Are rooftop solar panels worth the up-front cost? “Absolutely,” says West Town resident Jenny, who is £900 a year better off after getting hers installed.
‘Will they actually work?’
It’s a question on many homeowners’ minds when investigating domestic solar panel systems – homeowners like Jenny, who got rooftop solar panels installed on her West Town house in 2024. Nearly two years on, though, she has no regrets.
Jenny’s solar panels do work – all year round, in fact – turning sunlight into electricity even on cloudy days, reducing her energy bills by £600 a year. What’s more, because she’s on a smart export tariff, she also earns about £300 a year from surplus power sold back to the grid.
Investing in solar panels was not cheap, of course – and it was not a decision Jenny took lightly. Her advice for anyone looking to do the same? It pays to do your research, she says.
The goal: off-grid energy
Jenny’s motivation for getting rooftop solar panels installed was twofold. The idea of having more energy independence – not being wholly reliant on electricity from the National Grid – appealed to her. She also wanted to significantly reduce her carbon footprint.
Solar panels ticked both boxes. And with a storage battery installed as well, she would have a supply of clean, green electricity to use in the evenings.
With the necessary finance in place, Jenny’s next step was to look for trusted, MSC-certified installers and get some quotes.
How they did it: rooftop retrofit and battery storage
Jenny’s chosen installer assessed her home and arranged for roofers and electricians to prepare the roof, install the solar panels, and connect the system to an inverter in her garage.
Jenny’s roof has east- and west-facing sides, so five photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed on each side to capture as much as sunlight as possible. When the house isn’t using solar electricity, the inverter charges a 5kW battery, which discharges electricity when the sun goes down.
The battery can also be topped up from the grid on a cheaper tariff overnight – which is really handy in winter, when solar panels produce less power, says Jenny. And when the battery is full, the inverter feeds surplus solar power to the grid.
The whole system, including installation, cost under £8,000. Jenny expects a payback period of less than 9 years.
The result: lower bills, smaller footprint
Jenny started seeing big savings straight away.
“It’s one of those things where you think, ‘why didn’t we do this sooner?’” she says.
“You really notice it when the bills come in – they’re a lot lower than they used to be. Plus, we’re on a smart export tariff, so any extra energy we don’t use gets sold back to the grid. It’s quite satisfying seeing a credit pop up on the app!”
And what about maintenance?
“The panels much look after themselves,” says Jenny. “We’ve had them 18 months, and they’re still producing the same amount of energy. Rain usually keeps them clean, and if they ever need a proper wash, you can just get someone in.
“It’s a lot less hassle than I thought it would be.”
Image: Jenny with her solar inverter and battery in her garage.
Jenny recommends taking time to research installers. Don’t just rely on reviews, she says; ask friends, neighbours, and work colleagues who have recently had solar panels installed. As for her overall verdict on solar panels?
“For us, it’s been brilliant. The bills are lower, we feel good about using our own clean energy, and it’s just nice knowing we’re less reliant on the big energy companies. It’s a win for our bank balance and for the planet.”
Solar panels: where can I find out more?
Learn more about domestic solar panels here.
You’ll find impartial answers to commonly asked questions on the Energy Saving Trust website. The Trust’s handy solar panel calculator works out how much you could save with rooftop solar panels.