A homeowner's guide to going solar in the UK (2026)

Most people who land here are asking the same questions in roughly the same order: will my house actually work, what does it cost, how long does it pay back, and who do I trust to install it. This guide answers each in turn, links to the longer pieces, and points you at the tools to run the numbers for your own postcode.

It's deliberately short. The deeper detail lives in the linked pages.

Will my house work for solar?

Most UK homes can. The variables that matter — roughly in order — are roof direction, roof pitch, shading, and roof condition. South is the headline answer; east and west are perfectly viable; north is usually a no.

If you want a one-minute answer for your home specifically, the roof check takes a postcode and returns a Solarable Report with rough direction, suitability, and an estimated annual benefit range. For the long-form: see Can I get solar panels? and Is my roof suitable for solar?.

What does it cost in 2026?

A typical UK domestic install in 2026 lands in a range — most homes between £4,500 and £9,000 for the panels alone, with batteries adding another £3,000–£6,000 on top. The full breakdown — system size, inverter choice, scaffolding, what's actually included in a quote — is in How much do solar panels cost in the UK?.

We never quote a single number on a stranger's house. The honest answer is always a range until an installer has surveyed the roof.

Are batteries worth adding?

Sometimes. Batteries make the most sense when your daytime usage is low and your tariff has a cheap overnight rate (Octopus Go, Cosy, etc.) — you charge overnight cheap, discharge during peak, and stack the export tariff for any spillover from the panels. The detailed write-up, with a worked example, is in Solar battery storage in the UK.

If your daytime use is already high (someone home, EV on a charger, heat pump running), the case for a battery is weaker.

Are there any grants?

For most homeowners in 2026 the meaningful schemes are 0% VAT (currently extended to March 2027) and ECO4 if you're on certain benefits or in a low-EPC home. The full current list is on the solar panel grants page.

There is no universal "free solar" grant for owner-occupiers. If something on Facebook sounds like there is, it isn't.

How long does it pay back?

For a south-facing UK roof with no batteries, payback is typically 8–12 years. East/west adds a year or two. Adding a battery shifts the maths: payback often lengthens slightly but lifetime savings rise, particularly on a time-of-use tariff.

The savings calculator gives you a range based on a few honest inputs (electricity use, roof direction, system size). It deliberately gives a range, not a single number — anyone telling you "you'll save £612/year" is making it up.

How do I choose an installer?

Three things to ask, in order:

1. Are you MCS certified? Necessary for export tariff eligibility and most grants.
2. What's actually included in the quote? Panels and inverter are obvious; scaffolding, DNO application, monitoring, and post-install certification are the bits that get dropped.
3. What does your warranty cover? Panels typically come with 25 years on the panels themselves, 10–12 on the inverter, and the workmanship warranty (the installer's own) is the one to read carefully — that's usually 2–10 years.

Get at least two quotes. Local matters: an installer covering your postcode can be on-site quickly if anything goes wrong. Our installer directory lists vetted UK installers by postcode coverage.

Where to start

If you've read this far, the most useful next step is to run the roof check on your own postcode. It takes about a minute and answers the only question that matters first: is the rest of this even worth thinking about for your specific roof?

Once you've got a Solarable Report, the savings calculator gives you the financial picture, and the installer directory is where you go for quotes.