Solar panels cost UK 2026
A typical UK 3-bed home solar PV install (4kW, 8–10 panels) costs £5,000–£10,000 fitted. Adding battery storage (5–13 kWh) adds £3,500–£7,000. Payback periods sit between 8–14 years depending on energy use, tariff, and how much you export. Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariffs make export worthwhile.
Cost guide ranges
| System size | Panels only | Panels + 5kWh battery | Panels + 13kWh battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW (6–8 panels, smaller home) | £4,000–£7,000 | £7,500–£11,500 | £11,000–£15,500 |
| 4kW (8–10 panels, typical 3-bed) | £5,000–£8,500 | £8,500–£13,500 | £12,500–£18,000 |
| 5kW (10–12 panels, larger home) | £6,500–£10,500 | £10,500–£16,500 | £14,500–£22,000 |
| 6.5kW (13–16 panels, big home) | £8,000–£13,000 | £12,500–£20,000 | £17,000–£27,000 |
| EV charger add-on | +£800–£1,500 |
What's typically included
- Solar PV panels + mounting brackets
- Inverter (string or hybrid)
- DC and AC isolators, fuses, generation meter
- Cable runs from roof to consumer unit
- Scaffolding (typically 3–5 days)
- MCS-certified install + commissioning
- Standard 10-year inverter warranty + 25-year panel performance warranty
- SEG application paperwork
What's typically NOT included
- Replacement consumer unit / fuse board if old (£400–£900)
- Roof reinforcement if rafters are inadequate (rare, £500–£2,500)
- EV charger install (£800–£1,500)
- Smart-home integration / monitoring beyond standard (£200–£800)
- Solar diverter for hot water tank (£400–£900)
- Bird-proofing if you have pigeons (£300–£800)
What drives the price
- System size — bigger panels generate more but cost more. The sweet spot for most 3-beds is 4–5kW: covers daytime usage, exports surplus, and pays back in ~10 years.
- Battery storage — adds £3,500–£7,000 but lets you use solar at night. Payback on the battery alone is 10–15 years; combined system payback shorter because of higher self-consumption.
- Roof orientation + pitch — south-facing 30–35° pitch is optimal. East/west reduces output ~15%. North-facing not recommended.
- Inverter type — string inverter cheapest. Hybrid inverter (battery-ready) +£600–£1,500. Microinverters (per-panel) +£800–£2,000.
- Scaffolding — required for almost all installs. Builds into the price; expect £400–£1,000 of the total.
- MCS certification — required for SEG export tariffs. Use only MCS-certified installers.
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How we estimated these ranges
This is a guide only. The ranges below are intended for early budgeting and trade benchmarking. They are not a substitute for a site visit or an itemised quote from a qualified tradesperson. Always get a site-specific quote before agreeing work.
What's included in these ranges: typical labour costs, common materials at standard specification, and routine preparation or installation work for a standard project of this type.
What's excluded: unusual access (multi-storey, restricted parking), unforeseen structural issues, specialist design or architect fees, planning and building control application fees, premium or high-end finishes, emergency or out-of-hours work, and regional extremes.
Regional note: London, the South East and remote rural areas can vary significantly from the UK averages shown. London labour rates in particular can run 30–50% higher than national averages on the same scope.
Sources and checks used: publicly available UK trade supplier pricing (2025–2026), common day-rate and labour-duration assumptions used in trade quoting, internal example quote structures from TailoredQuote platform data, and where relevant cross-referenced regional contractor surveys and BCIS-style construction cost data.
Last reviewed: May 2026 by TailoredQuote. Prices in this guide will be reviewed and updated periodically.
Frequently asked questions
£5,000–£10,000 for a 4kW system on a typical 3-bed. Add £3,500–£7,000 for battery storage.
8–14 years for panels alone in a typical UK home. Shorter (7–10 years) for high daytime users and good export tariffs. Longer (12–18 years) for low-consumption homes.
Most domestic solar installs are permitted development. Conservation areas and listed buildings have stricter rules. Listed building consent always needed for listed properties.
Replaced the Feed-in Tariff. Energy companies pay you for surplus electricity exported to the grid. Rates vary 4–15p/kWh depending on supplier and tariff. Octopus and EON Next currently among the highest SEG rates.
Cheaper to install both at the same time (avoids second scaffold). If your existing inverter is non-hybrid, adding a battery later means replacing the inverter (£800–£1,500 extra).
Related cost guides
Last reviewed: May 2026
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