How Much Do Solar Leads Cost in the UK? (2026 Comparison)
How much should a solar lead cost in the UK? The honest answer: it depends entirely on what kind of lead you’re buying — and most installers don’t realise they’re comparing completely different things.
A £10 lead from a Facebook form and a £22 lead from a dedicated landing page aren’t the same product. One fills your CRM. The other fills your install calendar. This guide breaks down the real costs, the hidden costs, and what you should actually be measuring.
Note: The performance figures in this article (e.g., cost per lead, survey rates) are based on specific campaign results and may not be typical. Every installer’s results will vary depending on location, ad spend, service area, and sales process. We share them for transparency, not as a guarantee.
What Is the Average Cost Per Solar Lead in the UK?
The average cost per solar lead in the UK in 2026 ranges from £10 to £60, depending on the source. Shared leads from directories like Checkatrade typically cost £15–30 per lead but are sold to 3–5 installers simultaneously. Exclusive leads generated through Meta Ads campaigns cost £18–40 per lead but go to one installer only. The industry average for exclusive Meta Ads leads sits around £35–40, though well-optimised campaigns can achieve under £25.
Here’s how the main sources compare:
| Lead Source | Cost Per Lead | Exclusive? | Average Survey Rate | Typical Close Rate | Effective Cost Per Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkatrade / MyBuilder | £15–30 | No (3–5 installers) | 15–25% | 5–8% | £1,500–3,000+ |
| Generic Facebook form ads | £8–20 | Yes (usually) | 20–35% | 5–10% | £800–2,000 |
| Sales page + Meta Ads | £18–40 | Yes | 50–75% | 12–20% | £400–800 |
| Google Ads (search) | £30–60 | Yes | 40–60% | 15–25% | £500–1,000 |
| Referrals / word of mouth | £0 | Yes | 80%+ | 30–50% | £0 |
The cheapest lead is rarely the cheapest installation. That’s the number most agencies hope you never calculate.
Why Cheap Leads Cost More Than Expensive Ones
A solar installation in the UK averages £8,000–12,000 in revenue. If your cost per lead is £10 but only 3% convert to installations, your cost per installation is £333. Sounds good — until you factor in the 50 hours your sales team spent calling people who didn’t pick up, didn’t remember filling out a form, or were “just looking.”
Compare that to a £22 lead where 75% book a survey and 15% become installations. Your cost per installation is £147, and your sales team spoke to people who actually wanted solar.
The real metric isn’t cost per lead. It’s cost per installation.
Most lead generation agencies report on cost per lead because it makes their numbers look good. An agency generating 100 leads at £15 each looks impressive in the monthly report. But if only 3 of those leads become installations, you’ve spent £500 per install in lead costs alone — plus the staff time wasted chasing 97 people who were never going to buy.
Shared Leads vs Exclusive Leads: The Hidden Maths
Shared leads from platforms like Checkatrade, MyBuilder, or Solar Guide are sold to multiple installers. The platform earns more by selling each enquiry 3–5 times. Here’s what that actually costs you:
Shared lead scenario:
- Lead cost: £20
- Shared with: 4 other installers
- Contact rate: 60% (many don’t pick up after 5 calls)
- Your survey booking rate: 15%
- Close rate from survey: 25%
- Effective cost per install: £2,133
- Sales hours wasted per install: 12+
Exclusive lead scenario (sales page):
- Lead cost: £22
- Shared with: nobody
- Contact rate: 85%+ (they’re expecting your call)
- Survey booking rate: 75%
- Close rate from survey: 20%
- Effective cost per install: £147
- Sales hours wasted per install: 2
The exclusive lead costs £2 more upfront and saves £1,986 per installation. At 10 installs per month, that’s nearly £20,000 in savings — not counting the time your team gets back.
Why Lead Quality Varies So Much Between Agencies
Not all Meta Ads campaigns are equal. The difference in lead quality between two agencies using the same platform can be enormous — and it comes down to what happens between the ad click and your phone ringing.
The cheapest approach is Facebook’s built-in lead forms. A homeowner taps a button, their details auto-fill, and they submit in 3 seconds. Many don’t remember doing it. The volume is high and the cost is low, but the quality reflects the effort the homeowner put in — almost none.
Better campaigns invest more in qualifying and educating the homeowner before they submit their details. The more work the campaign does upfront, the warmer the lead is when you call. That’s why cost per lead alone is misleading — a £22 lead from a well-designed campaign can be worth five times more than a £10 lead from a basic form.
The specifics of how we design our campaigns are proprietary, but the principle is simple: the best leads come from homeowners who are informed, qualified, and expecting your call — not people who tapped a button while scrolling at 11pm.
If you want to understand what that looks like for your business, book a strategy call and we’ll walk you through it.
What About Google Ads for Solar?
Google Ads target homeowners actively searching for solar installation — phrases like “solar panel installers near me” or “solar PV quotes.” These leads have high intent because they’re already looking.
Google Ads pros:
- High intent — they searched for solar
- Good survey rates (40–60%)
- Strong close rates (15–25%)
Google Ads cons:
- Expensive — £30–60 per lead in competitive areas
- Limited volume — only so many people search each month
- Click fraud is a real problem in the solar industry
- Requires ongoing management to stay profitable
Google Ads work well alongside Meta Ads but rarely replace them for volume. Most solar installers find Meta Ads generate 3–5x the lead volume at a lower cost per lead, while Google Ads produce higher-intent leads at a premium price.
How to Calculate Your Real Cost Per Installation
Before comparing any lead source, calculate your actual cost per installation from each channel. Here’s the formula:
Cost per installation = Total spend ÷ Number of installations from that channel
Total spend includes:
- Lead costs or ad spend
- Agency management fees
- Sales team time (hours × hourly rate)
- Any software or CRM costs
Example calculation:
- Monthly ad spend: £2,000
- Agency fee: £1,500
- Leads generated: 80
- Surveys booked: 60 (75% rate)
- Installations closed: 10 (17% close rate)
- Cost per installation: £350
At an average deal value of £10,000, that’s a 28:1 return on investment. Compare that number across every lead source you use — it tells you where to put your budget.
What Should You Be Paying in 2026?
Based on current UK market data, here are realistic benchmarks for solar lead generation in 2026:
| Metric | Below Average | Average | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead (exclusive) | £40+ | £30–40 | £22–30 | Under £22 |
| Lead-to-survey rate | Under 30% | 30–50% | 50–65% | 65%+ |
| Survey-to-install rate | Under 10% | 10–15% | 15–20% | 20%+ |
| Cost per installation | £800+ | £400–800 | £200–400 | Under £200 |
If your agency can’t tell you your cost per installation — only your cost per lead — that’s a red flag. The number that matters is how much you spend to get a panel on a roof, not how many names are in your CRM.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a solar lead cost on Checkatrade?
Solar leads on Checkatrade typically cost £15–30 per lead, but each lead is shared with 3–5 other installers in your area. This means you’re competing on speed — the first installer to call usually wins. Factoring in the reduced contact rate and competition, the effective cost per installation from Checkatrade leads often exceeds £1,500.
Are Facebook Ads worth it for solar installers?
Yes — Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) are one of the most cost-effective channels for residential solar lead generation in the UK. The key is what sits behind the ad. Native Facebook form ads produce cheap but low-quality leads. Campaigns that drive traffic to a dedicated sales page — one that actually sells your company, not just collects names — produce leads that convert at 2–3x the rate, making the cost per installation significantly lower.
What is a good cost per lead for solar in the UK?
A good cost per lead for exclusive solar leads in the UK is £22–30 in 2026. However, cost per lead alone is misleading. A £22 lead with a 75% survey rate is far more valuable than a £12 lead where half don’t pick up the phone. Always measure cost per installation, not just cost per lead.
How many solar leads do I need per month?
Most UK solar installers need 40–80 exclusive leads per month to maintain a steady installation pipeline. At a 75% survey rate and 15–20% close rate, that translates to roughly 5–12 installations per month. The exact number depends on your team size, geographic coverage, and average deal value.
Why are my solar leads not converting?
The most common reasons solar leads don’t convert are: the leads are shared with multiple installers (they’ve already been called 3 times), the leads came from a low-effort form where the homeowner barely engaged, follow-up is too slow (calling after 30 minutes instead of 60 seconds), or there’s no system to nurture leads who aren’t ready immediately. Fixing the lead source usually has a bigger impact than fixing the sales process.
Is Checkatrade good for solar leads?
Checkatrade can generate solar enquiries, but leads are shared with multiple installers, creating a race to contact the homeowner first. Many solar installers report that Checkatrade leads have declined in quality, with homeowners receiving multiple calls within minutes of submitting an enquiry. For installers who want exclusive leads and a predictable pipeline, dedicated Meta Ads campaigns typically deliver better results at a lower cost per installation.
Considering switching from shared leads to an exclusive pipeline? Book a 15-minute strategy call — we’ll show you what your numbers should look like.
Forhad Sarker
Founder, PoweredLeads
Forhad Sarker is the founder of PoweredLeads, where he builds bespoke Meta Ads systems for UK solar installers. After spending over a year running marketing inside a solar company, he now helps MCS-certified installers generate exclusive leads that actually convert — not just fill a spreadsheet. His campaigns have generated 1,100+ leads at under £22 CPL with a 75%+ survey rate.
Read more about Forhad →