What to Do When Your Solar Installer Goes Bust

Solar installers go bust more often than most homeowners expect. In April 2026, GivEnergy — one of the UK's biggest battery storage brands — entered administration, leaving tens of thousands of customers without manufacturer support. Before that, dozens of smaller installers quietly closed every year, leaving homeowners with systems they can't get serviced and warranties they can't claim.

If your installer has closed down, this guide walks you through what to do — step by step.

Step 1 — Check Your Panel Warranty

Your solar panels almost certainly have a separate manufacturer warranty from the installer warranty. Panel manufacturers like JA Solar, Longi, Trina, Canadian Solar, and Jinko provide their own warranties — typically 12–15 years product warranty and 25–30 years performance warranty.

The panel warranty survives the installer going bust.Contact the manufacturer directly if you need to make a claim. You'll need your panel model number (printed on the back of each panel or in your installation paperwork).

Step 2 — Check Your Inverter Warranty

Same story. Inverter manufacturers like Solis, Fox ESS, SolarEdge, Enphase, and Growatt provide their own product warranties — typically 5–12 years, with some offering paid extensions.

Contact the manufacturer directly for warranty claims. Your inverter serial number is on the unit itself and usually visible in your monitoring app.

Step 3 — Find Your MCS Certificate

Your MCS certificate is one of the most important documents in your solar paperwork. It proves your system was installed to an approved standard by a certified installer.

You need it for:

• SEG registration— you can't get paid for exported electricity without a valid MCS certificate
• Warranty claims — some manufacturers require proof of compliant installation
• Insurance — your home insurer may ask for it
• Selling your home — buyers and solicitors will want to see it

Step 4 — Check Your Maintenance Contract

If you had a maintenance or service plan with your old installer, that contract is likely void now. This means:

• Any prepaid visits you haven't received are probably lost (you can register as an unsecured creditor, but recovery is unlikely)
• Your system still needs the same maintenance — you just need a new provider
• Any cleaning or inspection schedule included in the plan needs replacing

Don't let this slide. Systems that go unserviced for years tend to develop small problems that become expensive ones.

Step 5 — Find New Service Providers

Depending on your situation, you may need one or more of the following:

You don't need to stick with one company for everything. Many homeowners use a local electrician for maintenance, a separate firm for cleaning, and a specialist for any battery or inverter work.

What matters is that whoever works on your system is qualified, insured, and ideally MCS-certified for the type of work involved.

Your Rights

If your installer was MCS-certified when they installed your system, you may have additional protections:

• MCS Consumer Code — MCS-certified installers must comply with a consumer code. The certification body may help with unresolved complaints through their dispute resolution process.
• RECC — some installers were members of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, which has its own complaints and dispute resolution scheme.
• Solar Energy UK — the industry trade body can provide guidance on your rights and signpost you to relevant support.
• Section 75 protection — if you paid by credit card and the installation was over £100, you may be able to claim for defective work through your card provider.

Your 0% VAT qualification and insurance coverage are based on the installation itself, not on the installer's continued existence. These aren't affected.

Going Forward

The most important thing is to find a reliable, MCS-certified provider who can pick up where your old installer left off. Solar systems are designed to last 25–30 years — with the right ongoing support, an installer going bust is a bump in the road, not a disaster.

Browse all our service categories:

• Solar panel maintenance and repair →
• Battery storage installation →
• Solar panel cleaning →
• Solar panel bird proofing →
• Solar panel removal and reinstallation →

For advice on choosing a new installer, see our guide on selecting a solar installer. For help with SEG registration, see our Smart Export Guarantee guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

My solar installer has gone bust — will my panels stop working?

No. Your solar panels, inverter, and battery are self-contained hardware. They'll continue generating electricity exactly as before. What changes is your access to warranty support and maintenance services — both of which are replaceable.

Does my panel warranty still apply if my installer goes bust?

Yes. Panel manufacturers (JA Solar, Longi, Trina, etc.) provide their own warranties that are separate from the installer warranty. Contact the manufacturer directly. The same applies to inverter manufacturers.

What happened to GivEnergy?

GivEnergy Ltd entered administration on 9 April 2026. The company ceased trading and all employees were made redundant. Existing hardware continues to work, but no further warranties will be honoured by GivEnergy Ltd. The monitoring app (run by GivEnergy Software Ltd, a separate entity) is currently still operational.

How do I find my MCS certificate?

Check your installation paperwork. If you can't find it, request a copy from the MCS Installation Database at mcscertified.com — search by your postcode or your original installer's name.