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The average cost of solar panels in the UK, including installation and a battery, ranges between £4,850 and £13,000 depending on the size of your household.
Based on our research, as of March 2026, for a 3-bedroom house in the UK:
As spring is approaching, some may be wondering whether solar panels are worth it in a country known for grey skies and rainy days, but the best solar panels work well even in overcast conditions, helping you save money on your energy bills even in winter when they are at their highest.
Backed by years of expertise and a survey of over 2,000 solar panel owners*, our solar experts break down the factors that influence the cost of solar panels in the UK, and show you how to get a good deal on your solar panel installation.
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The average home can save more than £1,000 every year with solar panels!
The table below shows the average cost of a solar panel system based on the size of your property, as well as how much money you could save annually and over 25 years.
| Property size | Recommended system size | Number of panels (375W) | Estimated cost of solar panels and installation | Estimated cost of solar battery storage | Total cost of solar panel installation, inc. a battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 1.5kW | 4 | £3,850 | £1,000 | £4,850 |
| 2 bedrooms | 3kW | 8 | £5,500 | £2,000 | £7,500 |
| 3 bedrooms | 4.5kW | 12 | £7,300 | £2,500 | £9,800 |
| 4+ bedrooms | 6kW | 16 | £9,000 | £4,000 | £13,000 |
How much you will pay for solar panels depends on a number of factors, including:
According to the latest UK government data[1], the cost of solar panels in the UK is at its lowest level in almost 2 years. In fact, between September 2024 and 2025, the average cost per kilowatt (kW) for a solar panel system in the UK dropped by 2.4 per cent.
Combine that with the falling costs of solar battery storage, you’ll find that now is a great time to get solar panels in the UK.
That said, Ofgem announced on 25 February that the April to June 2026 price cap will see electricity unit prices fall 10.9 per cent and gas prices fall 3.2 per cent compared to the previous price cap, which will slightly increase payback periods for solar panel systems.
Overall, however, investment into the UK’s energy infrastructure could see energy prices rise further over the next 5 years, so we think a solar system is a worthwhile investment for most households right now, especially those looking to lower their carbon footprint.
While your installer will usually determine the right system size for your property and energy requirements, it’s good to know exactly what you’re paying for when you buy solar panels.
Below, we’ve broken down the different elements of a solar panel system, what they do, and how much each part costs.
Solar panels usually make up about a third of the total cost of the project. If you live in a 3-bedroom house and pay £7,300 for your system and installation, you can expect the cost of your solar panels themselves to be around £2,450. However, their actual price will depend on the efficiency, power and brand of the panels you choose.
More efficient panels are typically more expensive but can produce more electricity from the same amount of sunlight. This means you might need fewer panels overall. The same is true of more powerful panels – the higher the wattage of the panel, the more expensive it’ll be, but the fewer you’ll need.
There are 3 main types of solar panel cells commonly used on residential and commercial properties, all with different costs and efficiencies:
| Type of panel | Efficiency | Average price per watt |
|---|---|---|
| Monocrystalline | 15 to 20% | £1 to £1.50 |
| Polycrystalline | 13 to 16% | £0.90 to £1.00 |
| Thin-film | 10 to 13% | £0.40 to £0.80 |
Installation, labour and mounting costs (the mounting system needed for the panels and the scaffolding that will surround the site) vary widely, but as a guideline, they account for around 10–20 per cent of the overall system cost. For example, if you pay £7,300 to install a 4.5kWh system, your solar panel installation costs could range between £730 and £1,460.
Factors that might affect your solar panel installation costs include:
Where you live in the UK will also impact the cost of your solar panel installation. For instance, you can expect to pay higher installation costs in London than in other areas of the country. Wherever you live, we’d advise shopping around to get as many quotes as possible so you can find the best deal.
While it is possible to DIY your own solar panel system, we don’t recommend it as it’s a highly technical task. Opting to work with experienced labourers and installers ensures the system is set up correctly and mitigates safety risks. On most roofs, installing solar panels without professional scaffolding would be impossible. On top of the technical risk, many solar panel warranties are only viable if they are installed by a certified professional, and the SEG scheme to sell surplus energy back to the grid requires your installer to be MCS certified to benefit.
Solar batteries are an optional part of a solar system, but they can help you save even more money. Although they come at an extra upfront cost, they allow you to store some of the energy generated by your solar system so you can use it during the night, for example. If you opt for a solar battery, it can make up about 20 per cent of the system’s expense. As a guide, we estimate a 3-bedroom home requires at least a 3kW battery, which should cost around £2,500.
As well as the above, there are a number of other factors that’ll make up the overall cost of your solar panels:
Most solar panel manufacturers offer a performance guarantee that the panels will produce at least 80–90 per cent of their rated power after 25 years. Workmanship warranties, provided by many installers, typically last 10 years and cover any defects or problems with the installation.
There are a number of solar panel grants available to eligible households who want to reduce the cost of their solar panel system. As of March 2026, these are the schemes UK home owners and renters could benefit from:
| UK grant or scheme | How much can you save? | Eligibility period |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) including LA Flex | If eligible, you can receive free solar panels (excludes Northern Ireland) | ENDS SOON – April 2022 to March 2026 |
| Solar Together | Up to 35% on the average cost of a solar system | Ongoing |
| Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest Scheme | If eligible, you can receive free solar panels | Ongoing |
| Warm Homes Plan | Up to £30,000 towards home energy improvements including solar panels | April 2025 to April 2029 |
| Zero per cent VAT | 20 per cent VAT on solar panels and installation costs (excludes Northern Ireland) | April 2022 to March 2027 |
Solar panel subscriptions enable customers to access solar energy without the large upfront cost. Schemes offered by installers such as Otovo and Sunsave allow you to spread the cost of your panels over 20 years. With Otovo’s subscription, you own the panels by the end of the contract; with Sunsave’s, you own the system from day one.
An alternative is Effective Home’s Energy Shield scheme, through which you never own the panels installed on your roof; instead, you buy the energy generated by those panels at a unit rate that is fixed every 5 years.
How much you can save on your electricity bills with solar panels depends on the size of the system, how you maximise your use of solar energy, and the cost of electricity.
Below, we detail how much you can save annually, your total savings over 25 years, and the profit you can make once you have paid off your solar panel system.
| Property size | System size | Total solar panel costs (including battery) | Approximate annual savings, including SEG payments, with a battery | Approximate savings after 25 years | Average solar panel profit after 25 years, including the replacement cost for a battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 1.5kW | £4,850 | £378 | £9,450 | £3,600 |
| 2 bedrooms | 3kW | £7,500 | £755 | £18,875 | £9,375 |
| 3 bedrooms | 4.5kW | £9,800 | £995 | £24,875 | £12,575 |
| 4+ bedrooms | 6kW | £13,000 | £1,243 | £31,075 | £14,075 |
While it comes at an extra upfront cost, installing a battery alongside your solar panel system can help you save more money in the long run as it enables you to store the excess electricity generated by your panels. You can then decide whether to sell it back to the grid, or use it to power your home. We estimate that the average 3-bedroom home in the South East of England could save an extra £346 a year by installing a battery alongside a solar panel system.
While you can export any excess energy you generate to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), at the moment, it’s best to use as much of the energy your panels produce in your own home. This is because the price you pay to use electricity from the grid is much higher than the money you’ll receive through most SEG tariffs, so the more solar energy you use, the more you’ll save on your bills, and the quicker you will recoup your initial investment.
You could consider using a “time-of-use” tariff. This is when you are charged different rates for “peak” and “off-peak” usage hours; peak hours being times when more people are using energy, making it more expensive. Thanks to a solar battery, you could store the excess energy generated during off-peak hours and use it during those pricier peak periods, further cutting the cost of your energy bills.
While the SEG scheme won’t match the unit rates you pay to import electricity, exporting your excess solar energy back to the national grid can still significantly increase your savings. On average, for 4.5kW system suited to a 3-bedroom house, your total savings could exceed £23,000 over 25 years if you opt to include a solar battery and register for SEG payments.
“For electricity and gas, the prices were significantly increasing. The solar panel and battery system was the one I chose. It charges up during the daytime, and excessive kWs go to the national grid. It’s a 75 per cent saving in usage – a straightforward benefit. Since installation, prices for all electricity are down, and hardly anything is used. Even now in mid-February, there are days when we’re not using any [grid] electricity, the battery is charged up to 70 per cent, and it lasts until 10 or 11pm. As the days get longer, the savings are just going to get better, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
The time it takes for the savings from your solar panel system to equal the initial investment is known as the payback period, or break-even point. This period can vary greatly depending on factors such as current electricity prices in your area, your household’s energy consumption and your system’s initial cost.
We estimate that the average payback period for solar panels in the UK is:
Since different areas of the country have varying electricity unit rates and hours of sunlight, your savings and break even point will also depend on where you’re based.
For example, a 3-bedroom home in Greater London would take around 9.7 years to pay back its solar panels – a whole year faster on average than the same home in Scotland.
| Location | Potential annual energy bill savings (with SEG and solar battery) | Payback period (if total solar panel costs are £9,800) |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | £928 (excl. SEG) | 10.6 years |
| Scotland | £919 | 10.7 years |
| Wales | £1,004 | 9.8 years |
| East Midlands | £977 | 10.0 years |
| East of England | £1,061 | 9.2 years |
| Greater London | £1,013 | 9.7 years |
| North East | £988 | 9.9 years |
| North West | £1,005 | 9.8 years |
| South East | £1,055 | 9.3 years |
| South West | £1,023 | 9.6 years |
| West Midlands | £980 | 10.0 years |
| Yorkshire and Humber | £986 | 9.9 years |
Yes, solar panels are worth it for many homeowners. Despite their high upfront costs, they reduce both your electricity bills and your carbon footprint, and over the course of time, can make you profits of over £10,000 depending on the size of your household.
Thanks to incentives such as solar panel grants, the SEG scheme and 0 per cent VAT on solar installations until 2027, solar panels are becoming increasingly more cost-effective. They can help shield you from future energy price rises, and will become more attractive the faster electricity rates climb.
However, if you’re planning to move home within the next 5-10 years, solar panels might not be worth it. They are a long-term investment, and typically take around a decade to pay off in full.
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To accurately assess the cost of installing a solar panel system, we used several reputable sources including the Energy Saving Trust (EST), Ofgem and the Microgeneration Certificate Scheme. Our solar experts are constantly researching the latest market movements and speaking to industry experts to gather up-to-date insights about the price of solar panels.
We based our calculations on the average price of a standard solar panel system according to the EST. This price includes the cost of the panels, installation and basic hardware, but excludes a battery. We spoke to solar companies and installers to understand how much a battery would affect these prices.
We used EST data to determine the size of solar panel systems necessary for different regions and house sizes and their respective cost. From there, we calculated potential savings you could make, depending on your energy consumption. We verified this data against other sources and with trusted solar panel providers.
We incorporated Ofgem data on SEG payments and savings into our calculations to give a clear picture of what panel owners could save and what the break-even point of their solar system would likely be if they used the scheme.
We also used data from Ofgem to predict how energy rates may change in the future. This helps show how the break-even point of solar panels changes depending on the current energy rate.
We cross-referenced our research against the MCS’s data, which references solar panel system installation across the UK and the average cost of installations over time. We combined this data with our market research and conversations with solar companies and installers. It’s worth noting that MCS data only relates to MCS-certified installations and doesn’t account for the price of a battery or any other additional costs.
Solar panels cost between £3,850 and £9,000 on average in the UK, depending on the size of your home and your energy consumption. That price includes the solar panels and required accessories as well as installation costs. For a 3-bedroom house, you can expect to pay around £7,300.
A single solar panel can cost anywhere between £75 and £400 in the UK. However, you typically buy solar panels as part of an overall system, which includes installation costs and other essential items such as an inverter. This means it’s more accurate to compare quotes for an entire solar system rather than trying to get an estimate from the online price of individual solar panels.
Finding the cheapest price for solar panels involves research, comparison and consideration of various factors, such as upfront costs, installation costs, and long-term maintenance costs. Using FMB’s online quote form is a great place to start: it provides you with up to 5 quotes from our trusted solar panel installers, allowing you to compare the costs of each.
Finding the best price for solar panels requires some research. You should consider the system’s longevity, efficiency and potential savings over time while comparing various quotes, as well as researching solar panel grants and other incentives. Read reviews and seek recommendations for both panels and installers to ensure you’re getting a quality product and service.
To ensure you’re getting the best price for your solar system, get multiple quotes from different providers and compare prices. You can use our free solar calculator to get a price estimate before you reach out, to use it as a reference point for quotes you receive.
Unless you install a system big enough to cover your entire energy consumption, you probably will still have to pay for electricity if you install solar panels. In the UK, you also have to pay a daily standing charge to cover the cost of energy infrastructure, so unless you opt out of a grid connection, you’ll still have energy bills to pay, but it’ll be very reduced.
*FMB survey of 2,004 solar panel owners, June 2024.
[1]Solar PV cost data, Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero, last updated 30 May 2024.
[2]Ofgem energy price cap, April 2025.