This is a proposal, not yet a decision. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced on 18 September 2026 that it will consider a package of housing retrofit funding at its meeting on 25 September. Public Sector Executive reported on 21 September that the package is worth almost £30 million.
What is proposed
- A £5 million Plug-in Solar Pilot for owner-occupier households experiencing fuel poverty, subject to approval by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The Combined Authority says delivery is expected by July 2027.
- A £5.5 million Photovoltaic and Battery Fund that would let housing associations and other registered providers install rooftop solar panels and battery storage in social housing until August 2027. Some reports described this as plug-in solar for tenants; the coverage we read describes it as rooftop panels and batteries.
- Warm Homes funding for social housing retrofit, including £13.9 million through the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, and a £4.5 million Warm Homes Local Grant application being considered by DESNZ.
The coverage we could read does not say how households would qualify for the plug-in pilot or how they would apply.
What it means for you
If it goes ahead, the pilot would offer a funded route to plug-in solar for owner-occupiers in the Liverpool City Region who could not otherwise afford a kit. There is no national grant for plug-in solar; see solar panel grants in the UK for what exists.
Social-housing tenants in the region would benefit from the rooftop fund through their housing provider, not by buying a kit. A tenant who wants a plug-in kit still needs the landlord’s permission first; see plug-in solar for social housing.
Whoever pays for it, a kit used in Great Britain must be listed as compliant on the ENA Type Test Register. See every kit the register lists.