💷 Solar panel loans usually come with no upfront cost

📅 They generally last between two and 10 years - but Sunsave Plus is longer

📋 Most solar panel loans come with certain eligibility requirements

❌ Make sure you avoid solar panel loans that require a roof lease

☀️ Sunsave Plus is the UK's first solar subscription - and you can sign up today

Sign up for Sunsave Plus

What is a solar panel loan?

We designed our solar subscription, Sunsave Plus, with a 20-year term. By spreading the cost over a longer period of time, it reduces the monthly payment, so many can save more than they pay. And unlike grid electricity, these payments are fixed for the duration.

The UK's first solar subscription

The advantages of solar panel loans

Pitfalls to look out for with solar panel loans

It was really important to us that we didn’t create a product that required a roof lease, as there have been numerous problems with homeowners being trapped in unfairly restrictive agreements. In the past, these have complicated processes such as remortgaging and selling your home.

Long-term loans only work if they have the flexibility to cope with anything life might throw at you, and we built Sunsave Plus with this in mind. It can be settled at any time with no fees, or passed on to someone else, e.g. when selling your home.

How is Sunsave Plus different to a standard solar panel loan?

It was a transparent process – the cost of the loan, what I would expect to generate in terms of energy to offset my energy bills – the whole process. [...] It was a good exchange of information that helped me make my decision.

Can you get a solar panel loan from the government?

Are solar panel loans worth it?

Solar panel loans: FAQs

Can I get a loan to buy solar panels?

Can I get funding for solar panels in the UK?

How do you qualify for solar panel funding?

Can you pay monthly for solar panels?

How will Sunsave Plus affect my credit history?

Is it harder to sell a house with solar panels in the UK?

How many solar panels do I need for a roof?

Solar panel loans & finance: what are your options? [UK, 2024]

What's in this guide?

Solar panel loans & finance UK: what are your options?

☀️ Solar panels could add 6-7% to your home's value, according to a 2024 study

⬆️ You’ll almost always raise your EPC grade by getting solar panels

🏠 69% of people in the UK are 'likely' to buy a home with solar panels on

⚡ A solar & battery system can reduce a household’s electricity bills by 103%, on average

The impact of solar panels on UK property value

Can solar panels directly increase the value of your home?

Do solar panels increase your property’s EPC rating?

🤔 Thinking of going solar? Here's why a larger system makes sense ⬇️

What factors affect solar panels' impact on home value?

Is there more demand for solar homes?

Why is demand increasing?

Solar panels and property value in the US

Next steps

Solar panels and property value: FAQs

Do solar panels increase house prices?

What is the return on investment of solar panels?

What is the average cost of installing solar panels in the UK?

Will solar panels affect my mortgage?

How many solar panels do I need for a four-bedroom house?

Do I need to tell my electricity supplier I have solar panels?

Learn about how solar panels affect property prices around the UK, and why they're so popular with homebuyers.

Do solar panels increase home value? [UK, 2024]

Do solar panels increase the value of your home?

🌞 A solar panel system costs about £9,000 for the typical three-bedroom home

🏠 Roof-mounted systems are the cheapest type, especially compared to solar tiles

🤔 Labour and scaffolding are the biggest cost factors

🔋 A battery will add around £2,000 to the cost, if you get it at the same time

💷 You'll usually need to pay for a replacement battery and inverter after 10-12 years

How much do solar panels cost?

There are certain solar panel costs that are ‘fixed’, meaning they generally stay the same regardless of how many solar panels you install. This includes labour, scaffolding, plus your inverter and battery. In many cases, adding a few extra solar panels to your system doesn’t add as much to the cost as you might think, whereas it has a big impact on your savings.

What factors make up the cost of solar panels?

For roofs with significant amounts of shading, microinverters are a much more sophisticated solution than optimisers. They’re about three times the price of optimisers, but you save on not having to buy a string inverter. You also get what you pay for; microinverters will significantly increase the amount of electricity your system can generate.

If your inverter is larger than 3.68kW then you will need DNO approval, but Sunsave will take care of everything. We’ll apply for the G99 on your behalf, and if the grid requires, we can limit export from your inverter at the point of installation - so you can use its full power at home, whilst still meeting the export requirements of the grid.

How much money do solar panels save you?

Tables notes and sources

The best solar export tariff for your household depends on a few factors. For instance, if you have a heat pump and/or an electric car with your solar panels, it could be worth considering an export tariff like Octopus Outgoing and combining it with import tariffs like Octopus Go or Cosy Octopus. At Sunsave, we’ll always recommend an export tariff that’s best for you.

Any household appliance that heats or cools should be used as efficiently as possible to keep running costs low. Some of the most energy-hungry everyday appliances include washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and EV chargers. If your home has solar panels, these are the things to use in the middle of the day when you’re generating the most energy.

If you’re thinking about electrifying your heating by switching to a heat pump, solar panels are a no-brainer. A heat pump will dramatically increase the amount of electricity your household uses, but solar panels can step in and provide a big chunk of it. You also don’t need to get a specific, “solar-compatible” heat pump - all heat pumps work with solar panels.

How to keep the costs of solar panels down

Solar panel maintenance costs

Solar panel costs: FAQs

Are solar panels in the UK worth it?

How much do solar panels cost for a three-bedroom house in the UK?

How much does a 3kW solar panel cost in the UK?

How much does one solar panel cost in the UK?

Can I get free solar panels in the UK?

How many solar panels do I need for a four-bedroom house in the UK?

Is a 12kW system enough to run a house?

How much is the grant for solar panels in the UK?

Here’s how much solar panels cost, the factors that influence this price, and what to do if the upfront cost is too high.

How much do solar panels cost? [UK, 2024]

How much do solar panels cost in the UK?

📅 The average break-even point for solar panels is just under eight years

💷 You can earn money selling your excess electricity to the grid

🌞 Solar panel prices have dropped, and export rates are rising

🏡 Factors including your location and usage will affect the break-even point

🛡️ Solar can protect you from rising energy costs

Is it worth getting solar panels in the UK?

We’re saving about £400 each year, which is great. My main goal through Sunsave Plus was to cancel out my current energy bill, but now the system is actually paying for itself.

When do you break even on solar panels?

Our sources

How do solar panels pay back your investment?

Are the economics of solar panels improving?

It’s been really fascinating to monitor the performance of our system and see how much energy we’re generating. So far, it’s safe to say it’s been overperforming against our expectations.

What’s the average cost of solar panels?

Do solar panels work in the UK?

I had waited for eight or nine years before deciding to go ahead with Sunsave, primarily because, number one, it's a huge upfront cost.

And number two, one of the biggest problems is that after you pay this huge upfront cost, there's no-one responsible for maintaining the unit for the rest of its life. That was the good thing with Sunsave.

Four other reasons to get solar panels

Solar panels produce less electricity in the winter than they do in the summer, but across a 12-month period it balances out and leads to significant energy bill savings. You’ll need to rely on the grid a fair amount in the winter months, but in the summer months you’ll tend to produce more electricity than you need and sell the excess to the grid.

The relationship between solar panels and property value is already very good, and it’s going to keep on improving. As more people switch to heat pumps and electric cars and the demand for electricity rises, the value of solar panels will go up too. In fact, McKinsey estimates that electricity demand in the UK will rise by 50% between 2022 and 2035.

When you get solar panels installed, it’s important to remember that they’ll be generating the most energy during the middle of the day, so that’s the best time to do high-energy tasks. Put simply, if you don't have a home battery, the more of your solar power you use, the less you need to buy from the grid later.

Important things to consider before going solar

FAQs

What is the main disadvantage of solar panels?

How many solar panels does it take to power a house?

Are there any alternatives to solar panels?

How long does it take to make your money back on solar panels?

How much do solar panels cost for a three-bedroom house?

How long do solar panels last?

Do solar panels affect your EPC rating?

Here's how much you can save with solar panels, their average break-even point, and all the factors that affect these numbers.

Are solar panels worth it? | UK, 2024

Are solar panels worth it in the UK?

🏡 There are multiple solar panel grants – but only for certain households

⚡ ECO4 helps low-income and vulnerable households switch to solar

🙌 Everyone can benefit from the 0% VAT rate

💷 All households can profit from selling their excess electricity to the grid

🌞 If you don't qualify for any grants, you can still switch to solar at no upfront cost

What are the grants and schemes for solar panels?

Are you eligible for a solar panel grant?

How do I qualify for free solar panels in the UK?

Are there any upcoming solar panel grants?

What is ECO4?

What is the Home Upgrade Grant?

What is the Smart Export Guarantee?

The Feed-in Tariff scheme was fantastic, and it came in at a time when the UK’s residential solar industry needed some serious encouragement. But we don’t really need the Feed-in Tariff today; solar panels are much better and can provide far greater energy bill savings, their costs have fallen dramatically, and some of the solar export tariffs pay very competitive rates.

What are solar panel loans?

What are green home rewards?

What is the solar VAT discount?

What is the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund?

What is the Welsh Government Warm Homes Programme?

What are social housing PPA schemes?

What is Solar Together?

Our methodology

Read about our calculations

Discover which solar panel grants & schemes you're eligible for with our interactive tool, and how much you can save with them.

The 10 best solar panel grants UK | Eligibility checker [2024]

The 10 best solar panel grants & funding options UK

📈 Shipping prices are rising, so the overall cost of going solar is increasing

🌏 86% of the world’s solar panels are from China, so shipping costs are unavoidable

🚢 It’s not worth waiting for shipping costs to fall

⏪ The fall in solar panel prices could be about to reverse

The rising cost of solar panel installations

Why can’t we produce more solar panels in Europe?

Is it worth waiting for shipping costs to fall?

Can we make solar panels cheaper?

How long does it take for solar panels to pay for themselves in the UK?

Are cheap solar panels any good?

Solar panel prices are set to increase. Here are the reasons why, including China’s dominance, and what this means for domestic solar costs.

Will solar panels get cheaper? [UK, 2024]

Will solar panels get cheaper?

⚖️ The risks of buying used solar panels almost always outweigh the benefits

❌ Second-hand panels are often sold on because they are defective or unreliable

🌞 There are many better alternatives, such as solar subscriptions

Should you buy used solar panels?

Why are used solar panels risky?

Sensible ways to reduce the cost of solar panels

Summary

Used solar panels: FAQs

Is it safe to buy used solar panels?

What happens to solar panels that are no longer usable?

We run through the key disadvantages of getting used solar panels instead of brand new ones, including reduced output and maintenance problems.

Used solar panels: are they a good idea? [UK, 2024]

Used solar panels: are they a good idea?

🏆 Trina Solar is the best solar panel brand of 2024

🌍 The winning brands are from six countries across three continents

🛡️ All these solar panels can withstand a bombardment of large ice balls

🔥 They’ve also endured an 85°C room with 85% humidity for 2,000 hours

❌ 66% of brands saw at least one of their panels fail a test

What are the best solar panels?

The methodology

Best solar panels: FAQs

Which brand of solar panel is best?

Which solar panels are most effective?

Are bigger solar panels better?

Does the brand of solar panel matter?

How many solar panels to power a house?

Here are the best solar panels of the year, based on months of rigorous durability, reliability, performance, and longevity testing.

The 9 best solar panels brands [Global, 2024]

The 9 best solar panel brands in 2024

🏠 Thousands of households joined rent-a-roof solar panel schemes in the 2010s

🛑 They often made it difficult to sell your home or even get an extension

🔙 Some people were unable to exit their contract

🌞 You can now get solar panels at no upfront cost, without handing over control

✋ Solar roof leases are still available, but you should be wary of them

What were rent-a-roof solar panel schemes?

What were the problems with rent-a-roof solar panel schemes?

Are rent-a-roof schemes still available?

Thinking of signing up for a rent-a-roof scheme?

Rent-a-roof solar panels: FAQs

Do you still own your roof if you have solar panels?

What is the rent-a-roof scheme from British Gas?

Can I rent my roof for solar?

Here's how rent-a-roof schemes worked, what their main issues were, what caused their downfall – and the better alternatives.

Rent-a-roof solar panels: what went wrong? [UK, 2024]

Rent-a-roof solar panels: what went wrong?

🌞 Solar Together gets communities cheaper solar installations through group-buying

💷 The upfront cost is still high, despite the group-buying aspect

🤝 The scheme is only available in England

👎 Some households have had bad experiences with Solar Together

🏡 Most houses are eligible for Solar Together

Considering the switch to solar? Find out how Solar Together works and whether it's right for you, including key pros and cons

Solar Together: explained [UK, 2024]

Solar Together: is it worth it?

Costs