How much do solar panels cost in the UK in 2026?
Installed prices for 3 to 8 kWp from the government's latest cost data, what changes a quote, and how VAT, batteries and extras affect the total.
A typical home solar panel system in Great Britain costs about £6,300 for 3 kWp and about £9,900 for 6 kWp, fully installed and before any battery. Those figures come from the government's latest cost statistics for panels fitted to existing homes: an average of £2,109 per kW for systems up to 4 kW and £1,651 per kW for systems of 4 to 10 kW, for installations between April 2025 and March 2026. They include installation, grid connection and VAT, which is currently 0% on installed solar.
Your own quote will depend mainly on how many panels your roof and usage need, how easy the roof is to reach, and the inverter. A battery is priced separately: our estimate is about £3,200 for 5 kWh and £4,200 for 10 kWh when it is fitted at the same time as the panels, fitted to installed prices published by Octopus Energy, MoneySavingExpert and Sunsave (see solar battery cost).
Solar panel cost by system size
System size is measured in kWp (kilowatt-peak): the combined rated output of the panels under standard test conditions. It is not the energy you get: a 4 kWp system does not produce 4 kWh every hour. In the government's 2025/26 data, 54% of systems fitted to existing homes were 4 to 10 kW, 40% were up to 4 kW and 6% were larger.
The table gives two views of the price for common sizes. The government benchmark multiplies the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) average (mean) cost per kW for domestic retrofit installations by the system size. The Solar Report estimate is the price our calculator (at the end of this guide) uses for a straightforward pitched roof, and the range we treat as normal for quotes (about 25% below to 20% above it).
| System size | Panels (example, 450 W each) | Government benchmark | Solar Report estimate | Our normal range (estimate −25% / +20%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kWp | 7 | £6,326 | £6,100 | £4,600–£7,300 |
| 4 kWp | 9 | £6,606–£8,435 | £7,100 | £5,300–£8,500 |
| 5 kWp | 11 | £8,257 | £8,100 | £6,100–£9,700 |
| 6 kWp | 13 | £9,908 | £9,300 | £7,000–£11,200 |
| 8 kWp | 18 | £13,211 | £11,450 | £8,600–£13,700 |
How the benchmark is worked out: 3 kWp × £2,108.65 = £6,326; 5 kWp × £1,651.40 = £8,257; 6 kWp × £1,651.40 = £9,908; 8 kWp × £1,651.40 = £13,211. A 4 kWp system sits exactly on the boundary between the two DESNZ size bands, so the table shows both: 4 × £1,651.40 = £6,606 and 4 × £2,108.65 = £8,435. The panel counts are only an illustration: 7 panels of 450 W make 3.15 kWp.
Two patterns stand out:
- Price per kW falls as systems get bigger. Scaffolding, the inverter, the electrical connection, paperwork and the installer's visit cost much the same whether you fit seven panels or thirteen. In the DESNZ data, the average for 4–10 kW retrofit systems is £457 per kW lower than for systems up to 4 kW.
- Larger systems in a band tend to cost less per kW than its average. The 4–10 kW average mixes every size in that band, and cost per kW keeps falling as systems get larger; at 8 kWp our estimate is 13% below it.
The range is our own allowance, from 25% below to 20% above our estimate, for differences between roofs and installers. It is not drawn from a survey of quotes. Complex roofs, premium panels and extras push a quote up.
DESNZ publishes its cost data on two bases. Per kW of total installed capacity (the panels' kWp) is the one to multiply by your system size. Per kW of declared net capacity is based on the maximum the system could export; DESNZ says averages on the total-capacity basis are typically 6–12% lower, so multiplying a declared-net-capacity figure by panel kWp overstates the price. The same data also has an all-installation median of £1,595 per kW for 0–4 kW, but that includes new-build homes and businesses, which pay less than a household adding panels to an existing roof.
What energy suppliers charge for packages
Some energy suppliers publish fixed package prices, which is a useful reality check. On 23 September 2026:
- E.ON Next listed £4,995 for six 485 W AIKO panels (2.91 kWp) and £6,495 for twelve (5.82 kWp), each with a battery-ready hybrid inverter. E.ON says the price assumes an on-roof installation, scaffolding on a single side of the house, single-phase electrics and "no complexities". That works out at £1,716 per kW for the small system and £1,116 per kW for the larger one.
- Octopus Energy listed £11,115 for twelve 455 W panels (5.46 kWp) with a 10 kWh battery and microinverters, based on its April 2026 prices.
The E.ON 5.82 kWp package is well below both the government average and our normal range for its size. Packages like this are priced for simple roofs; if your roof needs scaffolding on several sides, has several faces or needs extra electrical work, expect the price to rise from the advertised one. Use a package price as a benchmark for a comparable roof, not as a quote for yours.
How costs vary by region
Installation costs vary across Great Britain. The DESNZ figures below are average costs per kW in 2025/26 by region, for all installations there, including businesses as well as homes, so they are not directly comparable with the domestic retrofit figures above. They are useful for comparing regions, not for pricing your own home.
| Region or nation | Up to 4 kW (£ per kW) | 4–10 kW (£ per kW) |
|---|---|---|
| London | 2,101 | 1,759 |
| South West | 1,887 | 1,631 |
| South East | 1,859 | 1,721 |
| East Midlands | 1,840 | 1,642 |
| Wales | 1,838 | 1,424 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,800 | 1,617 |
| North West | 1,800 | 1,627 |
| East of England | 1,796 | 1,663 |
| West Midlands | 1,778 | 1,628 |
| Scotland | 1,767 | 1,578 |
| North East | 1,760 | 1,540 |
London is the most expensive region for smaller systems, at £341 per kW more than the North East. For a 3 kWp system that gap is about £1,000 (3 × £341 = £1,023). The DESNZ statistics cover England, Scotland and Wales only; installations in Northern Ireland are not included.
What a solar panel price should include
The DESNZ figures cover the panels and other generating equipment, installation, connection to the electricity supply and VAT. They exclude batteries, extended warranties and any other building or electrical work. A complete quote for the same job should cover everything needed to leave you with a working, certified system.
Is your solar quote complete?
Tick each line on every quote, and ask for a price for anything left out.
- Panels. Brand, model, number of panels, wattage each and total kWp, with datasheets.
- Inverter. Brand, model and AC rating in kW, and whether it is battery-ready (hybrid) or uses microinverters or optimisers.
- Mounting and access. Roof fixings for your roof covering, and scaffolding for every side of the house that needs it.
- Electrical work. Cabling, isolators, connection to your consumer unit, and any consumer unit upgrade the survey found.
- Grid paperwork. Who notifies or applies to your network operator (G98 or G99), and whether a G99 application is included.
- Certification. MCS registration of the installation and the handover documents you need to claim export payments.
- Performance estimate. The MCS generation and self-consumption estimate for your roof, with its assumptions.
- Extras. Bird protection, monitoring, roof repairs or removal of old equipment, each priced as its own line.
- VAT and payment. The VAT rate, total price, deposit and when each payment is due.
- Guarantees. Panel, inverter and workmanship guarantees, who provides each, and whether the workmanship guarantee is insurance-backed.
Line-by-line checks for comparing several quotes are in our guide to comparing solar quotes.
Extras that change the price
Most of the gap between two quotes for the same roof comes from a few items. Ask for each one to be shown separately.
Scaffolding. Installers need safe access to the roof. A single scaffold on one side is the cheapest case; panels on two roof faces, a three-storey house or a conservatory underneath all add scaffolding. If you want bird protection or other roof work, have it done while the scaffold is up, because adding it later usually means scaffolding again.
Bird protection. Mesh or guards around the panel edges stop pigeons nesting underneath. It is often optional on the quote. If birds already nest on your roof or your neighbours', price it in from the start.
Inverter size and your network operator. Up to 3.68 kW of inverter output on a normal single-phase supply (16 A per phase), the installer can connect the system and notify your distribution network operator (DNO) within 28 days, under the G98 procedure. Above that, the G99 procedure applies and the DNO must approve the connection before the system is switched on. The limit counts the combined output of everything that generates, including a battery's own inverter. A quote may pair a 5 kWp array with a 3.68 kW inverter, which keeps the system under G98. That can be a sensible choice, but it caps output on the sunniest days, so ask why the installer picked that size and what a G99 application would add in time and cost.
Optimisers or microinverters. They manage each panel separately and help on shaded or multi-faced roofs, at extra cost. On a simple, unshaded south-facing roof they may not be needed. Ask what problem they solve on your roof.
Roof and electrical work. An old consumer unit, a roof that needs repairs, or a long cable run to the inverter all add cost. A proper site survey should find these before you sign.
VAT on solar panels
Installing solar panels and batteries in a home currently carries 0% VAT. HMRC's guidance says the zero rate runs until 31 March 2027 and that from 1 April 2027 the rate "will revert to the reduced rate of VAT of 5%", unless the government extends it. It is 5%, not 20%. The relief applies to the installation of energy-saving materials in homes across the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The zero rate needs the work to be installed. Panels or kits sold without installation are standard-rated at 20%.
If your installation will finish close to 1 April 2027, ask the installer in writing which VAT rate your invoice will carry. The detail is in our guide to VAT on solar panels.
Adding a battery
A battery stores surplus daytime solar electricity for the evening. It is not included in the DESNZ figures or in the size table above. Our estimate is about £3,200 for 5 kWh and £4,200 for 10 kWh when fitted with new panels (£2,200 plus £200 per kWh, including installation and 0% VAT), and about £900 more when added to an existing system, because it then needs its own inverter. These are estimates fitted to published installed prices, not quotes.
Batteries are now a common add-on: MCS certified about 36,000 battery installations in the first half of 2026, and 92% of them went into homes with solar panels. Whether a battery pays for itself depends heavily on your tariff and when you use electricity. The solar battery cost guide has prices by capacity and a worked example.
Paying for solar: grants and loans
Help with the cost depends on where you live and your circumstances:
- England: the Warm Homes: Local Grant can pay for solar panels, insulation and heat pumps for privately owned or privately rented homes with an EPC rating of D to G and household income usually of £36,000 a year or less. Eligible households do not pay. It is open now through participating councils, which decide which measures each home gets.
- Scotland: Home Energy Scotland's grant and loan does not fund solar PV panels or batteries on their own; only hybrid solar PV-thermal (PV-T) systems qualify for a loan.
- Across the UK: the Warm Homes Loan Scheme is designed to let approved private lenders offer cheaper loans, supported by a government grant to the lender, of up to £15,000 for solar panels and £15,000 for a battery, fitted by an MCS-certified installer. Lenders set their own rates and credit checks. The consumer launch phase is due from September 2026; on 23 September 2026 the government had not named any approved lender.
Our solar panel grants guide covers each nation's schemes and who qualifies.
If you pay with a loan, compare the total amount payable, including interest, with the cash price before you decide. Introducing you to a lender is a regulated activity, so an installer that offers finance should be able to show you its entry on the FCA Register.
Deposits are worth checking too. If your installer is a member of the RECC consumer code, the deposit should be a reasonable share of the price (RECC gives 15% as an example) and must never exceed 25%, and deposit plus any further advance payments cannot exceed 60%. MCS's new installer scheme no longer requires installers to belong to a consumer code, so check membership on the code's own website rather than assuming it.
How solar panel prices have changed
Installed prices have fallen two years running. The DESNZ median for systems up to 4 kW, across all installations, was £1,910 per kW in 2023/24, £1,667 in 2024/25 and £1,595 in 2025/26. After adjusting for inflation, DESNZ reports that the 2025/26 median fell 7% for 0–4 kW systems and 9% for 4–10 kW systems compared with the year before. The same year also had a record 264,742 installations in the data.
The next DESNZ release is due on 27 May 2027. Until then, the best current evidence of price is the quotes you collect for your own roof.
Estimate the cost for your roof
The calculator estimates a system size and an installed price for your address, using the same price model as the table above, and shows the assumptions behind the result. Change the panels, inverter or battery to see how the price moves. It is an estimate, not a quote: your installer's survey and MCS performance estimate will differ. Whether the system pays back for your household is covered in are solar panels worth it.
My yearly electricity use is
Your yearly electricity use helps us size your solar panel system.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 4 kW solar panel system cost?
About £6,600 to £8,400 on the government's 2025/26 averages for homes, depending on which size band you apply, and £7,100 in our calculator for a simple pitched roof. We treat quotes between about £5,300 and £8,500 as within our normal range.
Why is the cost per kW higher for small systems?
Scaffolding, the inverter, connection work and paperwork cost much the same whatever the size, so they add more per kW to a small system. In the DESNZ data the retrofit average falls from £2,109 per kW up to 4 kW to £1,651 per kW for 4–10 kW.
How many panels do I need?
It depends on your electricity use, roof space and budget. In 2025/26, 94% of systems fitted to existing homes were 10 kW or smaller; 3 to 8 kWp is roughly 7 to 18 panels of 450 W. Our guide on how many solar panels you need shows how to size a system.
Is there VAT on solar panels?
Not at the moment, if an installer fits them in your home. The zero rate runs until 31 March 2027 and is then due to become 5% unless extended. Panels bought without installation carry 20% VAT.
Are solar panels cheaper in some parts of the UK?
Yes. Among the regions DESNZ reports, small systems cost most per kW in London (£2,101) and least in the North East (£1,760) in 2025/26. The difference on a 3 kWp system is about £1,000.