Buy outright
Pay for the installation and own the system from day one. It is the simplest route and usually the lowest total cost, and all savings and export income are yours from switch-on.
Solar panel finance,
explained simply.
Plain-English information on paying for solar panels and battery storage, so you can choose the route that suits your household. No pressure and no hidden extras, with a fixed-price quotation before you decide anything.
- 0%VAT currently on home solar & battery
- FixedPrice quotation, no hidden extras
- SEGExport income on MCS installs
- FreeFeasibility study before you commit
Outright purchaseOwn the system from day one
FinanceSpread the cost through regulated providers
0% VATHMRC energy-saving materials relief
SEG incomePaid for the energy you export
01. How paying works
An honest answer
An honest answer
to the money question.
Most homeowners want to know two things first: what it will cost, and how to pay for it. This page covers the second. Your free feasibility study and a fixed-price quotation for your own home answer the first, because the cost depends on a system sized to your roof and usage, not on a headline price.
There are three parts to the picture: what you pay for the installation, what you stop paying your supplier because you generate and store your own electricity, and what you are paid for the energy you export. Your feasibility study sets out all three as an estimated system size, savings forecast, carbon reduction estimate and indicative return.
Solar PV and battery storage installed in homes in Great Britain are currently zero-rated for VAT under HMRC energy-saving materials relief, until 31 March 2027, and every quotation we issue reflects this.
02. Your options
Three ways
Three ways
to pay for it.
Finance
Where a finance option is available, a regulated third-party finance provider supplies it, subject to status and affordability checks. We will tell you clearly who the lender is and what the terms are before you decide.
Build it in stages
Start with solar and add a battery or EV charger when you are ready. Every system we design leaves room for the next step, so staging the investment does not mean starting again.
03. Reliefs and income
What brings
What brings
the cost down.
0% VAT
HMRC energy-saving materials relief currently zero-rates the supply and installation of solar PV and battery storage in homes in Great Britain, until 31 March 2027. Our quotations already reflect it.
Smart Export Guarantee
Licensed suppliers pay you for the electricity you export, at rates each supplier sets. An MCS-certified installation makes you eligible, and you apply to your chosen supplier using the MCS certificate we give you.
Smart tariffs
A smart import and export tariff lets your battery charge when electricity is cheaper and export when the rate is better. You switch to a smart tariff with your energy supplier yourself, and as an Octopus Energy Trusted Partner we can give you the information you need.
04. How it works
How a quotation
How a quotation
comes together.
Step 01
Free feasibility study
We turn a recent electricity bill and a few details into an estimated system size, savings forecast, carbon reduction estimate and indicative return.
No obligationStep 02
Home survey
Our own engineer confirms the roof, electrics and battery location so the price is based on your home, not an assumption.
Own engineersStep 03
Fixed-price quotation
One clear figure covering equipment, scaffold, installation, paperwork and commissioning, with 0% VAT applied.
No hidden extrasStep 04
Choose how to pay
Outright, through a regulated finance provider where available, or in stages. Take the time you need to decide.
No pressureStep 05
Installation & handover
Our MCS-certified team installs, tests and commissions the system and sets up monitoring. You receive your MCS certificate, which you need to apply for the Smart Export Guarantee with your chosen supplier.
Long-term support
05. Free feasibility study
Get the numbers
Get the numbers
for your own home.
Send us a recent electricity bill. A UK engineer will work out your system size, savings forecast, carbon reduction estimate and indicative return, and then we will quote a fixed price.
- Estimated system size
- Estimated bill savings
- Carbon reduction estimate
- Indicative payback
06. Finance FAQs
Your questions
Still have a question?0330 043 1047 Your questions
about paying.
How much does a home solar and battery system cost?
It depends on the size of the array and battery, your roof and your electrics. Rather than quote a headline figure, we model the right system for your home in a free feasibility study and then issue a fixed-price quotation.
Is finance available?
Where a finance option is available, a regulated third-party finance provider supplies it, subject to status. We will always tell you who the lender is and what the terms are before you decide.
Is the 0% VAT relief still running?
Yes, currently. HMRC energy-saving materials relief zero-rates solar PV and battery storage installed in homes in Great Britain until 31 March 2027. It does not cover EV chargers. This is general information, not tax advice.
Are there grants for home solar?
Grant programmes for homes change and are usually targeted at specific households or areas. Our Funding Hub lists what we are tracking, and we will tell you if something fits your circumstances.
What ongoing costs are there?
A well-designed system needs little attention. Optional maintenance plans, monitoring and cleaning are available from our operations and maintenance team.
How does the Smart Export Guarantee help with the cost?
Under the Smart Export Guarantee, licensed suppliers pay you for the electricity you export, based on metered export. Each supplier sets its own rate, and systems up to 50 kW need MCS certification to qualify. Your feasibility study includes an estimate of export income.
Can I spread the cost by installing in stages?
Yes. Many homeowners start with solar panels and add a battery or EV charger later. We design the first stage so the next one is an addition, not a redesign.
A fixed price for your
own home.
A free feasibility study from our UK engineering team, then a fixed-price quotation with 0% VAT applied. No pressure, no hidden extras.