• inverter

• roof size

• roof covering

• roof height

• scaffolding

• access

• electrical work

• structural condition

• mounting system

• monitoring equipment

• whether battery storage is included.

​

A straightforward installation on a modern tiled roof can therefore cost considerably less than a complicated installation involving several roof slopes, difficult access or structural alterations.

​

​

What is included in solar panel installation cost?

 

When comparing solar panel installation costs, look at the complete system rather than simply the retail price of the panels.

​

A typical quotation may include:

• solar PV panels

• roof mounting system

• inverter

• DC and AC cabling

• electrical protection

• monitoring system

• installation labour

• scaffolding

• testing

• commissioning

• certification.

​

Some quotations include scaffolding while others show it separately.

​

Likewise, electrical alterations, roof repairs or structural strengthening may be additional.

​

This is why two solar quotations with apparently similar numbers of panels can differ significantly in price.

​

​

Average cost of solar panels

 

Energy Saving Trust currently estimates around £7,600 for an average 4.5kWp domestic installation.

​

Other current guidance and market examples may produce somewhat different averages because the price depends on the system size and what is included.

​

For early budgeting, the useful lesson is that a conventional whole-house solar PV installation is generally a several-thousand-pound home improvement, not simply the cost of buying individual panels.

​

The final figure should always be based on the individual property and proposed system.

​

​

What affects solar panel price?

Several factors can make one installation more expensive than another.

​

System size

More panels normally mean a higher installation cost, although the cost per panel may fall as the overall system becomes larger.

​

Panel specification

Higher-output or premium panels can cost more.

​

They may be worthwhile where roof area is limited because more electricity can potentially be generated from the available space.

​

Roof construction

Solar can be installed on many roof types, including:

• concrete tiles

• clay tiles

• slate

• flat roofs

• standing-seam metal roofs.

​

Some are easier and less expensive to work with than others.

​

Access and scaffolding

A simple two-storey house with good access will generally be easier than a tall townhouse, complicated rear roof or property with restricted access.

​

Electrical work

The condition and location of the electrical installation can influence cost.

​

Long cable routes or necessary electrical upgrades can add to the project.

​

Roof condition

If the roof covering is nearing the end of its useful life, it may be sensible to repair or replace it before installing solar panels.

​

Energy Saving Trust specifically notes that renewing a roof covering before installation can sometimes provide a cheaper long-term solution than removing and reinstalling panels later.

​

​

Is a larger solar system better value?

 

Potentially.

​

Once scaffolding, labour and electrical infrastructure are being provided, adding additional panels can sometimes be relatively cost-effective.

​

But bigger is not automatically better.

​

The useful size of a system depends on:

• roof area

• orientation

• shading

• annual electricity use

• daytime electricity demand

• future heat-pump use

• future EV charging

• battery storage.

​

Installing panels simply because there is empty roof space does not necessarily produce the best financial outcome.

​

The system should be designed around the property and likely future energy demand.

​

​

How much electricity can solar panels generate?

 

Generation depends heavily on location, orientation and shading.

​

An unshaded south-facing roof is generally ideal.

​

East- and west-facing systems can also work well, although Energy Saving Trust estimates that an east- or west-facing system typically generates around 15–20% less electricity than an equivalent directly south-facing system.

​

Generation will also vary throughout the year.

​

Summer output can be significantly higher than winter output because of the longer days and stronger sunlight.

​

A realistic solar quotation should therefore include an estimated annual generation figure rather than simply quoting the maximum output of the panels.

​

​

Do solar panels save money?

 

Yes.

​

Solar panels can save money in two principal ways:

​

Using solar electricity yourself

Electricity generated by the panels and used within your home replaces electricity that would otherwise have been purchased from the grid.

​

Selling surplus electricity

Electricity that you do not use can potentially be exported to the grid and paid for through an export tariff such as the Smart Export Guarantee.

​

Ofgem confirms that qualifying small-scale generators can be paid for electricity exported to the National Grid, with participating suppliers setting their own rates and contract terms.

​

The combination of avoided electricity purchases and export income determines much of the financial return from the solar system.

​

​

How much could solar panels save?

 

There is no single annual solar saving that applies to every household.

​

Savings depend on:

​

• system size

• annual generation

• electricity tariff

• amount of solar electricity used at home

• export tariff

• location

• orientation

• shading

• household occupancy.

​

Current UK government estimates suggest that a typical household solar installation could reduce annual energy costs by roughly £500, although actual results vary significantly between properties.

​

Energy Saving Trust's current modelling also shows that payback periods vary across Great Britain according to location and household usage.

​

These figures should therefore be treated as useful indications rather than guaranteed savings.

​

​

Solar savings are about more than generation

 

Imagine two identical houses with identical solar systems.

​

House A

Nobody is home during the day and very little electricity is used while the panels are generating.

​

House B

Someone works from home, the washing machine and dishwasher run during the day, and an EV is sometimes charged using surplus solar.

​

House B may use significantly more of its own solar electricity.

That matters because using electricity directly can often be financially more valuable than exporting it and subsequently buying electricity back from the grid later.

​

Energy Saving Trust notes that electricity bought from the grid typically costs substantially more per unit than many export payments.

​

​

How can you maximise solar savings?

 

The objective is not necessarily to use every appliance whenever the sun appears.

​

It is to shift flexible electricity demand towards periods when solar generation is available.

​

That could include:

• washing machine

• dishwasher

• tumble dryer

• water heating

• EV charging

• battery charging

• heat-pump operation

• air conditioning.

​

Smart controls can automate some of this.

​

The more solar electricity the house can use productively, the less electricity may need to be purchased from the grid.

​

​

What happens to electricity you do not use?

 

Surplus solar electricity can normally be exported.

​

The Smart Export Guarantee, or SEG, requires qualifying electricity suppliers to offer payments to eligible small-scale generators for electricity exported to the National Grid.

​

Importantly, there is not one national SEG price.

​

Suppliers set their own:

• payment rate

• contract length

• terms and conditions.

​

Ofgem therefore advises generators to compare available tariffs.

​

Energy Saving Trust currently uses around 12p per kWh as a typical export figure in its solar guidance, but individual tariffs can differ.

​

​

Is it better to use solar electricity or export it?

 

Usually, electricity used within the home has a higher value than electricity exported at a relatively low export tariff.

​

Suppose, purely as an example, you avoid buying one unit of electricity that would have cost considerably more than the amount your supplier would have paid you to export that unit.

​

Using it yourself provides the greater saving.

​

However, the calculation changes where particularly attractive export tariffs are available.

​

The correct strategy therefore depends on both your import and export tariffs.

​

​

Solar panels and battery storage

 

Battery storage changes how solar electricity can be used.

​

Without a battery, surplus daytime generation that is not being consumed will normally be exported.

​

With a battery, some of that electricity can instead be stored and used later.

​

For example:

​

Morning

The house consumes electricity from the grid or battery.

​

Midday

Solar generation exceeds household demand and charges the battery.

​

Evening

Stored solar electricity supplies part of the home's demand after the panels have stopped generating.

​

Energy Saving Trust currently estimates domestic battery storage at around £5,000–£8,000, depending on the system.

​

The battery therefore increases the initial investment and needs to provide enough additional benefit to justify its cost.

​

​

Does adding a battery always save more money?

 

It can reduce grid electricity purchases, but that does not automatically mean it produces the best financial return.

​

The calculation depends on:

• battery cost

• usable capacity

• solar generation

• household consumption

• import tariff

• export tariff

• time-of-use tariff

• expected battery life.

​

A household that naturally uses most of its solar electricity during the day may gain less from storage than a household that exports large amounts during the day and uses large amounts of electricity at night.

​

This is why battery storage should be sized around the household, not simply added because batteries are available.

​

​

Solar panels and an electric vehicle

 

An EV can significantly increase household electricity consumption.

​

That can also create an opportunity to use more solar electricity.

​

Where the vehicle is at home during daylight hours, a compatible smart charger can potentially direct surplus solar generation into the car.

​

Energy Saving Trust specifically identifies EV charging as one of the useful ways to make use of electricity generated by solar panels.

​

For households expecting to buy an EV within the next few years, that future electricity demand should be considered when determining solar system size.

​

​

Solar panels and heat pumps

 

The same principle applies to heat pumps.

​

Moving from gas heating to a heat pump normally increases household electricity consumption.

​

That creates more potential demand for home-generated solar electricity.

​

Energy Saving Trust recommends considering solar and heat pumps together because solar generation can contribute towards the electricity used by the heating system.

​

They will not perfectly match throughout the year — solar generation is greatest during summer while heating demand is greatest during winter — but the technologies can still complement one another.

​

​

Solar panels and air conditioning

 

Solar PV and cooling can have a particularly useful relationship.

​

Air-conditioning demand tends to rise on warm, sunny days.

​

Those are also the conditions in which solar panels may be generating strongly.

​

A home fitted with efficient air conditioning or an air-to-air heat pump can therefore potentially use some of its own solar electricity for cooling.

​

For homeowners planning future cooling, this additional demand can be considered when designing the solar system.

​

​

Are solar panels worth the cost?

 

For many suitable homes, solar panels can make strong financial sense.

​

But whether they are worth the cost depends on several things.

​

Ask:

• Is the roof suitable?

• How much will the system generate?

• What will the installation actually cost?

• How much electricity does the household use?

• When is that electricity used?

• What export tariff is available?

• Is an EV likely?

• Is a heat pump likely?

• How long will you remain in the property?

​

A homeowner paying £6,000 for a highly productive installation has a different investment from someone paying £10,000 for a heavily shaded roof.

​

The technology may be identical.

​

The economics are not.

​

​

ROI on solar panels

 

ROI — return on investment — for solar panels is essentially the financial benefit generated relative to the amount invested.

​

A simplified calculation might be:

​

Annual electricity saving + annual export income = annual financial benefit

​

That annual benefit can then be compared against the initial installation cost.

​

But the calculation should also acknowledge:

​

• inverter replacement over the system's lifetime

• maintenance where required

• changing electricity prices

• changing export tariffs

• panel degradation

• future household consumption.

​

Solar ROI is therefore better considered as a long-term estimate rather than a fixed guaranteed percentage.

​

​

Solar panel payback period

 

The payback period is the approximate time taken for cumulative savings and export income to equal the original installation cost.

​

Energy Saving Trust's current July 2026 modelling estimates payback periods, including export payments, of approximately:

​

• 9 years in London

• 10–11 years in Manchester

• 9–10 years in Aberystwyth

• 11–12 years in Stirling

​

depending on household occupancy patterns.

​

These are particularly useful figures because they demonstrate how location and usage affect the result.

​

They should not be interpreted as a guarantee for an individual installation.

​

​

What happens after the panels have paid for themselves?

 

This is one of the attractions of solar PV.

​

The panels can continue generating electricity after the theoretical payback point.

​

The financial benefit after that point can therefore continue for the remaining working life of the system.

​

Exactly how long individual components last varies.

​

Panels typically have long manufacturer performance warranties, while an inverter may need replacement earlier during the life of the installation.

​

These future costs should be considered when assessing long-term ROI.

​

​

Could electricity prices change the solar payback?

 

Absolutely.

​

Solar savings are partly based on the value of electricity you no longer need to buy.

​

If grid electricity becomes more expensive, each unit of solar electricity used within the home potentially becomes more valuable.

​

If electricity prices fall, the saving can reduce.

​

Export tariffs can also change.

​

Nobody can accurately guarantee energy prices ten or twenty years into the future.

​

Any solar payback forecast should therefore be regarded as an estimate based on stated assumptions.

​

​

What about increasing your home's value?

 

Homeowners sometimes ask whether solar panels will increase the value of their property.

​

Energy efficiency is increasingly relevant to buyers, but it would be unwise to assume that spending £7,000 on solar automatically adds £7,000 or more to the selling price.

​

Property value depends on:

• local housing market

• overall condition

• EPC

• age of the solar system

• ownership arrangements

• buyer preferences.

​

The strongest financial argument for solar should therefore normally remain the energy it generates rather than relying on an assumed future increase in property value.

​

​

Should I get the cheapest solar panel quote?

 

Probably not automatically.

​

Price matters, but so do:

​

• predicted generation

• panel quality

• inverter

• warranties

• installation method

• accreditation

• aftercare

• electrical specification

• roof fixings.

​

Energy Saving Trust recommends obtaining quotes from at least three installers and checking that installers are appropriately MCS certified.

​

A solar quotation should make it possible to understand exactly what is being proposed.

​

​

What should a solar panel quote contain?

 

A useful solar panel quote should ideally identify:

​

• number of panels

• make and model

• individual panel output

• total system capacity in kWp

• inverter

• estimated annual generation

• proposed panel layout

• scaffolding

• electrical works

• monitoring

• warranties

• installation cost

• expected savings

• estimated export income.

​

Be wary of comparing quotations solely on the headline price.

​

A cheaper quotation may simply contain a smaller or lower-performing system.

​

​

Solar panel quote versus solar design

 

There is also an important distinction between selling panels and designing the right solar system for the home.

​

An installer naturally wants to determine how many panels can be fitted and what they will cost.

​

A wider green-home assessment asks additional questions.

​

For example:

• Is the roof nearing replacement?

• Is a loft conversion planned?

• Will an extension change the available roof?

• Will an EV be purchased?

• Is a heat pump planned?

• Would a battery be worthwhile?

• Is some of the roof shaded?

• Are there planning restrictions?

• Can electricity demand be shifted into daytime hours?

​

Those factors can change both the appropriate system size and its potential return.

​

​

What if your roof faces east or west?

 

Do not automatically rule solar out.

​

Energy Saving Trust estimates that east- and west-facing systems typically generate around 15–20% less electricity than an equivalent directly south-facing installation.

​

But there can also be an advantage to spreading generation across the day.

​

An east/west arrangement may produce electricity for a longer period during the morning and afternoon instead of concentrating output around midday.

​

Whether that is advantageous depends on how electricity is used within the home.

​

​

What about shading?

 

Shading can reduce solar generation.

​

Common sources include:

• trees

• chimneys

• neighbouring buildings

• dormers

• parapets

• roof structures.

​

Energy Saving Trust notes that optimisers can sometimes help reduce the effect of individual shaded panels on the remainder of an array.

But optimisers cannot create sunlight where none exists.

​

A good solar assessment should therefore consider shading before predicting generation and savings.

​

​

Should I install solar while replacing the roof?

 

This can be an excellent time.

​

If scaffolding is already required for roofing work, some costs may be shared.

​

The solar installation can also be coordinated with:

• roof repairs

• new roof coverings

• insulation

• roof strengthening

• cable routes.

​

Energy Saving Trust specifically notes that installation costs can be reduced where scaffolding is already in place for roof repairs or where solar is incorporated into a new building.

​

Planning works together can therefore improve the economics.

​

​

Should solar panels be installed before a loft conversion?

 

Usually it is sensible to consider the planned loft conversion first.

​

A future loft project may involve:

• dormers

• rooflights

• hip-to-gable work

• structural alterations

• reroofing.

​

Installing a large solar array today and removing it shortly afterwards for major roof works is unlikely to be efficient.

​

If a loft conversion or extension is planned, the solar layout can instead be incorporated into the wider design.

​

​

Do solar panels require much maintenance?

 

Solar panels generally require relatively little routine maintenance.

​

Energy Saving Trust notes that tilted panels in the UK are normally cleaned naturally by rainfall, although ground-mounted or unusually dusty installations may require occasional cleaning.

​

Nearby trees should also be kept under control where they create shading.

​

The installer should provide:

• maintenance information

• inverter guidance

• fault information

• warranty documentation.

​

Homeowners should retain these documents.

​

​

Is solar worthwhile without a battery?

 

Absolutely possible.

​

Solar PV and battery storage should not be treated as an inseparable package.

​

A household with substantial daytime electricity consumption can use a meaningful proportion of its solar generation without a battery.

​

Surplus electricity can be exported through an appropriate tariff.

​

Battery storage may improve self-consumption, but it also increases the initial investment.

​

The correct question is not:

“Should solar have a battery?”

​

It is:

“Will adding a battery improve this particular project's overall value enough to justify the additional cost?”

​

​

Should I wait for solar panels to become cheaper?

 

Technology prices change continuously, but waiting also has a cost.

​

Every year without solar is another year in which all household electricity must be purchased from the grid.

​

That does not mean homeowners should rush.

​

The decision should be based on whether the project makes sense at today's installation cost and today's realistic assumptions, rather than relying on guesses about what prices might do several years from now.

​

​

Solar panels as part of a greener home

 

Solar PV is often one of the most attractive green technologies because its purpose is very simple:

​

Generate electricity on the property and buy less electricity from elsewhere.

​

But solar becomes even more useful when considered alongside:

​

• insulation

• heat pumps

• battery storage

• smart energy controls

• EV charging

• air conditioning

• hot-water systems.

​

The important thing is to understand how all of these affect future electricity demand.

​

​

Do not size solar only around today's household

 

Your energy use may look very different in five years.

​

Today you may have:

​

• gas heating

• petrol or diesel cars

• no air conditioning.

​

In future you may have:

​

• a heat pump

• one or two electric vehicles

• battery storage

• electrically powered cooling.

​

That could substantially increase electricity consumption.

​

If these changes are realistic, they are worth considering before deciding how much solar to install.

​

​

Start with a Green Home Survey

 

An APN Green Home Survey can help homeowners consider solar as part of the wider property rather than as an isolated purchase.

​

That can include looking at:

​

• available roof area

• roof orientation

• shading

• roof condition

• likely future building work

• current electricity consumption

• future EV charging

• heat-pump potential

• battery storage

• planning considerations

• other green home improvements.

​

The objective is to help establish what should be done, in what order and where the available budget is likely to provide the greatest benefit.

​

​

So, do solar panels really save money?

 

Yes — a suitable, properly designed solar system can reduce electricity bills and can also produce income from electricity exported to the grid.

​

The more important question is how much they could save on your particular home.

​

Current Energy Saving Trust data puts a typical domestic installation at around £7,600, while its July 2026 modelling indicates payback periods of roughly 9–12 years across the locations modelled in Great Britain.

​

Your own result will depend on the roof, price paid, generation, electricity consumption and export arrangements.

​

That is why the best solar decision is not necessarily the cheapest installation or the maximum number of panels.

​

It is the system that provides the best balance of cost, generation, savings and future energy needs for your home.

​

Considering solar panels? Start with an APN Green Home Survey and understand the roof, the costs, the likely savings and how solar could fit into your wider green home plan.

​

​

NEXT STEPS

Every home is different, so the right next step depends on your property, your budget and what you want to achieve. APN Green Homes can help you turn the information you have just read into a practical plan for your own home. Whether you are considering one improvement or looking at a complete whole-home energy upgrade, we can help you understand what is suitable, what should be prioritised and where your money is likely to make the greatest difference.

​

Choose one of the options below to get the ball rolling:

​

BOOK A GREEN HOME SURVEY
Get a detailed assessment of your home with practical, property-specific recommendations and a clear plan for the improvements worth considering.

​

BOOK A PHONE CONSULTATION
Talk through your property, ideas and priorities with us and get some initial direction on the best way forward.

​

EMAIL US
Send us details of your property, photographs or any questions and we can advise you on the most appropriate next step.

​

GIVE US A CALL
Prefer to speak to someone? Give us a call and tell us what you are hoping to achieve.

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Your greener, more efficient home starts with understanding the right improvements for your property — and putting them in the right order.