Susan Walker, 71, from Scotland, had a 4.4kWp JA Solar system with a battery installed in June 2023, at a total cost of £12,8371. She described the purchase as funded by an inheritance, and said the household was not eligible for any loans or grants1.
The cost breakdown she gave was £2,088 for 11 panels, £1,262 towards installation and £1,622 on testing, with the remainder covering scaffolding, the mounting system, cables, the inverter and the battery1. She said the installation took three days and was not disruptive, and that the installer was chosen from four quotes after surveying the house beforehand1. Adding a battery increases installation cost but allows the energy to be used at other times of day1. Households weighing system size against budget can read our guide to what size solar system a home needs, and the case illustrates the cost structure set out in how much solar panels cost in the UK.
She reported the effect on her electricity use from her EDF smart meter display, comparing months before and after installation1:
| Period | Electricity cost, excluding standing charges |
|---|---|
| July 2022, before installation | £54.77 |
| July 2023, after installation | £3.72 |
| April 2023 | £54.06 |
| April 2024 | £14.87 |
She also reported the share of electricity the household generated itself: 50% in March, 75% in April, and 93% in July of the previous year1. She said that when it clouds over significantly, output drops but the battery, charged by the panels, can still be used1.
"Our energy bills have noticeably gone down and, while it's not a reduction that's going to change our lives, there is satisfaction in knowing we're benefiting the environment."
The account was published by Which? on 13 September 2024 alongside two other owners' experiences1. The same article reports a 16.8kWp ground-mounted Trina array of 40 panels installed in November 2023 at around £43,000, and a 6kWp system of 14 panels with two batteries installed in September 20221. The article states the average system costs around £7,000 to install1.
Why it matters for households
The case shows the two halves of a home solar decision: a capital outlay in the low tens of thousands for a system with battery storage, and a running cost that can fall close to zero in strong summer months. The reported July figures, £54.77 before installation against £3.72 after, are a single household's meter readings rather than a general result, and the April 2024 figure of £14.87 in an unusually wet month shows how much weather moves the outcome1. The battery is what carries a household through cloud and evening hours, which is the subject of our guide to adding battery storage to a solar system. Self-generation of this kind reduces the electricity a home buys from a supplier, which is the practical core of solar panels and household energy independence.
What happens next
No next steps for this installation have been reported. The article does not state whether the system is registered for export payments, and no export tariff, MCS certification or export limitation arrangement is mentioned for this household1.