Yes, and now's the best time to do so. Installing a solar and battery benefits your home, your wallet and the planet:

• The value of your home could increase by around 2-3%, shown in the Sustainable Markets Initiative: Cleantech Homes report 2024.
• With a solar and a 5 kWh battery, you could save 95% on your electricity bills on our Octopus Flux tariff, with the potential to save 119% on our Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff.
• You’ll save around one tonne of carbon per year - that's equivalent to driving 3,600 miles - according to the Energy Savings Trust.

And while you’re generating your own electricity, you’ll be helping to protect yourself from future energy price rises too!

The cost of installation can depend on how many panels you need, whether you choose to have battery storage, and what size of battery you require. The cost of a panel-only installation by Octopus starts from £5,264 (for 2 panels).

A 10 panel installation and a 5kWh battery (our most popular system) costs £9,197. Our largest system, which includes 36 panels and a Tesla Powerwall battery costs £16,854 (all costs are based on July 25 prices).

We'll ask you to pay a fully refundable deposit of £200 when you agree to your quote, then you'll have the option to pay monthly with a fixed-term loan, or pay in full after installation. Find out how long it takes for a solar system to pay for itself.

By saving on your electricity bills and making money on export payments, your solar system will begin to pay for itself. How long it takes will depend on the number of solar panels you have and the amount of energy you use.

We compared a medium-usage household with different panel, battery and tariff combinations and found that the payback period was between 9-11 years, based on July 2025 tariff rates. These calculations assume that energy prices remain stable – if prices rise (as many predict), your payback period could be significantly shorter. If you’re comparing payback periods with other solar installers, it’s best to understand if they’ve assumed prices will increase resulting in a shorter payback period.

We’ll share a more accurate payback period, as well as your generation estimates and monthly savings, during your free design consultation where we design your perfect solar setup. To get the ball rolling, get a quote and we’ll be in touch.

Yes. The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme is a government energy efficiency program to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty in the UK.

The scheme focusses on improving the least energy efficient homes and all energy suppliers take part to improve the ability of low-income, fuel-poor and vulnerable households to heat their homes.

Eligible households can get free or discounted upgrades such as internal wall insulation, loft insulation or may be able to qualify for a heat pump.

Check if you’re eligible here.

These are the benefits that qualify for free solar panels:

• Child Benefits (based on household income)
• Child Tax Credits (CTC)
• Housing Benefit NEW
• Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
• Income related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support (IS)
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Pension Credit Savings Credit NEW
• Universal Credit (UC)
• Warm Homes Discount Scheme
• Working Tax Credit (WTC)

For more information on who can get free or discounted solar panels, check out the gov.uk site here and read more about the Green Energy Deal.

Quite the opposite. If you’re looking to increase your home's value while cutting your energy bills, then solar panels and a battery could be a great idea. Recent research has shown that homes with this kind of tech are worth more than those without.

But how much more?

According to the Sustainable Markets Initiative's Cleantech Homes report 2024, homes with solar panels see around a 2-3% increase in value compared to similar properties without them.

As an example, a 3% increase on the average UK house price of £267,000 is around £8,000, which would cover around 80% of the cost of our most popular solar and battery set up.

Plus, with bill savings and earnings your solar setup will pay for itself in a number of years too.

The uplift could be even higher for some properties - research from the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge found that new-build homes with enough solar and battery storage to eliminate energy bills saw increases of up to 16%.

It makes sense when you think about it - future buyers are increasingly looking for energy-efficient homes that protect them from rising energy costs so buying a home with solar already installed and reaping the benefits is something worth paying for.

All of our solar packages are installed with state-of-the-art 450W PV solar panels, and come with a whopping 25 year product warranty, and a 30 year linear power output warranty – guaranteeing your system’s performance over time.

Most homes need at least 2 solar panels, with 8 being the average. More than 30? That’s pretty rare. You’ll need around 16㎡ of roof space, and the good news is that a typical 3-bed home has about 25㎡ available. Want to know exactly how many panels you need? Get a quick, free estimate right here.

At present we’re able to add a battery if you don’t already have one, but unfortunately we’re not able to add more panels just yet.

Installation should take 2-4 days, depending on the size of your system. We will also schedule time on either side of this to put up and take down the scaffolding at your property

In most cases, you won’t need planning permission to install solar panels. The only exceptions are if your home is a listed building or in a conservation area.

If your system’s total output (including the solar inverter and battery inverter, if you have one) is more than 3.68kW, we’ll need to get approval from your local electricity network (called the DNO) before installation. If it’s under that limit, we can install first and let them know afterward.

Visit our solar home page for an instant quote and you could save £100’s on electricity bills with solar & battery power. Or check out our full solar and battery FAQs page for answers to more questions.

While it's technically possible to install solar panels yourself if you have the right skills and qualifications, we generally recommend using a professional installer. Solar panel installation involves electrical work and roof mounting, which can be complex and even dangerous without the proper training.

At Octopus Energy, we offer a complete solar panel installation package, handled by in-house trusted experts to make sure everything is safe, efficient, and tailored to your home’s energy needs. Our team takes care of the design, installation, and paperwork, so you can start generating clean, green energy with total peace of mind.

We’d be happy to give you a personalised quote and walk you through the process!

They might be! Here's what to check:

• Is your roof suitable? You’ll need around 16㎡ of clear roof space. A typical 3-bed home usually has enough. The roof should be in good condition and mostly free from shade.
  
• Which way does your roof face? South-facing is ideal, but east and west can still work well. The angle of your roof also affects how much sunlight your panels can catch.
  
• Do you need planning permission? Most homes don’t—but if you live in a listed building or conservation area, it’s worth double-checking.
  
• How much energy do you use? This helps determine how many panels you’ll need. Most homes use 8 panels on average, but it can vary.
  
• What type of home do you live in? Detached and semi-detached homes are easiest to install on. Flats or terraced houses might have some limitations.
  

Still unsure? You can get a solar panels estimate to see exactly what your home needs.

If the power goes out, the impact on your system will depend on which battery you have installed. We’ve outlined the cases for this below:

Panels only or panels and battery with no whole home backup: When there’s a power cut, your inverter won’t be able to find the local grid to feed power into. So as a safety feature, it will switch off. When the power comes back on, it’ll start up again.

Solar with battery and whole home backup (currently Tesla Powerwall only): If you have a system with whole home backup, this means that your solar system can work off grid. During a power cut, the battery should switch over within a few seconds to power your home in island mode.

A 5kW solar system with battery storage is a great match for an average UK household, typically enough to meet the energy needs of a family of 4 to 5 people. Under ideal conditions, a 5kW system can generate around 20kWh of electricity per day, enough to power a wide range of everyday appliances, including:

• Lighting fixtures: 40–100W each
• Refrigerators: 100–800W
• Microwave ovens: 600–1200W
• Rice cookers: 200–1000W
• Dishwashers: 1200–1500W
• Washing machines: 350–500W
• Tumble dryers: 2000–6000W
• Televisions: 50–400W
• Sound systems: 10–1000W
• Air conditioners: 500–4000W
• Electric water heaters: 3000–4500W
  

While it can comfortably cover most basic and moderate energy use, using multiple high-energy appliances at the same time (like dryers and electric heaters) may push it to its limits. Check out the techy bits here.