The opportunity is now for solar and battery installers: Perspective by Rishi Mehta

Beyond ECO4: Rethinking installer revenue 

The UK’s retrofit and renewables sector is approaching a decisive shift. ECO4 long a stabilising force for many businesses will conclude on 31st December 2026, following a short extension intended only to help suppliers complete existing requirements rather than stimulate new work. 
Crucially, government statements confirm there will be no ECO5 or any similar supplier‑obligation model afterwards, marking the end of the funding framework that has supported the sector since 2013. 

Its successor, the Warm Homes Plan, represents a major structural transition. Funding will move from energy‑supplier obligations to centrally funded grants and local delivery, but despite its scale, nearly £15bn of capital investment implementation has been delayed multiple times, slowing procurement and planning across the supply chain as installers await clarity on how and when they can participate. 

For many installers, the effect is immediate and tangible: a shortfall in funded work and a gap in revenue that was expected to bridge the transition period. With no definitive timeline for Warm Homes Plan accessibility, businesses are left asking how to create stability in an increasingly unpredictable policy environment. 

From installations to energy assets 

While we await the government’s official roll out of the Warm Homes Plan schemes, one trend is moving rapidly in the opposite direction: batteries are becoming active money‑making energy assets, not just storage boxes in a cupboard. 

This shift creates a straightforward opportunity for installers: 

• A battery can now generate ongoing income for the homeowner. 

• Installers can stay engaged with customers long after the installation. 

• The model supports Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) rather than one‑off jobs.

But most installers are not set up to deliver energy-trading or optimisation services. The commercial, technical and regulatory requirements are complex the kind of work that traditionally sat inside energy companies or specialist technology firms, not installation businesses. Installers need something simple: fit the system, keep the customer, and let the value build automatically in the background. 

This is exactly where Joulen comes in. 

Instead of requiring installers to build new technical capabilities or hand customers over to third parties, Joulen works quietly behind the scenes enabling battery optimisation and energy trading to happen automatically, while you stay front and centre with your customer. 

Installers remain the primary point of trust. Joulen handles the complexity in the background no operational overhaul, no new internal teams, no disruption while unlocking: 

• Seamless battery optimisation and energy trading  

• Recurring revenue from each installed asset  

• Your brand leading the customer experience, with Joulen invisible  

• Stronger, longer-lasting customer relationships driven by ongoing value  

All of this is powered by Joulen’s PARIS platform, which underpins the service by: 

1. Aggregating batteries into a Virtual Power Plant  
2. Trading flexibility and energy across multiple markets  
3. Optimising dispatch in real time to maximise value 

The result is a simple, modern proposition: every battery you install becomes a long‑term revenue generator for both the homeowner and the installer.  This model also supports funded or low‑upfront‑cost battery offers, making it easier for customers to say yes at a time when affordability and certainty matter more than ever.  In a market where policy timelines are moveable, this kind of stability gives installers a way to build predictable revenue that isn’t tied to government cycles. 

Looking Ahead: Building longevity in a changing market 

As the ECO4 era closes and the Warm Homes Plan continues to take shape, the installers who will thrive are those who: 

• Diversify their revenue streams 

• Stay closer to their customers over the long term 

• Offer propositions that deliver value well beyond installation day 

The shift to asset‑based, long‑term revenue is already happening across the sector. It provides a pathway to greater predictability not by replacing government grants, but by reducing dependence on them. 

Joulen’s role is simply to make this transition practical, credible, and aligned to your brand. 

If this period of change has prompted you to reflect on resilience, customer retention or the long‑term sustainability of your business model, the next step is a conversation and the opportunity to shape your business for the decade ahead. 

If you’re a solar and battery installer and you’d like to explore who Joulen could help accelerate your business, then let’s connect or arrange a call to discuss