What Happens, Who Qualifies, and What Disqualifies You
The credit check is a soft search that does not affect your credit score. Decisions are usually instant. Active CCJs will result in automatic decline.
The credit check for a no upfront solar subscription is a soft search that does not affect your credit score. It verifies your identity, confirms your address, and checks for active County Court Judgments (CCJs). Decisions are instant in most cases. The check is not a full affordability assessment — it does not require payslips, bank statements, or proof of income. If all applicants on the property title have active CCJs, the application will be declined.
This page explains exactly what the soft search checks, what will cause a decline, what will not, and the 4 situations where applicants assume they will fail but are approved.
The no upfront solar credit check runs a soft search through a credit reference agency. A soft search is a preliminary credit inquiry that does not leave a visible footprint on your credit file and is not seen by other lenders. It differs from a hard credit search, which is visible to lenders and can temporarily reduce your credit score.
The soft search checks 3 things.
The search confirms that your name, date of birth, and address match the details held by the credit reference agency. If you have recently moved, you may need to update your electoral roll registration before applying. Applicants who are not registered on the electoral roll at their current address may experience delays or additional verification steps.
The search confirms that the address provided matches the property where the solar system will be installed. The applicant must be a legal owner of the property. If the property has multiple legal owners — for example, a property owned jointly by two partners — all legal owners must be included on the application and pass the credit check independently.
The search checks the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and the Insolvency Register for active entries against each applicant. CCJs, Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), and bankruptcy orders are all visible on a soft search because they are held on public registers.
Three conditions result in an automatic decline.
If every legal owner of the property has an active CCJ registered against them, the application will be declined. A CCJ becomes active when it is registered and remains active for 6 years from the date of judgment, unless paid in full within 1 month of the judgment date — in which case it is removed from the register entirely.
A CCJ that has been paid after the first month but before 6 years is marked as "satisfied" on the register. A satisfied CCJ remains visible for the full 6-year period but may be treated differently by the credit check process. Contact the subscription provider directly if you have a satisfied CCJ and are unsure whether it affects your application.
An active Individual Voluntary Arrangement or undischarged bankruptcy indicates ongoing insolvency proceedings. Applications from individuals with active insolvency entries are declined because a solar subscription is a credit agreement, and entering new credit agreements during insolvency typically breaches the terms of the insolvency arrangement.
If the soft search cannot confirm the applicant's identity against credit reference agency records — typically because the applicant is not registered on the electoral roll, has recently changed their name, or has insufficient credit history — the application cannot proceed. This is not a decline based on creditworthiness; it is a verification failure. Registering on the electoral roll at your current address usually resolves this within 2–4 weeks.
The no upfront solar credit check is designed to be accessible to the widest possible range of homeowners. The following credit situations do not disqualify an applicant.
The check is not a credit scoring assessment. A low credit score with Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion does not determine the outcome. The check looks for specific disqualifying entries (CCJs, IVAs, bankruptcy) — not a numerical score threshold.
A history of late or missed payments on credit cards, loans, or utility bills does not disqualify an applicant. These entries affect your credit score but are not checked as disqualifying criteria for a no upfront solar subscription.
Existing mortgage debt, credit card balances, personal loans, or overdraft usage do not disqualify an applicant. The no upfront solar credit check is not an affordability assessment — it does not calculate your debt-to-income ratio or assess your ability to meet the monthly subscription payment.
Self-employment status has no effect on the credit check outcome. The check does not verify employment status or income source.
Having been declined for a credit card, loan, or mortgage by another lender does not affect the no upfront solar credit check. Previous hard searches from other applications are visible on your credit file but are not treated as disqualifying factors.
If the property has two legal owners and only one has a CCJ — whether active or satisfied — the application may still proceed provided the other applicant passes the check cleanly. The subscription agreement requires all legal owners to be named, but one clean applicant can carry the credit check requirement in some circumstances. Contact the provider to confirm before applying.
Bankruptcy is discharged after 12 months in most cases. Once discharged, the bankruptcy is no longer "active" for the purposes of the credit check. Applicants who were discharged from bankruptcy more than 12 months ago and have no other disqualifying entries are eligible to apply.
If a CCJ was paid in full within 1 month of the judgment date, it is removed from the Register of Judgments entirely. It does not appear on a soft search and has no effect on the application. Many applicants who received a CCJ and paid it promptly believe it still counts against them — it does not.
CCJs are automatically removed from the Register of Judgments after 6 years from the date of judgment, regardless of whether they were paid. An applicant whose only CCJ was registered more than 6 years ago will not have it flagged during the credit check.
Applicants with credit scores rated "poor" or "very poor" by credit reference agencies are frequently approved because the no upfront solar check does not use a score threshold. A score of 300 on Experian or "very poor" on TransUnion does not result in a decline if the applicant has no active CCJs, IVAs, or bankruptcy on record.
The credit check is the first stage of a 4-stage application process. It takes approximately 2 minutes online.
| Stage | What Happens | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eligibility check | Postcode, property type, credit soft search | 2 minutes, instant decision |
| 2. Property survey | Surveyor visits to assess roof, electrics, shading | 1–2 hours, booked within 1–2 weeks |
| 3. Installation | MCS-certified engineers fit panels, battery, inverter | 1–2 days, typically 2–4 weeks after survey |
| 4. Activation | System goes live, monitoring activates, SEG registration completed | Same day as installation |
The credit check does not commit you to anything. If you pass the soft search, you receive a personalised quote showing your estimated system size, monthly payment, and projected savings. You are under no obligation to proceed to the survey stage.
All legal owners of the property must be named on the application. This is a requirement of the subscription agreement, not the credit check specifically. If the property is owned by two people — whether married, in a civil partnership, or co-owning as tenants in common — both must be included and both must pass the credit check.
This requirement exists because a no upfront solar subscription places a restriction on the property title to ensure the provider is notified if the property is sold. The restriction can only be applied if all legal owners consent to the agreement.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over. The maximum age at the end of the plan term is 84, which means the maximum age at the point of application depends on the term length selected.
| Plan Term | Maximum Application Age |
|---|---|
| 5 years | 79 |
| 10 years | 74 |
| 15 years | 69 |
| 20 years | 64 |
| 25 years | 59 |
Applicants aged over 59 who want a no upfront solar subscription must select a shorter term. Shorter terms carry higher monthly payments because the same system cost is spread over fewer years. A 10-year term on a 4kW system with battery will cost more per month than a 25-year term, but the total amount paid over the term is lower.
Income may also affect the term offered. Lower income may mean shorter terms are not offered because the higher monthly payment exceeds the provider's affordability threshold for that applicant. This is assessed at the survey and quote stage, not during the initial credit check.
No. The soft search used for no upfront solar eligibility does not affect your credit score. It is recorded on your credit file as a soft search, visible only to you — not to other lenders, mortgage providers, or credit card companies.
You can apply for a no upfront solar subscription and simultaneously apply for a mortgage, remortgage, or credit card without the solar credit check having any impact on those applications. The two processes are completely independent.
If the application proceeds to the formal agreement stage after the property survey, a hard credit search may be conducted at that point. This hard search would be visible to other lenders. However, the initial eligibility check — the step that most homeowners are concerned about — is a soft search only.
If you are unsure whether you have active CCJs, an IVA, or other disqualifying entries, you can check your own credit file for free before applying.
Experian offers a free credit report through their basic membership. Equifax provides free reports through ClearScore. TransUnion provides free reports through Credit Karma. Checking your own credit report is classified as a soft search and has no impact on your credit score.
Search for your name on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines to confirm whether any active CCJs are registered against you. A search costs £10 and returns results immediately.
If your partner is a legal owner of the property, they must be included on the application and pass the credit check. If they have an active CCJ, the application may be declined. If they are not a legal owner — for example, if only your name is on the property title — they do not need to be included and their credit history is not checked.
No. A default is a notice from a creditor that you have breached the terms of a credit agreement. It appears on your credit file but is not registered on the public Register of Judgments. Defaults do not disqualify an applicant from a no upfront solar subscription.
Yes. If the disqualifying factor has been resolved — for example, a CCJ has been paid and 6 years have passed, or an IVA has been completed and you have been discharged — you can reapply. There is no waiting period or restriction on reapplication.
No. Mortgage and loan applications use hard credit searches, assess affordability through income and expenditure verification, and apply credit scoring models. The no upfront solar credit check is a soft search that verifies identity and checks for specific disqualifying entries only.