The answer first
DESNZ figures for 2025/26 put the UK median at £1,595 per kW for systems up to 4 kW and the North West mean at £1,800. For 4 kWp that suggests roughly £6,400 to £7,200 before extras. A listed house, a conservation-area flat roof or a garden array can add drawings, consent and trenching. VAT is 0% until 31 March 2027.
Where the figures come from
Government price statistics for solar come from DESNZ, which compiles solar PV cost data from the records of certified installations. Each figure is the total installed cost for every kW of panel capacity, broken down by system size and by region. For 2025/26, these are the numbers that matter for a house:
- UK-wide, a system of up to 4 kW had a median price of £1,595 per kW; between 4 and 10 kW the median fell to £1,546.
- North West jobs of up to 4 kW averaged £1,800 per kW across a sample of 14,142 records; those of 4 to 10 kW averaged £1,627, across 7,673.
The two are different kinds of figure. Half the UK jobs in a band came in below the median and half above it, so it is untouched by a few unusually dear installations. The regional number is an arithmetic average, which large or awkward jobs can lift. Neither is a ceiling or a floor; they are two reference points a sensible quote is likely to sit somewhere near. Price per kW also falls as systems grow, because fixed costs such as access and paperwork are shared across more panels.
A rough range by size
| System size | DESNZ band used | UK median | North West mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kWp | up to 4 kW | £4,800 | £5,400 |
| 4 kWp | up to 4 kW | £6,400 | £7,200 |
| 5 kWp | 4 to 10 kW | £7,700 | £8,100 |
| 6 kWp | 4 to 10 kW | £9,300 | £9,800 |
Read the table as a sense of scale. If a quote for a straightforward roof lands far outside it, that is a reason to ask what is included, not proof that anything is wrong. The 3 and 4 kWp rows use the smaller band’s figures; the 5 and 6 kWp rows use the larger band’s, which is why the step from 4 to 5 kWp is smaller than the others, and why a 6 kWp system comes to about £9,300 to £9,800. What each size might generate is on output on a Nantwich roof, and how many sites in the borough already have panels is set out in solar take-up around Nantwich.
What sits outside the averages
The national figures cover thousands of jobs without saying what each one included. Some will have had scaffold on three sides, some none; some a new consumer unit, some not. A battery, a diverter, bird mesh, panel-level electronics and monitoring may or may not be in a given price. When comparing a quote with the table, take the solar part on its own and list everything else separately.
Costs that come with older Nantwich houses
Much of central Nantwich lies inside a conservation area that holds 125 list entries, and the same consent rules follow a listed house wherever it stands. None of the items below is certain for any particular house, but each is worth asking about.
- A listed building. Planning permission and Listed Building Consent are both needed. Expect scaled drawings of the roof and elevations, fixing details, often a heritage statement, and several weeks for a decision; the council may also set conditions on how the panels look or are fixed. The process is covered on listed buildings and solar.
- The conservation area. Roof slopes on an unlisted house are usually within permitted development, but a flat roof needs the council’s prior-approval decision, and a wall fronting a highway needs full planning permission. Each brings drawings, an application and time; see the conservation-area page.
- An old roof structure. A framed or older house may need a structural engineer’s check, extra care with handmade tiles or slates, or repairs before panels go on, as described on timber-framed homes.
- A garden array. A frame, footings, a cable trench and the cost of reinstating lawns or drives replace the roof work. Beyond 9 m² a planning application is needed; see ground-mounted panels.
- A long cable run. Panels on a barn or garage some distance from the house need a heavier cable and a longer trench.
- The grid. A larger system, or one with a battery, can need a G99 application, which takes time and can bring conditions or, occasionally, a charge from the network operator.
Costs after the panels are up
The installed price is most of the cost, but not all of it. Inverters generally have a shorter working life than panels, so many owners replace one at some point; ask how long the inverter’s warranty runs and whether it can be extended. A battery wears gradually with use. Some monitoring services carry a subscription. The home insurer should be told about the system, which can affect the premium, and access equipment will be needed if panels ever have to come off for roof repairs. Cleaning is rarely needed on a pitched roof in a wet climate, though ground arrays near trees or livestock may want more attention. None of this changes the decision for most households, but a quote that says nothing about it leaves the picture incomplete.
Timing the work
Some costs can be shared with other jobs. If the roof needs repairs, doing them while scaffold is up for the panels avoids paying for access twice. If a consumer unit is due for replacement, it can be combined with the solar wiring. A listed house or a conservation-area flat roof adds weeks for the council’s decision, so starting the application early keeps the job from slipping past a date that matters, such as the VAT change described below.
VAT
HMRC’s VAT Notice 708/6 keeps residential solar panels and batteries at a 0% rate through to 31 March 2027, with 5% applying from 1 April 2027. The VAT is inside the quoted price, so on a job that could finish around the changeover, ask which rate the firm has assumed and what happens if the date slips.
Ways to pay
Money already set aside. Many households pay in stages, with a deposit at order and the balance once the system is commissioned. Keep the deposit small, ask how it is protected if the firm fails, and do not pay in full before the work is finished and the paperwork handed over.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant. Cheshire East’s Local Grant, with funding until 31 March 2028, can include solar PV where the home is rated D to G on the EPC scale and the owner-occupier or private tenant passes its benefit or income test. After their first property, landlords put in at least 50%. Every condition is set out on grants and schemes.
The Warm Homes Loan Scheme. A GOV.UK factsheet describes this scheme. Being a loan, it has to be repaid; read the factsheet’s own account of who can use it and on what terms.
Finance through a firm. Some firms arrange credit. Check that the lender is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, compare the total amount repayable rather than the monthly figure, and ask about the cooling-off period before signing.
Borrowing against the home. Some households extend a mortgage instead. That is a conversation for the lender or a mortgage adviser, and it ties the cost to the house for the term of the loan.
Group buying. Cheshire East’s Switch Together scheme collects households into a group purchase. Its 2026 round stopped taking registrations on 25 September 2026.
Putting two quotes side by side
Work out each quote’s price per kW for the solar element alone, then compare it with the table. Next, list what each includes: scaffold or other access, electrical work, a diverter or battery, the G98 or G99 paperwork, any planning drawings and applications, and the warranties on panels, inverter and workmanship. Check each firm against the MCS installer search and Companies House; the rest of the checks are on choosing an installer, and storage is weighed up on batteries. A quote already in hand can be raised through the question form; this guide prices nothing and sells nothing.