Hive opened its Solar Saver offer to customers who accept a quote for a Hive solar and/or battery installation from 22 May 20241. The offer gives up to 25% off electricity imported from the grid on any British Gas energy tariff, and is exclusive to Hive Solar customers3. The 25% discount applies for 12 months and excludes the standing charge; on time of use tariffs it applies to peak rate consumption only2.
Eligibility carries conditions. Installation must be completed within three months of the customer accepting the quote, and customers must sign up for Hive Solar Saver within two weeks of receiving their invitation email2. Hive states the offer is subject to availability and can be removed at any time, with at least one month's advance notice of it ending given on its website2.
"Hive Solar Saver offer is available to customers who accept a quote for a Hive solar and/or battery installation from the 22nd May 2024."
Hive does not install the equipment itself. It introduces customers to installers, and the panels fitted by Effective Home and Forster carry a minimum 25-year performance lifetime guarantee for the manufacture of the modules and the performance of the solar cells2. Published prices vary by installer and system. Hive lists an 8-panel system from £5,035, a 5kWh home battery at £1,800, and an average of £6,835 for an 8-panel system with a 5.32kWh battery with Glow Green5. Elsewhere it gives £8,105 for 8 panels and a battery with Effective Home, and a 5.32kWh battery with inverter from £4,2902. A typical installation for an average two to three-bedroom house in London is put at £9,500, with 5.32kW of south-facing panels and a battery1.
| Item | Price given | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 8-panel system | from £5,035 | 5 |
| 5kWh home battery | £1,800 | 5 |
| 8 panels and 5.32kWh battery (Glow Green) | £6,835 | 5 |
| 8 panels and battery (Effective Home) | £8,105 | 2 |
| 5.32kWh battery and inverter | from £4,290 | 4 |
Export payments are separate from the discount. Hive says customers can sell spare electricity back to the grid at up to 12p per kWh on a British Gas Smart Export Guarantee tariff, and elsewhere cites 15.1p per kWh on the Export & Earn Plus tariff1. Export Premium and Export Extra tariffs require British Gas to supply the property's electricity, with exclusions for developers and participants in the rent a roof scheme3.
Why it matters for households
The discount applies to electricity a home still buys from the grid, so it reduces the unit rate on imported power rather than the standing charge, and it runs for 12 months only2. For a household weighing solar panels and household energy independence, the offer changes the running cost of the import side of the equation, not the generation side. Pairing panels with a battery shifts more consumption away from paid import, and any surplus can be sold under the Smart Export Guarantee. Hive's own illustration for a medium demand (2,700 kWh) property in London with a 4kW array and a battery puts the combined import cost reduction at £514.54 and export income at £300.84, an 86.0% reduction, or £815.38, against an Ofgem medium electricity bill of £947.693. Hive notes savings will vary after the first year and depend on location, installation, aspect and electricity use2.
What happens next
The offer can be withdrawn at any time, with at least one month's notice posted on Hive's website2. No end date has been reported. Hive also refers to the Warm Homes Plan, described as a £15bn investment announced in January 2026 to help families make energy-saving upgrades such as solar panels and home batteries, with free installation for low-income households and zero or low interest loans for others1.
Sources5 cited
- Solar Sweet Spots | Hive Home, hivehome.com
- How much money can you save with solar? | Solar power explained, hivehome.com
- Save more with our Hive Solar Saver energy offer | Hive Home, hivehome.com
- Solar Batteries | Solar Energy Storage | Hive, hivehome.com
- Solar Panel Installation for your home | HIVE, hivehome.com