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As climate change continues to impact the way we think about energy, and with homeowners wanting to keep energy bills down, our shift towards sustainable solar panel energy generation is also growing.
Sourcing the best solar panel installer involves considering varying factors that far surpass the cost of solar panels. Installers should offer good-quality products with durable installation, a high level of customer service, industry accreditations, and transparency around installation timelines, cost, warranties and products. In this guide, we’ll explore one of the top solar panel installers, Effective Home, so you can decide if they’re the best option for your solar needs.
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Effective Home, under the Effective Energy Group, specialises in residential energy-saving solutions in the UK. It offers solar panel installations, is industry-certified and provides customers with finance options.
Although Effective Home does not list its prices online, it does provide free virtual or in-person surveys. The company uses panels from Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Tier 1 manufacturers, JA Solar and Longi, and has installations available in England by qualified personnel.
The Effective Energy Group, the umbrella company that owns Effective Home, launched in 2008 with the aim of helping energy suppliers deliver carbon-saving obligations through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Project (CESP). Effective Energy says it’s committed to only using products that reduce CO2 emissions and, if suitable products are unavailable, it will collaborate with manufacturers to innovate and create them.
In 2015, the Effective Energy Group formed Max Energy focusing on home insulation measures and is now carrying out 5,000 installations a month. This was followed in 2020 by Effective Home, the Effective Energy Group’s heating and renewable technologies sector. It has over 200 employees in England and has installed more than £250 million energy saving solutions, including solar panels.
It’s also worth noting that EDF, British Gas and Lloyds Banking Group have teamed up with Effective Home to offer solar panels to their customers.
Although relatively new to the solar installations market, Effective Home appears to have a solid reputation for quick, professional installations and good customer service.
Effective Home provides and installs heating and insulation measures, solar batteries and solar photovoltaic (PV) panel systems across England, Wales and as far north as Dundee. The website states that Effective Homes only installs the highest quality panels, with a 25-year warranty. The panels installed by Effective Home installers are either Longi or JA Solar panels with Sunsynk batteries.
The company offers free home surveys – virtually or in person – and a choice of finance options. These include flexible monthly payment plans over 15 years, subject to status, and can help you through the process of applying for solar panel government grants.
Effective Home has certifications from leading industry organisations, including the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC), which guarantees that all electrical components are installed safely following national regulations. It also holds certifications from the Home Insulation and Energy Systems Contractors Scheme (HIES), designed to protect consumers by ensuring the installation is of the highest quality, the Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS), which verifies the energy performance claims and ensures consumers receive the energy savings promised, and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
The MCS certification demonstrates that both the products and the installation processes used by Effective Home meet specific standards of quality and reliability; this is necessary if homeowners wish to sell surplus energy back to the National Grid under the Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
Effective Home’s prices are unavailable online or over the phone. Homeowners are advised to book a free survey to get an accurate quote and an understanding of when they can expect to break even.
However, they do cite that the cost for an average 3-bed house with 10 solar panels including installation starts at £6,850.
There are two ways to contact Effective Home – using an online form or by phone, with the lines open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
Our researchers had their phone calls answered in under a minute, and the customer service personnel were very helpful, answering questions or putting them through to a department that could.
Effective Home has a Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of five with over 1,700 reviews – 83 per cent four- and five-star reviews and 14 per cent awarding one and two stars. The company has responded to 96 per cent of the negative reviews, demonstrating a commitment to their customers.
The positive reviews list friendly, non-pushy sales teams, professional installers and good after-sales care.
“The team, who were very polite and thorough, arrived at the pre-arranged date and time, and carried out the work efficiently and with the minimum of disruption. I have had solar panels for 12 years already and the work done was to add two batteries. Once they were added, and the site was impeccably tidied up, they connected the batteries to our wifi, and explained the use of the Sunsynk app.
The operations planner, Lisa, then phoned to ensure that we were entirely happy with the process before arranging to take our final payment. All in all, we are extremely satisfied with the service provided.”
“Everything prior to installation and the installation team were very good, but after sales service is poor. I have been waiting over 4 weeks for the handover pack. I have requested this twice, but nobody responds to my emails. I can’t apply for SEG payments without the information. There seems to be a lack of interest.”
“We had solar panels, a balancer unit and a battery installed by Effective Homes on behalf of British Gas. They were friendly, helpful and informative throughout the initial visit, subsequent survey and slight redesign by Issac, and final installation by Stuart and his team. In particular, the installation team went above and beyond in response to circumstances outside of their control. We had a few issues with timely scaffolding removal and some accidental ceiling damage, but the company was communicative throughout and was willing to listen and compromise in order to reach a mutually acceptable outcome.”
Based in Doncaster, Effective Home has provided residential solar panel installations throughout England, Wales and parts of Scotland since 2020. Finance is available and installations using JA Solar or Longi panels are protected with several warranties. Like many solar installers, Effective Home requires homeowners to have a free survey to get an accurate system cost.
Effective Home has installed over £250 million worth of energy saving property improvements, including solar panel systems. It’s backed by industry certifications and has a parent company with a mission to invest in and develop innovative sustainable technology.
Having teamed up with some of the leading energy companies and financial institutions in the UK to offer homeowners access to the best solar panels, we would rate Effective Home as a credible installer for your project.
Our experts thoroughly researched Effective Home, analysing its services, products and customer services. They have read over 1,000 online reviews and carried out many hours of consumer investigation to establish a clear picture of how the company conducts business.
To find out more, read our article on how we review solar panels.
