Is solar worth it in the UK?
In a median UK location a typical system pays for itself in about 12.2 years against a panel life of 25 — so it does pay, but it is a slow, steady return rather than the transformation solar marketing implies. Where you live changes the answer by years.
The honest range
We measured usable rooftop sunlight across 115 UK cities. The spread runs from 1,186 hours a year in Penzance to 759 in Inverness — a 1.56× difference, which is much narrower than the US spread but enough to move payback by several years.
Where it pays back fastest
| City | Sun hrs | 4 kW output | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penzance | 1,186 | 4,032 | 10.3 yrs |
| Hastings | 1,148 | 3,903 | 10.5 yrs |
| Truro | 1,144 | 3,890 | 10.6 yrs |
| Brighton and Hove | 1,132 | 3,849 | 10.7 yrs |
| Isle of Wight | 1,121 | 3,811 | 10.7 yrs |
| Poole | 1,120 | 3,808 | 10.7 yrs |
| Ashford | 1,119 | 3,805 | 10.7 yrs |
| Worthing | 1,111 | 3,777 | 10.8 yrs |
Where it pays back slowest
| City | Sun hrs | 4 kW output | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inverness | 759 | 2,581 | 15.7 yrs |
| Derry/Londonderry | 785 | 2,669 | 15.3 yrs |
| Glasgow | 797 | 2,710 | 15.2 yrs |
| Falkirk | 811 | 2,757 | 15 yrs |
| Kendal | 832 | 2,829 | 14.3 yrs |
| Ayr | 834 | 2,836 | 14.2 yrs |
| Ballymena | 838 | 2,849 | 14.2 yrs |
| Stirling | 839 | 2,853 | 14.2 yrs |
What would change your answer most
Not sunshine, and not the panels. Two things dominate: what your supplier pays you for exported power (a 3p vs 15p SEG tariff is a fivefold difference on the majority of your output), and how much of your generation you use yourself. Shifting laundry, dishwashing and EV charging into daylight hours costs nothing and is worth more than most upgrades.
If electricity prices rise, every one of these paybacks shortens. If they fall, they lengthen. That is the single biggest uncertainty in any figure on this page.
Sunlight figures are our own measurements: the median of roughly 16 suburban rooftop samples per city from Google's Solar API, across 115 UK cities. Electricity price is the Ofgem default tariff cap unit rate, 26.11p/kWh, for 1 July – 30 September 2026 — the cap is reset on 1 October 2026 and will be restated excluding VAT, so this figure has a known expiry. Household usage is Ofgem's Typical Domestic Consumption Value of 2,500 kWh, revised down on 1 July 2026. Export is modelled at a conservative 12p/kWh. Estimates only — not a quote, and not financial advice.
Check a specific UK city
Frequently asked
How long do solar panels take to pay for themselves in the UK?
About 12.2 years in a median UK location, against a 25-year panel life. Southern England is faster and the Scottish Highlands considerably slower. The figure is far more sensitive to your export tariff and to how much power you use during daylight than it is to which panels you buy.
Is solar worth it in Scotland?
It still pays, just more slowly. Inverness receives 759 usable sun hours against 1,186 in Penzance, so payback stretches by several years. Scottish electricity is not cheap, which helps — but be sceptical of any quote showing southern-England payback figures for a northern roof.
Do solar panels increase UK house value?
Owned systems generally help, particularly with an EPC improvement, though the uplift varies by market and is hard to predict. Leased or rent-a-roof arrangements often do the opposite, because a buyer inherits a contract on their roof rather than an asset. Treat resale value as a bonus, not part of payback.