Reform-controlled areas have higher uptake of solar panels

The analysis was compiled by retrofit data company GreenFlip and shared with Inside Housing. The research cross-referenced last month’s council election results against microgeneration certification installation data, which records green energy installations across 376 local authorities in the UK.

The data covers all home installations, including both private households and social housing.

Across the sample, Reform-run councils have a median 6.4% renewable uptake, beating Labour councils with 5.2%, Green Party councils at 4.5% and Conservative councils on 3.5%. Only Liberal Democrat-run councils pull ahead at 8.3%.

Sunderland, the first council that Reform won outright, has a household renewable uptake of 11.5%, which is higher than any of the four councils that the Green Party won.

Other Reform-run councils run above the national median on household renewables including Barnsley (9.8% renewable uptake), Wakefield (8.3%), Newcastle-under-Lyme (7.5%), Calderdale (7.1%) and South Tyneside (6.4%).

On heat pumps specifically, Labour, Conservative, Reform and Green councils are statistically indistinguishable. Each sits between 0.27% and 0.31% of households with an installed air-source heat pump. Only the Liberal Democrats pull away at 0.52%.

What actually predicts uptake, according to the researchers, is off-gas-grid status, housing typology, owner occupation, heating demand and grant scheme generosity, rather than the political colour of the local authority.

Reform gained 14 councils and 1,451 councillors in last month’s local elections. The party’s website said it will “scrap net zero to cut energy bills”, calling green energy “bad ideological policy”.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s new administration has pledged to cancel its declaration of a “climate emergency”, which was passed in 2019. The council has also ended its sustainable environment strategy, which commits the authority to be carbon neutral by 2030, with immediate effect.

Amandeep Singh Kalra, co-founder and chief executive of GreenFlip, said: “Across England, councils won by Reform UK in 2026 have higher household renewable uptake than councils won by the Greens.

“That doesn’t mean Reform councillors will champion net zero. But it does mean residents in these places have already voted with their roofs. Programme leads worrying about political headwinds may have more local support than the national narrative suggests.”

Sunderland, Barnsley, Wakefield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Calderdale and South Tyneside councils have been approached for comment.