A typical solar system for a three-bedroom house costs somewhere between £6,600 and £8,400 installed, for around 4kW of panels. Add a battery and you are looking at £10,100 to £13,900.
Those are ranges, not prices, and they are indicative only. The only real price is the one an installer gives you after looking at your roof. What this page does is explain what is inside that number, so you can tell whether a quote is reasonable.
The solar figure comes from the government’s own data: across more than 150,000 solar installations on existing homes from April 2025 to March 2026, the average cost was about £1,651 per kW for systems of 4kW to 10kW and £2,109 per kW for smaller ones, including installation and VAT but not a battery. The battery figures are indicative ranges; government publishes none.
Prices last reviewed 6 Nov 2026. Solar source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Solar PV cost data.
What you are actually paying for
People assume they are buying panels. The panels are usually the smaller part of the bill.
| Part of the job | Why it costs what it does |
|---|---|
| Panels | The most visible cost and the one that has fallen furthest over the last decade |
| Inverter | Converts the DC the panels produce into the AC your house uses. A real cost and the part most likely to need replacing first |
| Mounting and roof work | Rails, brackets, flashings, and making the roof watertight afterwards |
| Scaffolding | Required on most UK roofs: a charge to put it up, plus a daily rate while the job runs |
| Labour | Usually priced by the day, per installer |
| Electrical work and certification | Isolators, cabling, testing, and the paperwork that makes the system legal |
| Network operator notification | Telling your distribution network operator the system exists. See grid connection |
| Scaffolding removal and making good | Often forgotten in a cheap quote |
VAT is currently zero on installed solar and batteries in residential property, until 31 Mar 2027. After that it goes to 5%, not back to 20%. Anyone telling you VAT is about to jump to 20% is wrong.
Why the price does not halve when the system does
This surprises people. A 2kW system does not cost half what a 4kW system costs.
Scaffolding, certification, the network paperwork and most of the labour cost roughly the same whether you are fitting eight panels or sixteen. Those fixed costs get spread across however many watts you install. On a small system each watt carries more of them.
It is the main reason installers will often suggest filling the usable roof rather than fitting the smallest system that covers your current usage. It is also why a very small system rarely stacks up financially, whatever the headline price looks like.
Why UK prices are higher than you may have read
If you have looked at solar prices from Australia or parts of Europe, UK figures will look steep. The reasons are structural rather than anyone profiteering:
- Scaffolding. Most UK roofs need it. In much of Australia it is rarely used, which removes a four-figure cost before anything else happens.
- Smaller systems. UK systems average around 4.8 to 5.2 kWp, so the fixed costs above are spread more thinly.
- Older and more complicated roofs. Terraces, slate, dormers, chimneys, multiple small faces and conservation restrictions all add time.
- Labour rates and scale. Fewer installations per installer than in more mature markets.
- Lower sunlight. The same panel simply produces less here, so the same spend buys less benefit.
None of that is a reason not to install. It is a reason to be realistic about what the numbers will look like, and to be suspicious of a quote that comes in far below everyone else’s. Something has usually been left out of it.
What makes your quote higher or lower
Ask about these, because they are where quotes genuinely diverge:
- Roof access and height. A three-storey terrace costs more to scaffold than a bungalow.
- Roof covering. Slate takes longer than concrete tile and is easier to break.
- Number of roof faces. Panels split across two or three faces need more mounting work, and sometimes optimisers or microinverters. See panels on more than one roof.
- Shading. A chimney or a neighbouring tree may mean optimisers or microinverters, which add cost.
- Electrical distance. A long cable run from roof to consumer unit adds labour.
- Consumer unit condition. An old board sometimes needs upgrading first.
- Battery, and what size. The single biggest swing factor.
- Scaffolding duration. A job that runs long costs more.
Is a battery worth the extra?
It depends almost entirely on what tariff you are on, which is not the answer most people expect.
A battery does not generate anything. It shifts electricity in time. That is worth money in two ways: it lets you use solar you would otherwise have exported for roughly half its value, and on a time-of-use tariff it lets you buy cheap overnight electricity and avoid buying expensive peak electricity.
The second of those is now often worth more than the first. It is covered properly on smart tariffs and solar batteries.
Worth knowing: 92% of UK battery installations in 2026 went onto properties that have solar. A battery is no longer an unusual add-on. It is part of the same conversation as the panels for most people getting quotes.
How to compare quotes on a fair basis
The most common mistake is comparing headline prices for systems that are not the same thing. Before you compare:
- Check the system size in kW, not the number of panels. Panel wattages vary so much that panel count tells you very little.
- Check the estimated annual output in kWh, and that it has been worked out for your roof rather than pulled from a table.
- Check what is included. Scaffolding, certification, network notification, removal of waste, and making good.
- Check the inverter, its size and its warranty.
- Check the battery capacity in kWh and its usable capacity, which is lower than the headline figure.
- Check the warranties separately for panels, inverter, battery and workmanship. They are four different things. See solar warranties.
- Check Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certification. Without it you cannot be paid for the electricity you export. See choosing an installer.
There is a full list on questions to ask.
Watch out for
- A deposit of 50% or more. Not industry standard, whatever you are told. See deposits.
- A price that expires today. Solar is not a category where a genuine discount evaporates in an afternoon.
- A savings figure with no workings. Ask how it was calculated and what it assumes about how much of the generation you use at home.
- An estimate that ignores shading. If nobody has asked about trees or chimneys, the output figure is a guess.
What help is available
There is no universal grant for solar for an ordinary owner-occupier. What does exist, and who qualifies, is set out on grants and funding.
Getting quotes
We are not taking quote requests at the moment. When you are ready, get quotes from more than one MCS-certified installer and compare them like for like. How to choose an installer and the questions to ask will help.