Before buying solar panels or even getting a price, there are a lot of sensible things to ask prospective installers over the phone or when they visit your property to give you a quote.

How many years of experience do they have installing them? Lots of companies are brand new, and whilst this alone doesn't mean they won't do a good job, it may be something to consider if negotiating with the price.

Have they looked at your roof and fusebox carefully? Obviously, they need to consider what your property is like very carefully before they can hope to give accurate figures for the cost effectiveness of the panels or how difficult it will be to install them.

What is the person like? Perhaps this is the most important factor. Get a feel for if you trust them or not - go with your gut. Assurance is worth paying a bit extra for.

Can they provide references of people for whom they've previously installed the panels? If not, why not? Most companies should be happy to do this.

Will they take the time to talk you through the Feed in Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive? People who are impatient when they are giving you a price are likely not to care as much about you the customer - they may do a poor job.

How much will the system generate in terms of financial returns? How accurate is this figure? How much will the price of the solar panels be? You need to know both of these things in order to work out the solar panel cost effectiveness, so it is reasonable to expect that you will be given this information.

Does the work or the system come with a guarantee? Look for at least a 15-20 year guarantee. A lot of companies will offer a 25 year guarantee too. Solar panels are reliable, so the guarantee should be for a long time. Remember that the Feed in Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive mean you need the panels working respectively for a 25 year or 20 year period.

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