Terrace or small roof
3 kWp (about 7 panels), a terrace or small roof
10 to 14 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: panels last 25 years or more.
- Installed price
- £4,750 to £6,250
- Saves a year
- £370 to £550
Home / Costs
Checked 7 October 2026What solar and battery cost in Herne Bay
Eight common systems for an ordinary house, with prices, yearly savings and a rough payback in plain numbers.
The honest summary. Solar on its own is the best value for most houses. A battery adds evening power, flexibility and backup, but it pays back slowly unless you use a lot of power after dark or can fill it cheaply overnight. We will tell you if a battery is not worth it for your house.
See the paybacks against equipment life
Typical semi
4 kWp (about 10 panels), a typical semi
9 to 12 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: panels last 25 years or more.
- Installed price
- £5,500 to £7,500
- Saves a year
- £490 to £730
Family home out by day
4.5 kWp + 5 kWh battery
11 to 16 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years.
- Installed price
- £8,500 to £12,500
- Saves a year
- £640 to £960
Bigger home, car or heat pump
4.5 kWp + 10 kWh battery
12 to 18 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years.
- Installed price
- £10,500 to £16,250
- Saves a year
- £730 to £1,090
Solar already on the roof
5 kWh battery, existing 4 kWp solar
25 to 43 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years.
- Installed price
- £2,750 to £4,750
- Saves a year
- £90 to £130
Solar already, high evening use
10 kWh battery, existing 4 kWp solar
23 to 40 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years.
- Installed price
- £5,000 to £8,750
- Saves a year
- £180 to £270
Solar plus a cheap night rate
5 kWh battery, existing 4 kWp solar
12 to 21 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years.
- Installed price
- £2,750 to £4,750
- Saves a year
- £180 to £280
No solar, smart tariff
5 kWh battery, no solar
12 to 21 yearsto pay back
Dark marker on the bar: a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years.
- Installed price
- £2,750 to £4,750
- Saves a year
- £180 to £270
Estimates, not quotes. Each bar shows the payback range on a 0 to 45 year scale, with the dark marker at how long the equipment lasts, so a bar that runs past it is a warning. Prices assume 0% VAT (ends 31 March 2027, then 5%). The plug-in payback is our arithmetic on the Energy Saving Trust figures. Full table and method.
The full table
| System | Installed price (0% VAT) | Saving and export income a year | Rough payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small solar only3 kWp (about 7 panels), a terrace or small roof | £4,750 to £6,250 | £370 to £550middle estimate £460 | 10 to 14 years |
| Solar only4 kWp (about 10 panels), a typical semi | £5,500 to £7,500 | £490 to £730middle estimate £610 | 9 to 12 years |
| Solar and small battery4.5 kWp + 5 kWh battery | £8,500 to £12,500 | £640 to £960middle estimate £800 | 11 to 16 years |
| Solar and large battery4.5 kWp + 10 kWh battery | £10,500 to £16,250 | £730 to £1,090middle estimate £910 | 12 to 18 years |
| Battery added to existing solar5 kWh battery, existing 4 kWp solar | £2,750 to £4,750 | £90 to £130middle estimate £110 | 25 to 43 years |
| Large battery added to existing solar10 kWh battery, existing 4 kWp solar | £5,000 to £8,750 | £180 to £270middle estimate £220 | 23 to 40 years |
| Battery added to solar, cheap overnight rate5 kWh battery, existing 4 kWp solar | £2,750 to £4,750 | £180 to £280middle estimate £230 | 12 to 21 years |
| Battery only, cheap overnight rate5 kWh battery, no solar | £2,750 to £4,750 | £180 to £270middle estimate £230 | 12 to 21 years |
Estimates, not quotes. Our ranges sit around the Energy Saving Trust typical costs (about £7,600 for a 4.5 kWp system and about £4,600 for a 5 kWh battery) and are rounded by us. Savings use a house using 3,000 kWh a year, electricity at 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026), 12p per kWh paid for exported power and, where shown, a 10p cheap overnight rate. Real export rates on supplier pages we read run from 3p to 18p. Your roof, your use and your tariff change the result. All sources and dates.
How we worked these out
- Prices: the Energy Saving Trust says about £7,600 for a typical 4.5 kWp system and about £4,600 for a 5 kWh battery, within a battery range of £1,500 to £10,000. Our ranges sit around those and assume 0% VAT.
- Savings: a house using 3,000 kWh a year, electricity at 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem, 1 October to 31 December 2026), exports paid at 12p per kWh, and a 10p cheap rate where shown. Supplier pages we read show export rates from 3p to 18p, so your own tariff matters.
- Solar output: about 900 kWh a year for each kWp on a good roof, and 35% used in the house as it is made. A proper design sets the real figure.
- Payback: the installed price range divided by the middle yearly saving. Energy prices change, so it is a guide, not a promise.
Plug-in solar, for comparison
An approved plug-in kit costs from about £450 and the Energy Saving Trust puts savings at about £70 to £100 a year (GOV.UK says up to £110). That is roughly 4.5 to 6.5 years to pay back on the cheapest kit (our arithmetic), but it covers only a small slice of your use. Plug-in solar rules and kits.
Terms in plain English
- kWp
- Kilowatt peak. The most power panels make in perfect sun. 4 kWp is about 10 panels.
- kWh
- A kilowatt hour, the unit on your bill. A 5 kWh battery holds 5 units.
- SEG
- Smart Export Guarantee. Suppliers pay you for power you send to the grid.
- MCS
- Microgeneration Certification Scheme, the quality scheme most suppliers want before they pay for export.
- DNO
- Distribution network operator, the company that runs the local power lines. For Herne Bay it is UK Power Networks.
- G98 and G99
- Network rules for connecting a home system. Small systems are notified after fitting (G98). Larger ones need approval first (G99).
- Time-of-use tariff
- A tariff with cheap and dear times of day. A battery can fill when it is cheap.
Cost questions
Do these prices include VAT?
They assume 0% VAT, which applies to installing solar and batteries in a home until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 the rate is 5% unless it changes, so add about 5%.
Why is battery payback so long?
A battery moves power from midday to the evening and saves the gap between what you would be paid to export and what you pay to buy. With export at 12p and electricity at 26.32p, that gap is small once the 10% lost in the battery is counted, and the Energy Saving Trust says a battery lasts about 10 to 12 years. Many people buy one for flexibility and backup as well as savings.
What makes a battery pay back faster?
A cheap overnight tariff on a smart meter, an electric car or heat pump, a battery sized to your evening use, and a fair price. A bigger battery does not mean a faster payback.
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