How We Help
Are solar and heat pump quotes a rip off?
You have a quote. It is a lot of money. You want to know what you are paying for before you sign.
A high price alone does not prove a rip-off. A cheap quote can also leave out work you will need to pay for later. Start by checking what the price actually covers.
Home Quote Check is your Home Energy Quote Analyser. The free check reviews the details in your installer’s quote, highlights missing information and helps you ask clearer questions. No account is required. We do not pass your details to installers.
The Red Flags in a Home Energy Quote
“That discount ends today.”
Pressure makes it harder to compare. Ask for the full offer in writing and give yourself time to read it.
How HQC helps: Use the quote check to identify details worth clarifying before you commit. Keep the results beside the original quote when you speak to the installer. HQC cannot verify a salesperson’s verbal promises or decide whether an offer is honest.
“Complete installation” is the only description.
Ask which equipment and work are included. For solar, that can mean panels, inverter, battery, scaffolding and electrical work. For a heat pump, it can mean the cylinder, radiator changes, pipework and removal of old equipment.
How HQC helps: The check reviews the equipment and installation details supplied, bringing gaps and unclear scope to your attention. For solar or battery quotes, it checks written evidence such as equipment, scaffolding and warranties. For heat pumps, it helps you question missing installation and design information.
Ask: “Is this included in the total? If it is excluded or provisional, how will the extra cost be agreed?”
The savings sound certain, but the assumptions are missing.
Ask which energy prices, household usage and system assumptions support the estimate. For a heat pump, ask for the heat-loss assessment and proposed heating-water temperature.
How HQC helps: It helps flag missing supporting information and questions to take back to the installer. It does not inspect your home, certify the design or guarantee the savings.
3 Signs You Are Being Overcharged
These signs are reasons to ask questions. None proves overcharging on its own.
1. The higher price has no clear explanation.
Difficult access, additional electrical work or radiator upgrades can explain a higher bill. You deserve an item-by-item explanation.
How HQC helps: Review each quote’s stated price, equipment and scope before comparing totals. A £11,900 heat-pump quote excluding electrical work may cost more overall than a £12,400 quote that includes it. These figures are illustrative.
For multiple heat-pump quotes, the optional Decision Pack sets out scope differences and questions side by side. The free individual check is still a useful starting point.
2. You are paying for extras without an explanation.
A bigger battery or heat pump does not automatically mean better value. Ask why the proposed size suits your home and what the price would be without optional extras.
How HQC helps: It helps you see which specifications and supporting details are actually documented. Use the gaps to request a clearer explanation. A document check cannot determine the right system size for your property or replace a survey.
3. The monthly payment is easier to find than the full price.
Ask for the cash price, deposit, number of payments, interest, fees, any final payment and total amount repayable. Keep the finance agreement separate from the installation quote when comparing costs.
How HQC helps: Start with the installation price and scope in the quote, then use the questions it raises to clarify the agreement. HQC does not assess affordability, approve finance or calculate the full cost of a separate credit agreement for you.
How to Decode the Hidden Maintenance Fees
The installation total may leave out future costs. Ask for a written list of servicing charges, subscriptions, call-out fees and replacement costs that you may have to pay.
“Warranty included” needs a follow-up question.
Does it cover equipment, installation work, labour and call-outs? Who handles a fault? When does each part of the cover end?
How HQC helps: It reviews the warranty and aftercare details available in the documents. For solar or battery quotes, equipment and workmanship cover are separate evidence items. Missing wording gives you a specific question to send back; “included” alone does not establish the full cover.
Check the conditions, as well as the yearly cost.
Ask whether servicing is optional or required for the warranty, who can do it, whether prices can rise and how to cancel a maintenance plan. Keep the answers with your quote.
How HQC helps: Use the check to organise the written information and identify what still needs confirming. HQC cannot reveal an undisclosed fee or guarantee that every maintenance condition has been found. Ask the installer for the full terms.
Check your quote before signing any finance agreement.
You do not need to understand every technical term. You do need clear equipment details, an agreed scope and written answers about costs and cover.
Try the free Home Energy Quote Analyser from Home Quote Check before you sign. Upload your quote, review the gaps and take the unanswered questions back to your installer.
HQC reviews the documents you provide. It cannot establish whether an installer is dishonest, guarantee a fair market price or certify the installation. Check extracted details against your original documents.