How much does a solar lead cost in the UK in 2026?

Every installer asks the same question and every agency gives a different answer, so here is the honest version. Prices below are what installers tell us they pay, not what anyone advertises.

Shared leads from directories: £30 to £150

Bark, Checkatrade, MyBuilder and the rest sell the same homeowner to several installers. A solar enquiry typically costs £30 to £80 in credits, and battery or larger system enquiries can run past £100. You pay when you respond, not when you win. Most installers we speak to close between one in five and one in ten of these, which makes the real cost per job £300 to £1,000 before you have driven anywhere.

Lead resellers: £50 to £150

National lead companies that run their own ads and sell you the enquiry. Better than a directory because the homeowner has at least filled in a form about solar, but still usually shared with two or three others, and the details are often thin. Refund policies vary from fair to fictional.

Your own Facebook ads: £8 to £40

Run well, in your own account, Facebook and Instagram produce solar enquiries for £8 to £40 depending on the area and the time of year. Summer is cheaper. The catch is the word "well": creative that stops the scroll, a form that qualifies, and a fast follow-up.

Google SEO, pay per lead: agreed up front

This is what we do, so read this bit knowing that. A site in your name ranks for "solar installer" plus your town. The homeowner searched, found you and only you, and filled in your form. There is a one-off build fee, then a price per lead agreed before anything is built. It varies by area and trade, so we quote it on a call rather than publish a number that would be wrong for half the country. The first three leads are free so you can judge them on your own jobs.

The number that matters is cost per job

A £30 shared lead that closes one in eight costs £240 a job. A £60 exclusive lead that closes one in three costs £180. The cheapest lead is not the cheapest job, and the installers who work that out stop buying by the credit.

What to ask any lead provider

• Is it exclusive, or how many others get it?
• Where did the homeowner come from, and what did they fill in?
• What happens with a wrong-area or spam lead?
• Is there a monthly fee, and what is the notice period?