Costs and savings

Solar panels and battery costs in the UK

A useful solar-and-battery quote separates the panel installation from the extra cost of storage. Compare solar alone with solar plus a battery on the same roof, usage and tariff assumptions before deciding which offers better value.

By VERA · Reviewed 2026-09-20

How much should I budget for solar and a battery?

As separate reference points, Energy Saving Trust lists about £7,600 for a typical 4.5 kWp solar installation and around £4,600 for a 5 kWh battery system. Adding those benchmarks gives £12,200. That is an indicative budgeting calculation, not a surveyed package price or a VERA quote; a combined installation may share work and use different equipment.

Ask for two versions of the same system

Request one written price for panels alone and another with the proposed battery. Keep the panel layout the same, or ask for changes to be itemised. Comparing a small solar-only system with a much larger package makes it difficult to see what you are paying for storage.

Check what the package includes

Record the panel count and models, inverter, usable battery capacity, electrical work, access, monitoring and any backup option. Put exclusions next to the total rather than in a separate pile of notes. Ask whether the price is final or subject to the survey, and how any subsequent changes will be agreed.

Compare the battery’s additional benefit

For an invented example, suppose a battery adds £3,000 to a solar quote and the estimate says it adds £200 a year of benefit. Dividing those figures gives a 15-year simple payback for the battery addition, before replacement, maintenance, financing or changes in tariffs. The total savings of the combined system are not the battery’s savings.

Avoid counting the same electricity twice

If electricity is stored for later use, you generally cannot also count it as exported at the same time. Ask for the comparison to show avoided electricity purchases, export income, battery losses and any grid-charging costs separately. This makes a generous-looking package estimate easier to question.

Start with the roof and your plans

VERA can assess your roof from your address and help you get a free solar quote. Tell us if you are considering a battery. The final proposal should explain its price and assumptions for your household; the roof assessment alone does not determine the ideal storage capacity.

Sources and further reading

This guide gives general information. Your assessment is an estimate; installation design, suitability and price need confirmation for your property.

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