Zopa Bank has partnered with Hive to help UK homeowners finance solar, battery, and heat pump upgrades.
Under the arrangement, customers can apply for a personal loan from Zopa directly through Hive's website to cover the upfront cost of installing eco-technology, rather than paying the full amount at the point of purchase.
Zopa is providing the regulated lending product and will manage the full finance journey, including the quote, application, credit assessment, loan disbursal, and servicing. Eligible customers can spread the cost of an installation over a period of up to seven years. According to the companies, a personalised loan quote can be obtained in three minutes without affecting the applicant's credit score, and most approved customers receive funds within two hours. Loan amounts range from GBP 1,000 to GBP 50,000, with a representative APR of 8.9%; final rates are set according to individual circumstances.
The partnership arrives as demand for residential solar in the UK continues to grow. Government data cited by the companies shows that 269,000 solar installations were completed in 2025, the highest number recorded in a single calendar year and 37% higher than in 2024. That momentum has continued into 2026, with nine of the ten strongest months on record for solar deployment occurring within the past 12 months. The companies frame the upfront cost of installing solar panels, battery storage or heat pumps as a persistent barrier for households seeking to reduce energy bills and gain more control over energy use amid volatile pricing.
Wider business context
The Hive partnership coincides with the launch of Zopa for Business, an expanded business proposition that combines payments, retail finance, auto finance, and embedded lending partnerships on a single platform, aimed at businesses seeking to offer point-of-sale financing without integrating multiple providers. Furthermore, the launch follows Zopa's acquisition of payments platform Rvvup in 2025 and point-of-sale finance provider DivideBuy in 2023, both of which extended the bank's embedded finance capabilities beyond its original consumer lending business.
