Independent Solar Panel Advice for UK Homes and Businesses

Last reviewed and updated: June 2026

Welcome to Solar Panel Advice, the independent guide that helps British homeowners understand solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, battery storage and the payments you can now earn for the electricity you export. We are not tied to any single installer, so the guidance here is written to help you make a confident, well-informed decision.

Solar power in Britain has changed — here is the 2026 picture

If you last looked into solar a few years ago, almost everything has moved on. Panel prices have fallen sharply, batteries have become far more affordable, and the way you are paid for surplus electricity has been completely overhauled. A standard 4kW system for a typical three-bedroom home now costs in the region of £5,500 to £8,000 fully installed, and that price already includes the 0% VAT rate that applies to residential solar in the UK until 31 March 2027. After that date VAT is scheduled to return to 5%, so there is a genuine window in which installations are cheaper than they will be later.

The biggest single change is the end of the Feed-in Tariff. That scheme, which paid generous generation and export payments, closed to new applicants back in March 2019. It has been replaced by the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), under which every large energy supplier must pay you for each unit of electricity you send back to the grid. If a website is still telling you to "sign up for the Feed-in Tariff", that advice is years out of date — and a good sign you should look elsewhere.

What you will find on this website

We have organised our guidance around the questions people actually ask before buying. Whether you are weighing up whether solar is worth it, trying to understand kilowatt-hours, or wondering whether your north-facing roof is suitable, there is a plain-English answer here.

Is solar worth it in the UK?

For a great many homes, yes — but the honest answer depends on your roof, your daytime electricity use and how long you plan to stay in the property. A 4kW system on a roof with a reasonable amount of unshaded south, east or west-facing space typically generates around 3,400 kilowatt-hours a year, enough to cover roughly half to two-thirds of an average household's demand. With electricity still costing around 24 to 25 pence per unit under the Ofgem price cap, every unit you generate and use yourself is money you are no longer paying your supplier.

Payback periods for a well-priced, solar-only system currently sit in the region of nine to twelve years, after which the panels keep generating largely for free for the remainder of their 25-year-plus working life. Add a battery and you store daytime surplus for use in the evening, pushing the share of your own generation that you actually use from around 45% up towards 80% or more.

How to use this guide

If you are at the very beginning, start with how solar panels work and then read are solar panels really worth the money. If you are ready to compare quotes, our page on choosing a solar panel installer explains the accreditations to look for — most importantly MCS certification, which is a legal requirement to claim SEG payments. And when you want figures rather than theory, the cost of solar panels page sets out current prices without the sales spin.

Independent and jargon-free

Solar is a long-term investment, and the sales process can be high-pressure. Our promise is simple: clear information, current figures, and no attempt to rush you into a decision. We explain the trade-offs honestly — including the situations where solar is not the right choice — so that whatever you decide, you decide it with your eyes open.

What has changed since the Feed-in Tariff era

It is worth dwelling on just how much the economics have shifted. A decade ago, a 4kW system could cost £8,000 to £10,000 and depended heavily on a generous Feed-in Tariff to make the sums work. Today the same system costs roughly £5,500 to £8,000, panel efficiency has improved, and the value of solar now comes mainly from avoiding expensive grid electricity rather than from a subsidy. With the Ofgem price cap holding import prices at around 24 to 25 pence per unit, the electricity you generate and use yourself is worth far more than it once was. In short, the case for solar in 2026 rests on solid fundamentals rather than on a subsidy that might be withdrawn.

Battery storage has followed the same downward price curve. Once an expensive luxury, a 5kWh battery now starts from a few thousand pounds and, since February 2024, carries the same 0% VAT relief as the panels themselves. Combined with smart, time-of-use export tariffs, a battery lets a household behave almost like a miniature power station — storing cheap energy and using or selling it when it is most valuable.

Avoiding the common pitfalls

The most frequent mistakes we see are accepting the first quote without comparison, being pressured into a same-day "discount", and buying an oversized system or battery that never fully pays its way. The antidotes are simple: gather several quotes from MCS-certified installers, never sign under time pressure, and ask the installer to model the system around your actual electricity use. A reputable company will welcome those questions; one that resists them is telling you something useful.

Frequently asked questions

Do solar panels work on cloudy British days?

Yes. Panels respond to daylight, not direct sunshine, so they still generate on overcast days — just at a reduced output. The UK receives more than enough annual daylight to make a properly sited system worthwhile.

Is there still a Feed-in Tariff?

No. The Feed-in Tariff closed to new applicants in March 2019. New installations are now paid through the Smart Export Guarantee instead.

Do I need a battery?

No, but a battery lets you use far more of your own generation rather than exporting it cheaply, which can significantly improve your savings if you have high evening usage.