How much do solar panels cost in the UK?

Solar panels can massively reduce your electricity bills and carbon footprint, while lessening the impact of any energy price rises – but the upfront cost can be a major hurdle.

In this guide, we'll explain how much solar panels cost, how different factors affect the price you’ll pay, and why it's a worthwhile investment for your home and the planet.

If you’re wondering how much a solar & battery system could save you, answer a few quick questions below and we’ll provide you with an estimate.

How much do solar panels cost?

Solar panel costs per m²

Solar panels cost £438 per m² on average for a 12-panel system, which is typically the best choice for a four-bedroom household.

Since this figure includes installation costs like scaffolding, it drops as you add more solar panels to your project – so however many panels you're planning on buying, you should ideally have them installed at the same time.

Solar panel costs by installation type

Why are solar panels so expensive?

Solar panels are expensive because they require a complex installation that generally takes place on your roof.

This process throws up a large number of associated costs that you have to pay if you want your system to work effectively.

As well as the panels, you’ll pay for materials like the inverter, cables, racks, and potentially a solar battery, as well as for business costs including the labour, scaffolding, electrical expertise, and installer overheads.

These are unavoidable costs. The roof is usually the best place for your solar panels, and unless you’re certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or Flexi-Orb, you shouldn’t install the panels yourself.

The cost of solar panels over the years

The cost of solar panels has fallen dramatically over the past few decades.

Customers across the world paid $125.83 (£99.25) per watt in 1975 – meaning a 3kWp system would've cost you £297,750, with all prices adjusted for inflation.

That figure has plummeted by 99.8% since then, with the average global price of solar now standing at just 26¢ (21p) per watt.

This massive drop is down to increased manufacturing capacity, improved processes, increasingly cheap materials, and skyrocketing demand, as the solar panel has evolved from a quirky piece of promising technology to a transformative addition to the energy mix.

For more information, check out our guide on whether solar panels will get cheaper in the future.

As you can also see in this chart, there are plenty of other important – and costly – parts of a solar panel installation.

Let's go into more detail about each factor.

1. Labour and scaffolding

In most cases, the biggest single contributing factor to the total cost of a solar panel installation is the labour and scaffolding.

This cost can vary significantly, depending on how accessible your roof is. The harder the roof is to reach, the more expensive the scaffolding setup becomes.

Adding a few panels to your system rarely makes a huge difference to cost, but if your scaffolding changes from something routine to something highly specialised, this can add thousands of pounds to the overall price.

For example, the scaffolding needs to rest on the ground, and if there's a low roof in its way (e.g. from a conservatory or extension), your installer may need to 'bridge' over it, which makes the project more complex and expensive.

At the same time, you may also pay more if your scaffolding is on the bigger side, or if the installers have limited access to your home – for instance, if it’s a terrace house.

There are also specific roof features that can make the layout of your panels more complicated, which can mean more railings, and therefore a higher price.

These features include:

• Velux windows, also known as skylights
• Chimneys
• Pipes, e.g. soil vent pipes or flue pipes
• Dormers
• Gable roofs

For more information, check out our guide to how solar panels are installed.

2. Battery storage

The next biggest chunk of the total cost is usually the battery hardware.

Opting for battery storage adds around £2,000 to £3,000 to the overall price, although it can be more than this if you choose a larger battery (i.e. 10kWh or more).

However, a battery is well worth it, as it provides several excellent benefits.

Without a battery, all the electricity your solar panels generate must be used at the moment it’s created, otherwise it’s automatically sold to the grid. This makes it tricky for people who aren’t home much during the day to actually make use of their solar panels. 

With a battery, any electricity you don’t use instantly is stored, ready to be called on after the sun goes down. A battery also gives you access to some of the best export tariffs, such as Intelligent Octopus Flux. 

It's also possible to get a storage battery that can provide emergency power during outages, which can come in very useful if you live in an area with an unreliable power supply.

3. The number of solar panels

Another deciding factor behind your system's cost is the number of solar panels.

The more solar panels you buy, the higher the price tag, as you'll have to pay for more brackets and possibly a larger inverter – as well as a bigger solar battery, if you get one.

However, more panels also means proportionally more savings, since most of the associated costs of installation – like scaffolding, labour, and vehicle expenses – don't typically increase by as much as the amount an extra solar panel will save you.

For that reason, it's generally worth maximising the space on your rooftop and getting as many solar panels as possible.

4. Solar panel type and quality

The two most common types of solar panels are monocrystalline and polycrystalline, and your choice will affect the overall cost. It’ll also affect your system’s efficiency – that is, how much of the light that hits your panels they can transform into electricity.

Monocrystalline panels are more expensive but have a higher efficiency of up to 24%. As each panel is made from a single silicon crystal – hence ‘mono’ – these panels have a black colour and sleek appearance.

Polycrystalline panels are more budget-friendly, but less efficient – usually around 15%. These panels are made from several blended silicone fragments, so have a speckled,  blue-tinged colour, and a slightly less glossy appearance. 

However, even if you settle on getting monocrystalline panels, these can obviously range in quality. Some are far more efficient and more powerful than others, which will have an impact on cost.

5. Inverter type and quality

A standard string inverter that’s responsible for the entire solar panel system is usually less expensive than microinverters, which are installed on every single panel.

Microinverters will ensure that your system is more efficient, but there’s a significantly larger initial cost. 

In total, it'll typically cost you around 20-30% more to get microinverters rather than a string inverter.

6. Racking

Racking is the network of clamps, flashings, mounts, and rails that will securely hold your solar panels for the next few decades.

Considering its importance to your system, racking makes up a small proportion of the total cost of your installation, at just 7%.

This means an average household will typically pay between £600 and £1,000 for racking, though your total will depend on the number of panels, the shape of your roof, and the type of roof tiles you have.

Slate tiles, for instance, make for a trickier racking process – but the right installer will ensure your panels are fitted safely while leaving your roof intact.

7. Local delivery & logistics

If an installer has to travel relatively far to get to you, they'll charge you more, so you should generally choose a local installer.

However, installers don't tend to take jobs that are especially far away, as it raises their costs.

This in turn means they have to increase their prices – which makes them uncompetitive against local installers.

8. Accreditations & DNO approval

You want your installer to have all the right accreditations, as this proves they're a top-tier company.

Accreditations are baked into the prices offered by trustworthy installers, meaning you might pay more – but when you're making a significant change to your home in order to save hundreds of pounds every year for decades, it's worth the extra initial cost.

A good installer will also handle your G98 or G99 application for you.

If your inverter’s maximum capacity is less than 3.68kW on a single-phase system, your installer can move ahead without getting approval from your region's Distribution Network Operator (DNO), which runs the hardware that provides your area of the UK with electricity.

They'll then send a completed G98 form to your DNO within 28 days of switching on your system.

However, you or your installer must submit a G99 application to the DNO if your inverter’s maximum capacity is more than 3.68kW per phase.

This application makes your DNO aware of the system, so it can take the extra electricity into account while running its part of the grid.

DNOs generally accept G99 applications, but not always – and a rejection can lead to increased costs if more work is required.

For instance, if you need to switch your home to three-phase electricity to get your G99 approved, it’ll cost around £5,700.

What solar export tariffs are available?

You can use any of these best export tariffs to sell your excess electricity to the grid.

The earnings are based on a household experiencing average UK irradiance with a 4.4kWp solar panel system and a 5.2kWh battery, and using 3,500kWh of electricity each year. This household will export around 34% of the electricity it generates.

We’re also using the average percentage of peak power generated in the UK, which is around 85% – so a 5.2kWp system would typically produce 4,420kWh per year.

The money you can gain from using the Intelligent Octopus Flux and Octopus Flux tariffs include the profit you’ll make by relying on smart battery controls to import electricity from the grid when it’s cheapest, and sell it back when its price is highest.

Every large supplier must now provide a solar export tariff, thanks to the government-backed Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), though some – like Octopus – also offer more profitable rates that usually require you to also become a customer.

How long do solar panels take to pay for themselves?

A solar & battery system takes just under eight years to pay for itself, for the typical UK household.

This estimate is based on an average of 32 different solar & battery system designs from Sunsave’s database, for homes from all over England and Wales. Each system uses 430W solar panels and a 5.8kWh battery, and is signed up to the Octopus Flux export tariff.

Your payback period can rise or fall, depending on multiple factors. These include the initial cost of the system, the panels’ electricity generation, local electricity rates, and the export tariff.

This is also just an average – your system's break-even point will depend on how much energy solar panels can produce on your roof, so it may be considerably shorter if you live in a sunny location and own a roof that's well-suited to solar panels.

Here are several solar & battery designs we’ve created, with their different payback periods.

Solar with heat pumps and EVs

Powering your heat pump and electric vehicle with electricity generated by your own solar panels is a fantastic way to save money on your heating and transport costs.

If you’re on any solar export tariff apart from Intelligent Octopus Flux, consuming the electricity your panels produce is always better than sending it to the grid, since other tariffs don’t offer identical import and export prices.

And using your own solar generation is much easier to do when your heating and car run on electricity – though of course, this approach does require you to pay for a heat pump, electric vehicle, and EV charger.

Purchases of both technologies are rising rapidly though, as homeowners move to save money on their energy and fuel bills, while also cutting their carbon footprints.

How to keep the costs of solar panels down

If you're looking to save money on solar panels, try these strategies:

• Look into no-upfront-cost solar panels
• See if you’re eligible for a government grant
• Check out your local Solar Together scheme
• Avoid cheap solar panels

Look into no-upfront-cost solar panels

You can get solar panels at no upfront cost with a subscription like Sunsave Plus, which offers all the benefits of going solar without the burden of the initial payment.

With Sunsave Plus, you’ll receive the best-in-class kit, all in one easy package that works seamlessly, looks excellent, and can save you money from day one.

Sunsave Plus also comes with the 20-year Sunsave Guarantee, which provides monitoring and maintenance, free replacements for your battery and inverter, insurance against damage, fire, and theft, and downtime payments if your system doesn’t work.

See if you’re eligible for a government grant

There are several grants and schemes on offer which can help with the cost of solar panels. For instance, schemes like the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) focus on improvements to energy efficiency for low-income households and some social housing tenants.

The Home Upgrade Grant and PPA schemes also offer other forms of financial support, making solar installations more accessible for certain groups of people.

Check out your local Solar Together scheme

Check if your local area has signed up for the Solar Together scheme.

This community-based programme negotiates group discounts for solar panel installations, making them more affordable for individual homeowners – though you’ll still need to pay an upfront cost.

To find out more, read our full guide to Solar Together.

Avoid cheap solar panels

Second-hand or cheap solar panels are always attractive to cost-conscious customers – but buy them at your peril.

Purchasing them will usually just kick the cost further down the line, since low-cost panels that other people don’t want will almost always be less efficient, less effective, and less long-lasting.

This means you probably won’t break even on them, and will end up buying another set of panels before too long.

If you’re investing in your future, you should do it with high-quality equipment.

What are the costs of maintaining your solar panels?

Solar panel maintenance can cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds over your panels’ lifespan, if you don’t have a maintenance payment plan in place.

Industry experts estimate that every year, the average solar & battery system in the UK has a 15% chance of requiring maintenance, across a 20-year period.

You'll need to make three call outs overall on average, and each one can add substantially to your costs – without even going into the hassle of finding a reliable solar engineer every time.

Fortunately, this is a cost you can avoid by opting for Sunsave Plus instead – more on that below.

Solar panel servicing

Solar panels don't have any moving parts, which means they rarely encounter technical problems, though they're still vulnerable to impact damage from the likes of falling branches and debris.

Unfortunately, the inverter is a much weaker part of the system, with more than 10% of solar owners saying it had caused them problems, according to Which?.

Sunsave Plus, on the other hand, comes with a 20-year monitoring & maintenance package called the Sunsave Guarantee.

This unique offering also includes a free replacement inverter and battery, insurance, and downtime cover – all of which means you don’t need to worry about finding someone to fix your panels, should they stop working.

If you don't opt for Sunsave Plus, the MCS recommends that you get an ‘intermediate’ maintenance check from an MCS-certified technician every 10 years, and a ‘full’ maintenance check every 15 years. These checks also include your inverter.

These checks ensure that everything is functioning correctly and safely, potentially saving you from further repair or replacement costs in the long run.

If something does go wrong and you need to call out someone for repairs, this can typically cost around £100, although obviously it depends on the nature of the issue.

Solar panel cleaning

Solar panels in the UK come with a hydrophobic coating, meaning rainwater runs off them like a duck’s back – but even better, since the water also takes any dust, dirt, and detritus with it.

The main silver lining of living in this wet country is that you'll only need to give them a clean every couple of years, unless you live in a particularly dusty area or on the coast.

Use an soft, extendable clearing brush, as it’s much safer than going on the roof, and do so in line with the manufacturer's recommendations, so you don’t void your panels' warranty.

Don’t use a pressure washer or soap, as they may damage the panels or leave a residue, respectively.

You can also hire someone to do it professionally, which will usually cost around £10 per panel – so the total cost will depend on how many panels you have.

If it snows on your panels, don't brush it off, as this will probably cause them damage. It'll melt on its own.

Next steps

In the great majority of cases, solar panels come at a high upfront cost, with households spending thousands of pounds before they can start saving.

It's definitely worth the investment, as solar panels can help you cut your electricity bills by hundreds of pounds per year, recoup their initial cost decades before they stop producing electricity, and even raise your home's value.

But if you can't afford to get a system installed on your roof, you can't benefit. Sunsave Plus is our solution to this problem, as it provides you with best-in-class kit with no upfront cost - instead, you pay a fixed monthly fee for 20 years.

Every Sunsave Plus subscription is also protected by the Sunsave Guarantee, which includes 24/7 monitoring & maintenance, a free battery and inverter replacement, and downtime protection. Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire and theft.

If you would like to see the savings you could get from a solar & battery system, just answer a few quick questions below and we’ll provide an estimate.

Solar panel costs: FAQs