What Solar Guide does

Solar Guide is a UK-based digital lead generation and quote-matching platform that connects residential homeowners with MCS-certified local solar panel and solar thermal installers. Operated by Leads.io Ltd (registered in England & Wales) as part of the Boiler Guide network of home improvement lead generation sites, the platform is free for homeowners, who complete a short online enquiry form and receive up to four no-obligation quotes from vetted local installers within 48 hours. The service covers UK nationwide geographic coverage across 11 regions, supported by editorial content on solar PV, solar thermal, and battery storage, a solar savings calculator, and a downloadable consumer installation guide.

The business operates a two-sided marketplace. On the consumer side, the product is a free lead-matching workflow with an SEO- and content-driven marketing funnel. On the trade side, Solar Guide sells qualified homeowner leads to solar installers on a pay-per-lead basis with no contracts, no membership fees, and no minimum commitment, with installer accounts managed through the Boiler Guide trade platform. Active installer vetting — including MCS certification, industry registration checks, and a gated TrustPilot review system — is positioned as the core quality control mechanism.

The company is privately held under the Leads.io corporate umbrella, with no disclosed funding history, no disclosed revenue, and no disclosed headcount. The revenue model is straightforward transactional lead resale to a long tail of UK solar installers, and the business benefits from UK policy tailwinds (0% VAT on residential solar through March 2027 and the ECO4 retrofit scheme), while also being exposed to those same policy windows as a concentration risk.

Name

Solar Guide

Legal name

Leads.io Ltd.

Website

https://solarguide.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Improvement Lead Generation

NAICS

Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

Keywords

• Solar lead generation
• Solar quote comparison
• MCS certified installers
• Residential solar matching
• Home improvement leads

Headquarters

HQ city

Market Harborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Lead Sales to Installers: Solar installers pay for leads on a per-lead basis. Free to join with no contract, membership fees, or hidden charges. Installers only pay for job opportunities they want.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Solar Guide is a UK residential lead-generation platform that connects homeowners seeking solar PV and solar thermal installations with up to four pre-vetted, MCS-certified local installers within 48 hours. The service is free for homeowners; installers join for free and purchase homeowner enquiries on a pay-per-lead basis through the Boiler Guide network trade platform.

Product overview

Solar Guide operates as a lead-generation and quote-comparison platform for the UK residential solar market. The core consumer-facing product is a free quote-matching service that connects homeowners with up to four MCS-certified local solar installers; this is supported by editorial guidance covering Solar PV panels, Solar Thermal systems, and battery storage, alongside a Solar Calculator tool. For trade professionals, Solar Guide offers a paid lead-generation service (Trade Sign-Up) accessible through the Boiler Guide network, where solar installers can purchase homeowner job enquiries and manage leads via a dedicated dashboard. The platform is wholly owned and operated by Leads.io Limited.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Quote Matching Service Free lead-generation and quote-comparison service that matches UK homeowners with up to four MCS-accredited local solar installers. Homeowners complete a short enquiry form and receive tailored installation quotes within 48 hours, with no obligation to accept.
• Trade Lead Generation (Trade Sign-Up) Paid lead-purchase service for solar installers. Installers register for free, receive a dedicated web page on the Solar Guide network, and buy homeowner job opportunities on a pay-per-lead basis through the Boiler Guide trade dashboard, paying only for leads they want.
• Solar Calculator Online estimation tool that helps homeowners calculate potential solar PV system sizes, costs, and likely savings based on their property characteristics. Used as a self-service pre-qualification step that feeds the quote-matching funnel.
• Consumer Guide to Solar PV Installation Free downloadable consumer guide providing information on the solar PV installation process, helping homeowners make informed investment decisions and driving them to the quote-matching funnel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to £915 per year savings on electricity bills with solar energy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Boiler GuidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSolar Guide is operated as part of the Boiler Guide network, which owns and operates a diverse portfolio of home improvement websites including Boiler Guide, Renewables Guide, and Windows Guide. Trade accounts for installers are managed through the Boiler Guide website platform.
• Leads.iocoreOthersSolar Guide is operated by Leads.io Ltd, registered in England & Wales (company number 6873930). Leads.io is the website operator and responsible for the design and content of the site.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• EnergySage: US solar marketplace where homeowners receive competing quotes from vetted installers (pay-per-lead model). Operates the same two-sided marketplace mechanic for residential solar, providing a comparable benchmark for marketplace depth and scale.

Direct peers

• Selectra: UK/European price-comparison and lead-generation platform for energy services including solar panel installation. Operates a near-identical freemium quote-matching model and targets the same UK homeowner segment.
• Rated People: UK home-services marketplace connecting homeowners with tradespeople (including solar installers) via paid leads and subscriptions. Highly comparable two-sided marketplace mechanics and UK-only geographic footprint.
• GreenMatch: UK-based lead-generation and quote-comparison platform helping homeowners compare quotes from renewable energy and solar installers. Directly comparable business model (free for homeowners, pay-per-lead for installers) and overlapping UK solar installer network.

Others

• Renewables Guide: Sister site within the Leads.io network covering broader renewable energy (heat pumps, biomass, etc.) using the same lead-generation platform. Same operator and mechanics; useful as an internal benchmark for category extension.
• Boiler Guide: Sister company within the Leads.io network operating the same lead-generation/marketplace model for boiler installers. Same operator, same revenue mechanics, but in the heating vertical — directly comparable for benchmarking unit economics and marketplace functionality.

Broad incumbents

• TrustATrader: UK home-services directory and lead-generation platform connecting consumers with vetted tradespeople, including solar installers. Comparable UK-only directory-and-leads business model.
• HomeAdvisor: Large US home-services lead-generation marketplace owned by Angi (formerly IAC). Provides a benchmark for scaled two-sided lead-gen economics, though it operates in the US and covers many trades beyond solar.
• Checkatrade: Established UK home-services directory and lead-generation platform with vetted tradespeople across categories including solar. Larger and broader but overlapping in the homeowner-to-solar-installer matching use case.

Regional players

• Modernize: US home-improvement lead-generation marketplace (solar, roofing, windows, HVAC) using a pay-per-lead model. Closely mirrors Solar Guide's marketplace mechanics but serves a different geography (US vs UK).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solarguideuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar Guide