Make more of your roof.
Understand solar generation, storage and the questions to ask before installing panels. Find a system that fits your roof and the way you use electricity.
Explore my solar optionsExplore your options. Get a quote. Decide in your own time.
Why Choose Solar Panels?
Reduce Bills
Use the electricity you generate instead of buying it from the grid
Eco-Friendly
A typical home system could save around one tonne of carbon a year (Energy Saving Trust)
Earn From Exports
Smart Export Guarantee payments for the electricity you export (Great Britain only)
0% VAT
No VAT on installed panels and batteries until 31 March 2027
Solar Battery Storage
Store spare solar electricity to use when your panels aren't generating, so you buy less from the grid.
Why Add Battery Storage?
- Use more of your solar - Store spare electricity instead of exporting it
- Backup power (some systems) - Only if the battery and inverter are set up to run in a power cut
- Evening & morning use - Use stored solar after sunset
- Buy less from the grid - How much depends on when you use electricity
Questions to Ask About a Battery
- Usable capacity (kWh), and how it matches your evening use
- Warranty length, and the capacity guaranteed at the end of it
- Round-trip efficiency (how much stored energy you get back)
- Whether it can power your home during a power cut
- Whether your existing inverter is compatible
Typical cost: around £5,000 to £8,000 (Energy Saving Trust). Installed batteries have 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Typical costs, last reviewed September 2026.
Solar Panel Maintenance & Cleaning
Solar panels need little maintenance, but occasional checks and cleaning can help you spot problems early.
Inspections
A health and safety check of the whole system by a competent solar installer or electrician.
- Performance testing
- Electrical connections check
- Inverter diagnostics
- Mounting and roof checks
Cleaning
Dirt, bird droppings, moss and debris can reduce how much electricity your panels generate.
- Deionised water cleaning
- Soft brushes, no pressure washers
- Safe access without walking on panels
- Follow the panel maker's cleaning advice
Repairs & Upgrades
Fix faults and replace worn components to keep your system running.
- Inverter replacement
- Panel replacement
- System monitoring upgrade
- Electrical fault repairs
Solar Panel Funding and Savings
There is no general UK solar panel grant for everyone. These are the schemes and tax savings that can apply, checked September 2026.
Warm Homes: Local Grant (England)
Councils in England can arrange and pay for upgrades, which can include solar panels, for eligible low-income households when they have funding available.
- Privately owned home with an EPC of D, E, F or G
- Household income usually £36,000 or less, or certain benefits or postcodes
- Homeowners don't pay for agreed work; landlords may need to contribute
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
Get paid for the solar electricity you export to the grid. There is no set rate: suppliers choose their own.
- Great Britain only, not Northern Ireland
- Needs an MCS-certified installation and a meter that records exports
- Around 1p to 6p per kWh on tariffs open to anyone; higher rates are tied to a supplier (May 2026)
0% VAT on Solar Panels
Installed solar panels and batteries have 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.
- Applies when the installer supplies and fits them
- Includes battery storage (since 1 February 2024)
- Returns to 5% from 1 April 2027
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Help outside England works differently.
- Scotland: Home Energy Scotland no longer lists loans for standalone solar PV, only PV-T systems
- Wales: the Warm Homes Nest scheme can include solar panels for eligible low-income households
- Northern Ireland: the Smart Export Guarantee is not available
UK Energy Partnership is run by Harber Glaves Trading Ltd. We are not a government body and cannot decide who gets funding — check eligibility with the official scheme.
How Getting Solar Panels Works
Send an Enquiry
Tell us about your home. Sending an enquiry is free and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Check Funding
See whether any scheme applies to you. Councils and scheme providers decide who is eligible.
Compare Quotes
Better Home Hub can introduce you to installers. Check they are MCS certified before you agree.
Start Saving
Use your own electricity, and choose a Smart Export Guarantee tariff to be paid for what you export.
Solar Panel FAQs
How much do solar panels cost in the UK?
The Energy Saving Trust says a typical home system is around 4.5kWp and costs around £7,600. Government data on MCS-certified installs from April 2025 to March 2026 shows a median of £1,780 per kW for systems up to 4kW. Installed panels have 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Typical costs, last reviewed September 2026.
How much can I save with solar panels?
The Energy Saving Trust estimates around £680 to £930 a year for a four-bedroom detached home with Smart Export Guarantee payments, or £180 to £330 a year without them (July 2026 prices). Savings depend on where you live, when you use electricity and your export tariff, and are not guaranteed.
Can I get a government grant for solar panels?
There is no general solar panel grant for everyone. In England, the Warm Homes: Local Grant can include solar panels for eligible low-income households in privately owned homes with an EPC of D to G, if the council has funding. In Wales, the Warm Homes Nest scheme can include solar panels for eligible households. ECO4 is not a grant scheme and ends on 31 December 2026.
How much can I earn from exporting solar electricity?
Smart Export Guarantee rates vary by supplier. In May 2026 Solar Energy UK listed around 1p to 6p per kWh on tariffs open to anyone, 5.6p to 15.1p if you also buy your electricity from that supplier, and up to 25p if that supplier installed your system. SEG is available in Great Britain only and needs an MCS-certified installation.
Do solar panels work in the UK?
Yes. Panels generate electricity from daylight, including on cloudy days, though output is lower. Which? says a typical 4kWp home system can generate more than 3,000kWh a year, and the Energy Saving Trust estimates payback of around 9 to 12 years with export payments (July 2026 prices).
Do I need planning permission for solar panels?
Many home solar installations do not need planning permission, but the rules are different for listed buildings and conservation areas, and differ between the UK nations. Check with your council's planning department before work starts.
How long do solar panels last?
Solar panels are built to last many years, and the inverter usually needs replacing before the panels do. Ask each installer to put the panel, inverter and workmanship warranty lengths in writing.