Get Solar Panel Quotes

What happens after you request a quote

An MCS-certified installer covering your postcode phones you, talks through your home, and arranges a survey. The written quote follows the survey. Nobody can give you an honest price without seeing your roof, your fuse board and where the inverter and any battery would go, so be wary of anyone who quotes a firm figure over the phone.

There is no cost to you and you are under no obligation to go ahead with any quote you receive.

How many solar quotes should you get?

At least three. That is the first piece of advice from the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC), the consumer code most UK solar installers sign up to: "Make sure you get at least three quotes before deciding to contract with a company." Three quotes for the same system show you quickly whether one installer is padding the price or cutting corners on kit.

RECC also says to approach only companies certified by MCS for the technology you want. MCS certification matters for a practical reason as well as a quality one: Smart Export Guarantee suppliers ask for your MCS certificate before they will pay you for exported electricity. Our guide to choosing a solar installer covers MCS, RECC and HIES in detail.

What a proper solar quote must include

A written quote with a performance estimate specific to your property and a full, all-inclusive breakdown of what will be supplied. That is RECC's standard, and anything less makes it impossible to line quotes up against each other. Check each quote lists:

• System size in kWp and the number, make and model of panels.
• The inverter make and model, and the battery make, model and usable capacity if one is included.
• A generation estimate in kWh a year, worked out for your roof. RECC says to get any estimate of output and financial benefit "clearly in writing before you sign the contract".
• Scaffolding, wiring, isolators and grid notification included in the price rather than added later. Your installer handles the G98 or G99 notification to your network operator.
• Warranties on panels, inverter, battery and workmanship, each with its length.
• VAT. Installed solar panels and batteries carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, so check no 20% has crept in. Our guide to VAT on solar panels explains the rules.

What a fair price looks like

The Energy Saving Trust puts a typical home system at around 4.5kWp, roughly 12 panels, costing around £7,600. It puts battery storage at around £5,000 to £8,000. Those are the benchmarks to hold your quotes against. A quote far above them should come with a reason you can see, such as a difficult roof, premium panels or a larger system.

The trust's own payback estimates, based on July 2026 fuel prices and including export payments, run from about 9 years in London to 10 or 11 years in Manchester and 11 or 12 years in Stirling. Where you live matters because sunshine and electricity prices both vary by region. Our solar panel cost guide breaks the price down further, and our area guides give local figures.

Red flags when you get solar quotes

Walk away from anyone who pressures you to sign on the day, asks for a large deposit, or will not put the performance estimate in writing. RECC's guidance is specific:

• Deposits: "Never pay more than 25% of the contract price up front; check it will be protected."
• Pressure: "Never sign a contract if you are being offered a discount or pressurised in any way at all to sign it; this is illegal."
• Cancelling: you have 14 days to cancel a contract without penalty, and the same again on any finance agreement from the date you receive its paperwork. Do not sign a waiver that gives this up.
• Changes after the survey: if the contract changes after the technical survey, RECC says you can cancel within 14 days with no penalty, even outside the normal cancellation period.

Solar quotes in your area

Sunshine, electricity prices, your network operator and planning rules all change with where you live. Our area guides cover each one with local figures:

• Solar panels in London
• Solar panels in Essex
• Solar panels in Kent
• Solar panels in Bristol
• Solar panels in Cornwall
• Solar panels in Nottingham
• Solar panels in Sheffield
• Solar panels in Manchester
• Solar panels in Glasgow
• Solar panels in Edinburgh