Know what you’re buying.
Know what to ask.
Use this across the proposal, survey and contract stages. It is not a list of details that every initial quote must contain, or a legal compliance test. An answer may be on another page.
1. The final installed price
Identify the selected package, its total, VAT treatment, exclusions and quote expiry. Ask whether scaffolding, electrical alterations and any necessary roof work are included.
Ask your installer
What could change the total I pay after the survey?
2. The equipment you will receive
Look for panel count, wattage, make and model; total array size; and the inverter make, model and rating. A brand name alone does not identify the installed product.
Ask your installer
Please confirm the exact equipment and how any substitutions would be agreed.
3. How the design fits your home
Look for the roof layout, orientation, shading assumptions and your electricity-use information. Tell the installer about planned changes such as an EV or heat pump.
Ask your installer
What household and roof information did you use to size this system?
4. The battery, if included
Separate headline capacity from usable kWh and charge/discharge power in kW. Clarify the proposed location, compatibility, warranty conditions and whether backup operation is included.
Ask your installer
How much stored energy can I use, at what continuous power, and what happens during a power cut?
5. Generation versus savings
Annual generation is an energy estimate, not a bill reduction. Savings depend on consumption timing, import and export rates, battery losses and other assumptions.
Ask your installer
Please show the generation method and assumptions behind savings and payback, including replacement costs.
6. Export and installation responsibilities
Clarify who handles the relevant grid notification or approval, commissioning, certification, monitoring and handover. Export payments depend on eligibility, metering and supplier terms.
Ask your installer
Which documents will I receive, and what do I need to arrange for an export tariff?
7. Warranties and support
Panel product cover, panel performance guarantees and workmanship cover protect different things. Check inverter and battery terms, labour or call-out exclusions, and who handles a claim.
Ask your installer
Who pays for diagnosis, labour and replacement if a component fails?
8. The contract and your protection
Verify the contracting business and applicable certification or consumer-code membership directly. Clarify deposit protection, payment stages, cancellation terms and any finance total repayable.
Ask your installer
Please send the contract, payment schedule and protection details before I commit.
Where this checklist comes from
Our editorial checklist draws on the consumer guidance below. It is not an endorsement of QuoteCalm by these organisations. Guidance reviewed 8 September 2026.
- Energy Saving Trust: solar panels
- Energy Saving Trust: battery storage
- RECC: consumer guide
- Ofgem: Smart Export Guarantee for generators
- MCS: your renewable installation
A document review cannot verify roof condition, installation safety, installer competence or your actual future savings. Use qualified installers for design and site assessment.
Turn my quote into an explanation