Are solar panels worth it in the South East? (2026)

For most homes in Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and London with a reasonably sunny roof, yes. A typical system costs roughly £6,000 to £9,000, cuts around £700 to £900 a year off what you pay for electricity, and pays for itself in about 8 to 11 years. Panels usually make less sense if your roof faces north, sits in heavy shade, or you plan to move in the next few years.

Below we go through the numbers in plain terms, so you can decide for yourself.

What solar panels cost in 2026

A typical home system in the UK is about 4 to 5 kW, which is usually 9 to 12 panels. National figures for 2026 sit in a fairly tight band:

• The Energy Saving Trust puts the average system at about 4.5 kW and around £7,600.
• Checkatrade’s 2026 cost guide gives about £8,000 for a 4 kW system on a semi-detached house.
• Government figures show the cost per kW of small home systems fell again in the 2025/26 financial year.

As a rough guide, budget around £1,400 to £1,800 per kW installed. Scaffolding, roof type, how far the inverter is from the fuse board and whether you add a battery all move the price, which is why a proper survey matters more than any online average.

There is also no VAT on home solar panels or batteries in Great Britain at the moment. The 0% rate runs until 31 March 2027, after which it is due to go up to 5%. If you were already thinking about solar, installing before that date saves you a little.

How much electricity panels make in the South East

The South East is one of the sunniest parts of the UK, which helps. Modelling from the European Commission’s PVGIS tool suggests a south-facing roof here can produce roughly 950 to 1,100 kWh a year for every kW of panels, with coastal towns doing a bit better than inland ones.

Real roofs are rarely perfect, so we use slightly cautious figures:

So a 4.8 kW system on a south-facing roof in Guildford, Brighton or Winchester should make roughly 4,500 kWh a year. That is close to a whole year’s electricity for many family homes, although not all of it arrives when you need it.

Where the savings come from

Solar saves you money in two ways.

1. Electricity you use yourself. Every unit your panels power directly is one you do not buy from your supplier. From 1 October 2026 the Ofgem price cap unit rate is about 26.3p per kWh on average for direct debit customers, so each unit you use yourself is worth roughly 26p.

2. Electricity you export. Whatever you do not use goes to the grid, and under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) your supplier pays you for it. Rates vary a lot:

• The lowest SEG tariffs pay as little as 2p to 4p per kWh.
• Many big suppliers pay around 12p per kWh if you also buy your electricity from them, including Octopus Outgoing Fixed.
• A few pay 15p or more, again usually only to their own customers.

Using a unit is worth roughly twice as much as exporting it. That is why self-use matters. A home without a battery typically uses about 25% to 45% of its own solar, depending on whether someone is in during the day. Running the washing machine, dishwasher or immersion heater while the sun is out nudges that figure up.

To get SEG payments you need a smart meter that records exports, and your system must be installed by an MCS-certified installer using certified products. Your supplier will usually ask for the MCS certificate when you sign up.

A worked example

Here is a typical South East home: an electricity bill of about £120 a month, a south-facing roof and room for 11 panels. We have assumed a 26p unit rate, a 12p export rate (what most big suppliers pay) and that the household uses about 35% of its solar.

Two things change this picture the most. On a 15p export tariff instead of 12p, the yearly benefit rises to around £870 and payback comes down to about 8 to 9 years. Being home in the day, or electricity prices rising, also shortens payback. You can try your own numbers with our solar savings calculator.

For comparison, the Energy Saving Trust estimates payback of about 9 years for a typical London home, so our example sits in the same range.

When solar panels are not worth it

Solar is a good deal for a lot of homes, but not all of them. Be wary if:

• Your only roof faces north. Output drops a long way, and payback can stretch well past 15 years.
• Your roof is heavily shaded. Tall trees, a neighbouring building or a chimney stack across the panels for much of the day can cut output sharply. Some shading can be managed with the right equipment, but heavy shade usually cannot.
• You plan to move within a few years. Panels can add appeal to a house, but you will not be there long enough to collect most of the savings yourself.
• Your roof needs replacing soon. It is cheaper to re-roof first than to take panels off and put them back later.
• You use very little electricity. A small, low-use home will export most of what it makes at the lower export rate, which slows payback.

An honest survey should tell you if any of these apply. If the numbers do not work for your home, you should be told so.

Do you need planning permission?

Usually not. In England, panels on the roof of a house are normally “permitted development”, as long as they:

• do not stick out more than 20 cm from the roof slope,
• do not sit higher than the highest part of the roof (chimneys excluded),
• are placed, as far as practical, to limit their effect on how the house looks.

The rules are stricter in some cases. Listed buildings need consent, and in conservation areas you cannot fit panels on a wall that faces a road. Some conservation areas, national parks and homes with an Article 4 direction may need you to check with the council first. Parts of the South Downs and New Forest are worth checking in particular. Flats also have different rules, and leaseholders will usually need the freeholder’s permission.

Should you add a battery?

A battery stores spare daytime solar for the evening, which is when most homes use the most electricity. That can lift self-use from around a third to well over half, and it lets you charge from the grid on cheap overnight tariffs.

A battery adds to the upfront cost, so it does not always shorten payback on its own. It tends to suit homes that are out during the day, have an electric car, or want to use cheap off-peak rates. Batteries are also VAT-free in Great Britain until 31 March 2027, including when added to an existing system. Read more in our guides to solar and battery systems and adding a battery to existing solar.

Frequently asked questions

How long do solar panels last?

Most panels are built to last 25 years or more, and many manufacturers warrant their output for 25 years. The inverter usually needs replacing once during that time, often after 10 to 15 years, so it is sensible to allow for that cost.

Do solar panels work on cloudy days?

Yes, but they produce less. Panels work from daylight rather than direct sun, so they still generate on grey days, just at a lower level. Most of the year’s output comes from spring and summer.

Will solar panels work in a power cut?

A standard solar system switches off during a power cut for safety. If you want power during an outage, you need a battery with a backup feature.

Do I need a smart meter?

You need one to be paid for exported electricity under the Smart Export Guarantee. If you do not have one, your energy supplier can usually fit one free of charge.

Is it worth waiting for prices to fall?

Prices have fallen a little each year, but every year you wait is a year of savings missed. With the 0% VAT rate due to end on 31 March 2027, waiting much longer may cost you more than it saves.

Getting a price for your home

Every roof is different, so the best way to know if solar is worth it for you is a proper look at your roof, shading and electricity use. Solair covers Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and London, and gives a fixed, written price after a free survey. You can find out more about our solar panel installations or ask for a free quote.