For most of the last decade, buying solar in the UK meant a doorstep visit from someone paid to close you on the night. The pitch ("the price goes up tomorrow", a tablet of pre-loaded "savings", a paper contract on the kitchen table) was a sales operation first and a quote second. That model is on the way out. Online quotes, video consultations and emailed proposals are now available across the UK.
If you've Googled "buy solar online UK" and wondered whether it's a different way to buy or a slicker version of the same pressure-sell, here's the answer.
What "buying solar online" means in 2026
The phrase covers a spectrum. It's worth knowing which version you're getting.
- Calculator-only. You enter a postcode and roof size and it gives you a price. Useful for a ballpark, but it's a marketing tool, not an install quote.
- Calculator + sales call. The calculator generates a lead, then a phone rep follows up to "refine" it (and close you). The online part is the funnel, not the sale.
- Full virtual sale. Postcode in, video consultation with an engineer, custom design, proposal by email, then survey and install by the installer's own team. This is what we mean by "buying solar online".
Geko sits in the third bucket.
A virtual solar consultation, step by step
Here's what a proper online process looks like end to end. Use it as a checklist when comparing installers.
- Step 1: Postcode. You enter your postcode (ideally with a recent electricity bill). The installer uses satellite imagery to check your roof, orientation and shading. Some installers can give a credible ballpark within 24 hours from this alone.
- Step 2: Video consultation. Around 30 minutes with an engineer, not a sales rep. They share your roof on a satellite map, walk through panel placement, show how the system fits your usage (from the bill) and answer questions live.
- Step 3: Custom design + proposal. Designed and signed off by a qualified in-house engineer. The proposal arrives by email with your system and one total price, with finance options shown alongside outright purchase.
- Step 4: Decide in your own time. Our quotes expire in 30 days, so there's time to compare. If you hear "this price is valid for 7 days", you're back in the doorstep world with extra steps.
- Step 5: Survey. The installer's own team confirms the design on site. Listed buildings, conservation areas, unusual roof geometry or shared roofs get extra checks. The survey shouldn't lock you in.
- Step 6: Install day. Typically one day on a single-storey or two-storey UK home. Scaffolding goes up the day before; panels and inverter the next morning.
What you skip
Convenience is only part of it. The doorstep model has specific problems that disappear when the sale moves to video.
- No commission rep. Doorstep reps are often paid on commission, and that cost is built into your quote. A virtual model can strip it out.
- No "valid today" tactics. Written, emailed quotes don't evaporate the way kitchen-table pitches do.
- Easier comparison. With proposals by email, you can put three installers' quotes side by side at your own pace. That's worth more than the time saved on the consultation.
Where to be careful with online solar quotes
Three things to check before you sign anything that came out of a virtual process.
- Is the installer MCS-certified? It's required for Smart Export Guarantee payments. Check "Find an installer" at mcscertified.com before signing.
- How long has the installer been trading? A workmanship warranty is only as durable as the company behind it, unless it is insurance-backed. Ask how long they've been trading, check their Companies House filing history, and ask whether the guarantee is an IBG. A verbal "we'll come back" isn't a warranty.
- Is the price in writing? Get the system and its total price by email, not on a tablet at the kitchen table.
The short version
Buying solar online in the UK is increasingly the norm, and without a commission rep in the chain, it can cost less than the doorstep route. The catch: the model is new enough that most search results blur "online lead-capture calculator" with "completing the sale online". Know which one you're getting.
To see a full virtual buying process, head to our online solar page. Enter a postcode, get a ballpark within 24 hours, and book a video consultation if it stacks up. No doorstep visit at any stage.
