I insulate before getting solar or a heat pump?
Yes, insulation should come first where it is needed. A well-insulated home has lower heat demand, which lets a heat pump be smaller and cheaper to run and means less solar-powered heat is wasted. Loft and cavity insulation and draught-proofing are usually cost-effective first steps before either solar or a heat pump.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific home. They are guidance, not a quotation or guaranteed saving.