Honest answer
Are solar panels worth it in the UK?
For most UK homes with a reasonably sunny roof, yes. Here are the real numbers: what it costs, what you save and how long it takes to pay back.
£500 to £750
Typical yearly saving
on a 4 kWp family home
5 to 9 yrs
Payback period
then power is effectively free
0% VAT
On panels & batteries
until 31 March 2027
£12k+
Net gain over 25 yrs
after the system pays for itself
The short answer
A typical 4 kWp system on a 3-bed UK home costs around £5,500 to £7,500 installed and saves roughly £500 to £750 a year. That means it usually pays for itself in 5 to 9 years, and panels are built to keep working for 25 years or more. After payback, the electricity is effectively free, so over its lifetime a typical system can put £12,000 or more back in your pocket.
Three things make 2026 a good time: 0% VAT on residential solar panels and batteries (in place until 31 March 2027), electricity prices that remain well above pre-2021 levels, and the Smart Export Guarantee, which pays you for every unit you send back to the grid.
Typical UK costs and savings
Pick the setup closest to your home. All figures include 0% VAT.
1 to 2 bed / low use
3 kWp
- Installed cost
- £4,500 to £6,000
- Yearly generation
- ≈2,550 kWh
- Yearly saving
- £380 to £550
- Payback
- 6 to 9 yrs
3 bed family home
4 kWp
- Installed cost
- £5,500 to £7,500
- Yearly generation
- ≈3,400 kWh
- Yearly saving
- £500 to £750
- Payback
- 5 to 8 yrs
3 bed + battery
4 kWp + 5 kWh
- Installed cost
- £9,000 to £11,500
- Yearly generation
- ≈3,400 kWh
- Yearly saving
- £800 to £1,100
- Payback
- 6 to 9 yrs
4+ bed / EV owner
6 kWp + battery
- Installed cost
- £11,000 to £14,000
- Yearly generation
- ≈5,100 kWh
- Yearly saving
- £1,100 to £1,500
- Payback
- 5 to 8 yrs
Guide figures including 0% VAT, based on an electricity price of about 26p/kWh and export payments of 4 to 15p/kWh. Actual results depend on your roof, location and how you use energy.
Work out your own savings
Move the sliders to match your home. Your latest energy bill shows your electricity price.
Tip: a battery typically raises the share you use at home from around 40% to 70 to 80%.
Estimated yearly generation
3,400 kWh
Estimated yearly saving
£646
Payback time
7.7 years
Net gain over 25 years
£11,150
Estimate only, at today's prices. Assumes ≈850 kWh per kWp per year (a UK average; the south generates more, Scotland less). Your free survey gives exact figures.
Get exact figures for your home
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