How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in the UK?
Most UK homes spend somewhere between £5,700 and £13,000 on solar, and where you land depends almost entirely on how many panels you fit. The popular size is a 10-panel system (4 kWp), which runs about £6,600 to £8,500 installed now that residential solar carries no VAT. At that price it usually clears its cost in eleven to thirteen years, then keeps producing for another decade or more.
Quick Answer
A typical 10-panel (4 kWp) system costs roughly £6,600 to £8,500 with 0% VAT. It saves most homes around £600 a year and pays back in about eleven to thirteen years.
Prices as of early 2026. Based on quotes from UK MCS-certified installers.
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
Last updated June 2026
How much do solar panels cost by system size?
These are full supply-and-install quotes from MCS-certified firms, so the figure covers the panels, the inverter, the mounting kit and the electrical work. Residential jobs are zero-rated for VAT, and that is already baked into the numbers below.
| System Size | Panels | Cost (0% VAT) | VAT Saving | Total Cost | Annual Output | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kWp | 7 | £5,700–£7,000 | ~£1,300 | £5,700–£7,000 | ~2,550 kWh | 12–14 yrs |
| 3.5 kWp | 8 | £6,100–£7,000 | ~£1,300 | £6,100–£7,000 | ~2,900 kWh | 11–13 yrs |
| 4 kWp | 10 | £6,600–£8,500 | ~£1,500 | £6,600–£8,500 | ~3,400 kWh | 11–13 yrs |
| 5 kWp | 12 | £8,300–£10,200 | ~£1,900 | £8,300–£10,200 | ~4,250 kWh | 11–13 yrs |
| 7 kWp | 16 | £11,000–£13,000 | ~£2,400 | £11,000–£13,000 | ~6,300 kWh | 9–11 yrs |
Worked out from average installer quotes at around £1,800 per kWp. What you actually pay moves with the installer, the kit they fit and how awkward your roof is. The highlighted 4 kWp row is the size most UK homes end up choosing.
What Does the Cost Include?
UK quotes bundle the kit and the fitting into one price, so you won't see a separate installation line. Here is where the money actually goes on a typical 4 kWp (10-panel) job.
| Component | Approx. Cost | % of Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Panels (10 × 440W) | £2,000–£2,800 | 35–40% | Jinko, JA Solar, Trina (Tier 1 N-type TOPCon) |
| Hybrid Inverter | £1,000–£1,500 | 15–20% | Huawei, Solis, or Sungrow hybrid |
| Mounting & Cabling | £600–£1,000 | 10–15% | Roof brackets, DC/AC cabling, isolators |
| Installation Labour | £1,200–£1,700 | 20–25% | 1–2 day install, Part P electrical cert |
| EPC Assessment | £60–£120 | 1–2% | Optional but recommended. Paid by homeowner. |
| DNO Connection (G98/G99) | £0 | N/A | Handled by installer. No fee for residential under G98. |
| Total Cost | £6,600–£8,500 | 100% | At 0% VAT (residential) |
| 0% VAT Saving | ~£1,500 | Already included in price (no VAT charged) | |
| Your Total Cost | £6,600–£8,500 |
How Much Does a Solar Battery Cost?
A battery lets you use more of what you generate. Self-consumption typically climbs from about 40% to somewhere in the high 70s or low 80s. It also adds a good chunk to the bill, and plenty of homes do fine without one.
| Battery | Capacity | Approx. Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| FoxESS / Sigenergy (1 module) | 5 kWh | £3,000–£4,500 | 9–11 yrs |
| FoxESS / Sigenergy (2 modules) | 10 kWh | £4,500–£6,500 | 10–12 yrs |
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 kWh | £8,400–£9,900 | 11–14 yrs |
How fast a battery pays back comes down to when you use power and what your export rate is. If you're home in the daytime and already burning most of your generation as it happens, a battery is harder to justify.
What is the payback period for solar panels in the UK?
A 4 kWp system usually breaks even in roughly eleven to thirteen years, once you add up the bills you avoid and the export income you earn. From there it carries on producing for the best part of two more decades. The table below walks through it year by year.
“The cost of solar PV modules has fallen by over 90% since 2010, making solar energy the cheapest source of new electricity generation in history.”
| Year | Cumulative Savings | Net Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (Install) | £0 | −£7,550 | Investment |
| 1 | £640 | −£6,910 | |
| 3 | £1,920 | −£5,630 | |
| 5 | £3,200 | −£4,350 | |
| 8 | £5,120 | −£2,430 | |
| 10 | £6,400 | −£1,150 | |
| 12 | £7,680 | +£130 | Payback reached |
| 15 | £9,600 | +£2,050 | Inverter may need replacing (~£900) |
| 25 | £16,000 | +£8,450 | Strong lifetime return |
Assumes a £7,550 system, around £640 a year in savings (self-consumption at roughly 25p per kWh plus a Smart Export Guarantee rate around 15p), and panels fading about 0.4% a year. It ignores future electricity price rises, which would only shorten the payback. Budget around £900 for an inverter swap somewhere between years 12 and 15.
How Much Do Solar Panels Save Per Month?
What you save each month swings hard with the seasons. The summer does the heavy lifting, but even the dead of winter still knocks something off the bill.
| Period | Monthly Output | Monthly Savings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer (May–Aug) | ~430–530 kWh | £80–£120 | Peak output. Long days, high sun angle. |
| Spring/Autumn (Mar–Apr, Sep–Oct) | ~230–330 kWh | £40–£65 | Better than people expect either side of summer. |
| Winter (Nov–Feb) | ~80–180 kWh | £15–£35 | Modest, but it never drops to nothing. |
| Annual Average | ~280 kWh/month | £50–£55/month | £600–£650 total per year |
These figures combine the power you use yourself (around 40% of output at roughly 25p per kWh) with Smart Export Guarantee income on the rest (around 13p to 15p per kWh). Your own total will shift with how you use electricity, where you live, which way the roof faces and the export rate you're on.
What Affects the Price of Solar Panels?
System Size
This is the one that moves the price most. More panels cost more, obviously, but the price per kWp actually falls as you go bigger because the scaffolding, inverter and labour are shared across the whole job. For a lot of UK homes 4 kWp hits the sweet spot.
Equipment Brand
Premium panels like SunPower or Aiko can run 15% to 30% more than solid mid-range names such as Jinko or JA Solar. The inverter counts too: Enphase microinverters cost more than a Huawei or Solis hybrid. Honestly, most homeowners are well served by mid-range kit.
Roof Type & Access
A standard pitched roof is the cheapest thing to work on. Flat roofs need tilt frames, which adds maybe £400 to £800. Slate, a three-storey house or a tricky bit of access can tack on £400 to £1,200 in extra scaffolding.
Battery Storage
A 5 kWh battery puts roughly £3,000 to £4,500 on the bill, and a 10 kWh one closer to £4,500 to £6,500. A Tesla Powerwall 3 at 13.5 kWh sits up at £8,400 to £9,900.
Installer Pricing
Two MCS firms can quote the same system 15% to 25% apart, which is why it's worth getting three quotes rather than two. Cheapest isn't the goal. Look at the kit, the warranty and what aftercare you actually get for the money.
Location
Where you live changes how much the panels generate far more than what they cost to fit. A system in southern England puts out maybe 10% to 15% more than the same one in Scotland, yet the install price barely moves around the country.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Panel Costs
How much do solar panels cost in the UK?
Reckon on about £1,800 per kWp at 0% VAT. That puts a typical 10-panel (4 kWp) system at £6,600 to £8,500 fully fitted. Drop to a 3 kWp system and you are nearer £6,350; go up to 6 kWp and it is £10,000 to £12,500. Those prices already include MCS-certified installation, scaffolding and the 0% VAT.
How long until solar panels pay for themselves?
For a 4 kWp system it's usually eleven to thirteen years, between the bills you stop paying and the export income you start earning. After that you're looking at the best part of two decades of all-but-free power, and over 25 years the system typically returns around twice what you put in.
How much do solar panels save per year?
A 4 kWp system saves most homes £600 a year, call it £55 to £85 a month once you average it out. Summer is where it shines, £80 to £120 a month, while winter quietens down to £15 to £35. Stretch that across 25 years and you're around £15,000 to £18,000. The saving comes partly from the power you use yourself, worth about 25p per kWh, and partly from Smart Export Guarantee payments on what you send back.
Do I need to pay VAT on solar panels?
No. Residential installs have been zero-rated since April 2022, as long as one MCS-certified installer is doing both the supply and the fitting under a single contract. That 0% rate is locked in until at least March 2027.
Is there a solar panel grant in the UK?
There's no blanket cash grant you can just claim, but a handful of schemes help if you qualify: the Warm Homes Plan that replaced ECO4, HUG2 for homes off the gas grid, the Home Energy Scotland Loan, Nest in Wales and Warmer Homes Scotland. On top of that every residential job gets the 0% VAT, which is worth roughly £1,000 to £1,400. Our grants page covers who's eligible.
Is it worth adding a battery?
A battery pushes the share of generation you actually use from maybe a third up to most of it, though on its own it takes nine to twelve years to pay back. A 5 kWh unit runs £2,500 to £3,500. It tends to make sense if your usage is evening-heavy, you've got an EV or heat pump, you want backup when the power cuts out, or you're chasing a time-of-use tariff like Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Why do solar panel prices vary between installers?
Different kit, different overheads, different local demand, and quotes that don't always include the same things, some leave out scaffolding or the EPC. The fix is to compare like for like: same panel brand, same inverter, same warranty, and check scaffolding is in the price. Get at least three quotes before you decide.
Are solar panels cheaper now than 5 years ago?
Quite a bit, yes. Prices are down something like 30% to 40% over five years, helped by sheer manufacturing scale, the shift to N-type TOPCon panels, and the 0% VAT that landed in April 2022. Between that and current SEG rates, solar has rarely looked better value in the UK.
How much does it cost to install solar panels in the UK?
The fitting is baked into the prices above. A 4 kWp system lands at £6,600 to £8,500 all in, which covers the panels, inverter, mounting, scaffolding, MCS certification, the DNO notification and 0% VAT. If you supplied your own panels and just paid for labour, which we wouldn't recommend, you'd be looking at roughly £1,500 to £2,500.
How much does it cost to fit solar panels?
Fitting comes as part of the quote, not on top of it. A 4 kWp job takes the team one to two days on site, and the all-in price in 2026 sits at £6,600 to £8,500 with 0% VAT.
What is the average cost of solar panels in the UK?
In 2026 the average 4 kWp residential install runs £6,600 to £8,500, which works out around £1,800 per kWp at 0% VAT. A smaller 3kWp system is nearer £6,350, and a 6kWp one £10,000 to £12,500.
What is the cost of solar panels and battery in the UK?
Pair a 4 kWp system with a 5kWh battery and you're at £8,000 to £10,000 fitted in 2026. Bump the battery to 10kWh and it's £11,000 to £14,000. Go all out with 6kWp and a 13.5kWh Powerwall 3 and you're into £15,000 to £19,000. All of those include 0% VAT.
How much can solar panels save?
It depends on size, how you use power and which tariff you're on. At the top end, a 6kWp system with a 13.5kWh battery on Octopus Flux can save a high-usage home £1,200 to £1,600 a year, more than £35,000 over 25 years. A standard 4 kWp setup saves £600 a year without a battery, or £1,000 to £1,400 with one.
Keep digging into the numbers
Price is only one part of the picture. The guides below dig into payback, grants, batteries and tariffs, which is where most of the rest of your return is won or lost.
Related Guides
Solar System Cost by Size
Prices, panel counts, and payback for every kW size from 3kW to 20kW.
Solar Savings Calculator
Estimate your savings, payback period, and annual generation by region and usage.
Solar Panel Payback
Payback periods by system size, ROI calculations, and how to maximise returns.
Solar Incentives
0% VAT, Smart Export Guarantee, ECO4, and business capital allowances.
Solar Financing
Loans, payment plans, and how to finance solar panels.
Benefits of Solar Panels
10 financial, environmental, and practical benefits of UK solar.
Equipment Guide
Panels, inverters, batteries, and what to choose.
Installation Guide
What to expect from the installation process.
Sources
- MCS, Find a Certified Installer: mcscertified.com
- Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): ofgem.gov.uk
- HMRC, VAT on Solar Panels: gov.uk
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.
Get Your Personalised Solar Quote
No two installers quote quite the same, so it pays to shop around. Get free, no-obligation quotes from MCS-certified solar panel installers near you.