Savings Do Solar Panels Increase Home Value in the UK?
Yes, solar panels usually increase home value in the UK, but by less than many headlines claim, and mainly because they improve the EPC rating. Rightmove's 2023 study found that moving from EPC band D to C added about 3% (£11,157) to a home's price. That is a premium for a better EPC, not for solar on its own, and it is indicative rather than a valuation of your house.
Quick answer
- Does solar add value? Usually a modest amount, through a higher EPC score and lower running costs.
- How much? EPC D to C: about 3% (£11,157). E to C: about 7%. F to C: about 15% (Rightmove, 2023, all improvements, not solar alone).
- Solar-specific study: homes with panels were listed for 6.1% to 7.1% more across about 1.5 million Zoopla listings (Swansea University and University of Birmingham, 2024). That is asking prices and an association, not proof of cause.
- The big risk: rent-a-roof panels owned by a third party can slow or stop a sale.
- What buyers check: MCS certificate, building regulations certificate, G98/G99 notification, warranties.
- Cost side: 0% VAT on solar and batteries for homes until 31 March 2027, then 5% from 1 April 2027.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026 by Steven Chesman, founder of ElectriFusion Solutions (MCS NAP-77364, solar PV and battery storage). Questions about your own house? Call 01302 203 755.
In This Article
Do solar panels increase home value? What the UK evidence says
Two pieces of UK research are worth knowing, and they measure different things.
The first is Rightmove's Greener Homes analysis, published on 30 August 2023. Rightmove looked at 300,000 homes that sold twice in the previous 15 years and had a new Energy Performance Certificate between the two sales, and measured how much more their value rose than normal local price growth. Homes that improved from band D to C gained about 3% more; E to C about 7%; F to C about 15%. Rightmove converted those to pounds using the national average asking price at the time. Solar panels are one of the measures that can lift an EPC, alongside insulation, glazing and heating, so this is the premium for a better rating, not a solar premium.
The second is a solar-specific study by economists at Swansea University and the University of Birmingham, published in Energy Economics in 2024 using Zoopla data. Across nearly 1.5 million properties listed for sale, homes with solar panels were associated with prices 6.1% to 7.1% higher than comparable homes without them, larger in the cheapest and most expensive price brackets. Two cautions: these are listing prices, not completed sales, and "associated with" is not the same as "caused by".
| Change | Indicative premium | Pound equivalent | What it actually measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPC band D to C | about 3% | £11,157 | Sale-to-sale value growth above the local trend after any EPC improvement (Rightmove) |
| EPC band E to C | about 7% | £26,033 | As above, from a lower starting rating (Rightmove) |
| EPC band F to C | about 15% | £55,786 | As above; a very low starting rating, so do not apply it to a typical home (Rightmove) |
| Solar panels fitted | 6.1% to 7.1% | £14,062 to £16,368 | Higher listing prices associated with panels across about 1.5 million Zoopla listings (Swansea University and University of Birmingham) |
Sources: Rightmove, "green premium" EPC analysis, 30 August 2023 (pound figures on the national average asking price at publication); Urban Big Data Centre summary of Asproudis, Gedikli, Talavera and Yilmaz, Energy Economics (2024). National averages; indicative, not a valuation of your home. Last updated October 2026.
You will also see a blanket 14% uplift, or "+£32,000 from going solar", quoted online. We cannot trace either to a single UK study that measured solar on its own, and we would not plan a sale around them. For a three-bedroom semi in Doncaster or Barnsley, the honest expectation is a few per cent at most, arriving through the EPC and the running costs a buyer can see.
How solar panels move your EPC rating
An EPC for an existing home is produced from the government's Standard Assessment Procedure, which estimates running costs and gives a score from 1 to 100+ that maps to bands A to G. Electricity generated on the roof is credited in that calculation, so solar panels raise the score. How far depends on two things: how close you already are to the next band boundary, and how much the array generates.
For a typical band D house, a mid-sized array can be the difference between D and C. On a house that is draughty and poorly insulated, panels alone may not be enough, and loft or cavity insulation may be cheaper points. We will not promise you a band before an assessor has run the numbers, and nobody honest should.
One practical point catches sellers out. An EPC is valid for 10 years and does not update itself. If yours was done before the panels went on, buyers will see the old rating. You can look up your current certificate on the GOV.UK EPC register, and book a new assessment once the system is commissioned.
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Owned panels vs rent-a-roof panels: the difference buyers notice
Panels you own outright are part of the house. They transfer with the sale, the buyer takes over any export income, and the paperwork sits in your property pack. This is the case the studies above describe.
Rent-a-roof or third-party-owned panels are different. During the Feed-in Tariff years, before the scheme closed to new applicants on 31 March 2019, some companies fitted "free" panels, kept the tariff payments, and took a long agreement over the homeowner's roof space, often running for 20 to 25 years. The homeowner gets some free daytime electricity; the company keeps the asset and the income.
When that house is sold, the agreement goes with it. The buyer's conveyancer has to review its terms, the buyer's bank or valuer may set conditions, and some buyers walk away. If you have one of these agreements, find it now, not when an offer arrives. Some providers will let you buy the agreement out, which turns the panels into an asset you own.
What buyers, surveyors and conveyancers ask for
Most of the value a buyer puts on solar comes down to whether you can prove the system is legal, certified and still under warranty. This is the pack to keep:
| Document | Who issues it | Why the buyer's side wants it |
|---|---|---|
| MCS certificate | Your MCS-certified installer, through MCS | Proves the system meets the standard; the new owner needs it to claim export payments |
| Building regulations compliance certificate | Installer's competent person scheme (ours is NAPIT) | Shows the electrical work was notified and signed off |
| Network operator notification | Installer, to the local network operator | G98 notice for systems up to 16 A per phase (3.68 kW single-phase); G99 approval above that |
| Warranties | Installer and manufacturers | Panel, inverter, battery and workmanship cover, and whether each one transfers to a new owner |
| Export tariff or Feed-in Tariff paperwork | Your energy supplier | Shows what the system earns and what the buyer can take over |
| Roof-space agreement (if any) | The panel owner | Tells the buyer who owns the panels and what they are signing up to |
G98/G99 thresholds per the Energy Networks Association engineering recommendations. Last updated October 2026.
Every solar panel installation we carry out is handed over with this pack: MCS certificate under NAP-77364, NAPIT building regulations sign-off, the network operator notice, manufacturer warranties and our 15-year workmanship warranty. File it with your deeds.
Does a battery add value to your house?
No UK study we have found puts a separate price on a home battery, so be wary of anyone who quotes one. A battery's value to a buyer is the same as its value to you: it stores daytime solar for the evening instead of exporting it. With the Octopus Outgoing Fixed export rate at 12p per kWh since 1 March 2026, a kWh you use yourself is usually worth more than a kWh you sell.
If you are adding one, check two things for resale: that the warranty transfers to a new owner, and that the installer will hand over the battery's own certification. Our home battery storage installation page covers the systems we fit, and is battery storage worth it in 2026 runs the numbers for a typical household.
Selling a house with solar panels: a checklist
- Answer the solar questions in the TA6 property information form honestly, including who owns the panels.
- Gather the paperwork in the table above before you list, not after an offer.
- Commission a new EPC if your current one predates the panels.
- Show real generation: a year of figures from the inverter app is more convincing than any brochure.
- Tell your export tariff supplier you are moving; the buyer applies for their own tariff with the MCS certificate. Older systems on the Feed-in Tariff need the FIT supplier told about the change of owner.
- If the panels are on a rent-a-roof agreement, give your conveyancer a copy on day one.
Should you fit solar panels just to add value before selling?
If you are selling within a year, probably not for value alone. The premium is modest and indirect, and you will not have the bill savings to show a buyer yet. Solar earns its keep through lower bills over many years; any lift in price is a bonus on top.
If you are staying put for a few years, the sums are different. Our published packages start from £4,999 for a 3.9 kW system and from £6,499 for a 4.85 kW system, with 0% VAT on solar and batteries for homes until 31 March 2027 (it rises to 5% from 1 April 2027). The full price bands and what moves a quote are in our solar panel costs guide for 2026.
Questions homeowners ask about solar panels and house value
Do solar panels increase home value in the UK?
Usually, by a modest amount, and mostly through the EPC rating. Rightmove's 2023 study of 300,000 homes found that moving from EPC band D to C added about 3% (£11,157) on average. That is the premium for a better EPC from any mix of improvements, not for solar alone, and it is indicative rather than a valuation of your home.
How much do solar panels add to home value in the UK?
There is no single figure. The EPC route gives about 3% for a D to C move and about 7% for E to C (Rightmove, 2023). A 2024 Swansea University and University of Birmingham study of about 1.5 million Zoopla listings found homes with panels listed for 6.1% to 7.1% more, which is an association in asking prices, not a measured sale premium.
Do solar panels on a rent-a-roof scheme add value?
Rarely. If a company owns the panels and holds an agreement over your roof space, the buyer does not get the panels or the export income, and their conveyancer has to review the agreement. That can slow or stop a sale, so get the paperwork out early or ask the provider about buying the agreement out.
Do solar panels make a house harder to sell?
Owned, certified panels with their paperwork do not, in our experience; buyers tend to see lower bills. The sales that stall are usually rent-a-roof installs, systems with no MCS certificate, or panels that have stopped working.
Will solar panels improve my EPC rating?
Yes, solar generation is credited in the EPC calculation, so panels raise your score. Whether that moves you up a whole band depends on where your score starts and the size of the array. Your old EPC will not update itself: book a new assessment after the install if you want buyers to see the improvement.
Does adding a battery add value to my house?
No UK study has put a separate price on a home battery. Its value to a buyer is lower running costs, because it stores daytime solar for the evening instead of exporting it at around 12p per kWh, plus any warranty that transfers with the house.
What paperwork do buyers ask for when a house has solar panels?
The MCS certificate, the building regulations compliance certificate, proof the network operator was notified (G98 or G99), the warranties, the export tariff or Feed-in Tariff paperwork, and any roof-space agreement. Sellers answer questions on solar panels in the TA6 property information form.
Talk to a Doncaster installer about your house
ElectriFusion Solutions is MCS-certified for solar PV and battery storage (NAP-77364) and NAPIT-registered, with a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot from 45 reviews. We fit solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers across South Yorkshire and Northern England, from our base in Doncaster.
Surveys are free and carry no obligation. If solar is unlikely to pay back on your roof, or you are moving too soon for it to make sense, we will tell you. Call 01302 203 755 or use the quote form below. We cover Doncaster, Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and the wider region.