Hive Solar Panels UK Review: Smart Home Integration
Hive is the smart-home brand owned by Centrica, the parent company of British Gas. Hive is now how British Gas sells solar, at published prices: 8 panels from £5,035 including scaffolding, or £6,835 with a 5 kWh battery. Partner firms do the installs. This page covers what Hive Solar offers, what the price includes, and how it compares with independent MCS-certified installers.
Quick Answer
Hive is the Centrica brand British Gas uses to sell solar. 8 × 470W panels (3.76 kWp) cost from £5,035 including survey, scaffolding and inverter, and a 5 kWh battery adds £1,800 (£6,835 together). That is below the typical £6,000–£7,800 for a 4 kW system from an independent installer. The catches: only the 8-panel system is priced online, and slate roofs, extra roof faces or three-storey houses cost more. Compare it with local quotes for the same size.
SolarInfo.uk editorial rating (out of 5)
Published prices are competitive for a small system and the big-brand backing is genuine. What holds the score back is the single 8-panel package, the roof conditions behind the headline price, and no choice of panel or battery brand.
What is Hive Solar?
Hive is Centrica's smart-home brand. Its original product range was smart thermostats and plugs; it now sells British Gas's solar panels and batteries, controlled through the Hive app. Hive is not an installer itself: the work is done by partner firms, Glow Green and Infinity Renewables Group in England and Wales, and Greener Energy Group in Scotland.
The Hive Solar proposition centres on three things: a fixed published price, a single app across solar, battery, thermostat and EV charger, and extras for British Gas energy customers: the 12p/kWh British Gas SEG export rate and Hive Solar Saver, up to 25% off electricity imports for 12 months.
How much do Hive solar panels cost?
Hive publishes its prices on hivehome.com/solar (checked November 2026). Here they are next to typical independent installer prices:
| System | Hive (published) | Typical independent installer |
|---|---|---|
| 8 × 470W panels (3.76 kWp) | From £5,035 | £5,500–£7,800 (3.5–4 kWp) |
| 5 kWh battery, added with solar | £1,800 | £2,500–£4,000 |
| 8 panels + 5 kWh battery | £6,835 | £8,000–£11,800 |
| Larger systems or a 10 kWh battery | Quote only | 4 kW £6,000–£7,800 |
The headline price includes the survey, inverter, Hive Hub and Bridge, and scaffolding for two storeys and one roof face. It assumes concrete tiles (not slate) and single-phase electrics, and may differ in Scotland. Hive also quotes a battery “installed from £4,290”, which appears to be the price on its own. 0% VAT applies until 31 March 2027.
Hive Solar pros and cons
Pros
- Published fixed price: 8 panels £5,035, or £6,835 with a 5 kWh battery
- Cheap battery add-on (£1,800) when fitted with solar
- Backed by Centrica, with 10-year warranties on the system, battery and inverter
- Single app covers solar, battery, thermostat, EV charger
- British Gas customers get a 12p export rate and up to 25% off imports for a year
Cons
- Only the 8-panel (3.76 kWp) system is priced online; bigger homes need a quote
- Slate roofs, extra roof faces and three-storey houses cost more than the headline price
- No choice of panel or battery brand
- Installed by partner firms, so quality can vary by region
- Sunsave finance on the Hive site is £59 a month over 20 years (£14,160 in total)
Hive Solar alternatives
If you need a bigger system, a specific brand or have a tricky roof, consider these alternatives:
- Independent MCS installer + FoxESS or Sigenergy battery. A local installer can size the system to your usage and roof, with apps that work with Octopus Agile and Intelligent Octopus tariffs.
- Octopus Energy Solar. Octopus offers bundled solar with its own Cosy and Flux tariffs that are often better value for battery owners than British Gas tariffs.
- Local MCS installer + Tesla Powerwall. Higher upfront cost but the Tesla app is the most polished battery management experience on the market.
- E.ON Solar or EDF Solar. Similar big-brand propositions with published prices: E.ON 6 panels from £4,995, EDF 4 panels from £5,775.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hive sell solar panels directly?
Yes. Hive (a Centrica brand, like British Gas) sells solar panels and batteries online at published prices. The installs are done by partner firms: Glow Green and Infinity Renewables Group in England and Wales, and Greener Energy Group in Scotland.
How much do Hive solar panels cost?
Hive charges from £5,035 for 8 × 470W panels (3.76 kWp), including survey, scaffolding for two storeys and one roof face, and the inverter. A 5 kWh battery adds £1,800, so the pair costs £6,835. Independent installers typically charge £5,500–£7,800 for 3.5–4 kWp.
Are Hive solar panels any good?
Hive uses 470W panels but doesn't name the brand. The published prices are competitive; the main limits are the single 8-panel package, the roof conditions behind the headline price, and no choice of brand.
Do Hive solar panels come with a battery?
Yes, as an add-on. A 5 kWh battery costs £1,800 when fitted with the panels (£6,835 in total). Hive's calculator also offers a 10 kWh battery, priced by quote.
Can I use Hive with any solar installer?
Hive thermostats and smart plugs work with any solar setup. The Hive app only manages battery scheduling if the battery is part of a Hive Solar (British Gas) installation.
Hive Solar vs British Gas Solar, what's the difference?
Nothing material. Hive is the brand British Gas uses to sell solar: same packages, same prices, same partner installers. British Gas energy customers get extras such as the 12p/kWh export rate.
Compare other solar providers
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Sources
- Hive Home, Solar and Battery, hivehome.com/solar
- Centrica, Annual Report, centrica.com
- MCS, Installer Certification, mcscertified.com
Last updated: November 2026
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
John Rooney is the founder of Solar Info and has been covering the UK solar energy market since 2023. He researches every battery and inverter brand against manufacturer datasheets, MCS and Ofgem data, and feedback from the MCS-certified installers in our directory before publishing.
Compare to Independent Installers
Get 3 quotes from MCS-certified installers for the same size system and compare them with Hive's price.