How much do solar panels save per month in the UK?

A realistic guide to monthly solar savings that explains the real drivers (self-use share, system size, install cost, tariffs, and roof yield), offers a simple estimation method you can follow in a minute, and shows worked examples with actual numbers.

Published: 2026-01-30

By: SolarByPostcode

How much do solar panels save per month in the UK?

If you search “monthly solar savings in the UK” you will find a single headline number. That number is usually not wrong, but it is often not useful for your home.

Monthly savings are not a fixed number. They are a range that shifts with your roof, your usage pattern, your quote, and your tariff.

If you want a quick postcode‑level baseline for output and savings where you live, start here: Find your postcode

This guide shows you how to think about monthly solar savings in a way that survives contact with reality.

You will understand the two prices model behind monthly savings (import avoided vs export paid).
You will see why two “average UK homes” can be tens of pounds apart on monthly savings.
You will learn a simple way to estimate a realistic monthly savings range without turning it into a spreadsheet hobby.

If you are deciding whether solar is even worth doing in 2026, the next guide in this cluster goes straight at that:

Is solar still worth it without generous subsidies? A UK-specific answer

Quick answer: what is a normal UK monthly saving?

TL;DR: monthly savings are usually driven more by self‑use and your install price than by “UK sunshine”, and averages hide that

There is no single UK monthly saving. The same size system can land in very different monthly ranges depending on usage timing, quote price and location.
Self‑use is the big lever. Each self‑used unit avoids buying electricity at your import rate, which is usually worth more than exporting it.
Quote quality matters as much as roof yield. A £1,500 price difference can move payback and monthly savings by years.
Use ranges, not point estimates. A “realistic band” beats a confident‑sounding average.
Start with your location. Use your local baseline first, then layer on self‑use and tariff assumptions.

Assumptions and variability

We talk about power in kW, system size in kWp, and energy in kWh, and we mention SEG export payments where relevant (see Glossary).
We assume you want a practical “is this sensible?” answer, not a finance model with discount rates and inflation assumptions.
We assume a typical UK home solar setup (not off‑grid), and we treat export income as a bonus rather than the main value driver.
What varies most between real homes: your self‑use share (daytime usage), your quote price, shading and roof shape, and whether export is limited.
If you want the modelling assumptions behind SolarByPostcode pages (yields, rates, and savings calculations), see: Data sources and methodology

What “monthly savings” actually means

Most people mean:

“How much will my electricity bill go down each month because of solar?”

That is a good first pass, but it has blind spots. It ignores the fact that the savings come from two different price streams:

Import avoided (self‑use) – you consume solar directly and avoid buying at your import rate.
Export paid – you export surplus to the grid and get paid at your export rate.

These two outcomes are paid at two different effective prices. Self‑use is worth roughly your import unit rate (often around 28 p/kWh). Export is worth your export rate (often around 12 p/kWh under SEG). In plain terms: self‑use is usually the “expensive” kWh and export is usually the “cheap” kWh. That is why monthly savings are often dominated by your usage pattern, not just your roof.

If you want the cleanest explanation of this idea, read:

Table 1: The real monthly savings drivers (and why they move)

Driver	Why it matters	What makes it better or worse
Install price	Monthly savings are annual savings divided by twelve; a cheaper install shortens payback and improves the ratio of savings to cost.	Good roof access, simple scaffolding, sensible design and comparing like‑for‑like quotes. Price jumps often come from complexity, not “better panels”.
Annual generation	More kWh gives more chance to self‑use or export, increasing total value.	Roof direction and shading dominate. Location matters, but usually less than people expect compared with self‑use and quote price.
Self‑use share	Each self‑used kWh avoids buying at your import rate, which is often the biggest value per kWh.	Work‑from‑home, daytime appliance use, EV charging timing and load shifting. Batteries can increase self‑use but must pay for themselves.
Import rate	Higher import rates make each self‑used kWh more valuable, increasing monthly savings.	Tariff choice matters. Standing charge changes bills, but it does not change the value of each solar kWh in the same way.
Export rate and export limits	Export income can be meaningful, but it is usually the secondary value stream.	SEG rate differences matter. Some systems are capped on export; if you hit limits, exported kWh can drop.

If you only remember one thing, make it this:

Monthly savings are mostly a self‑use and quote price story, with roof yield and tariffs as supporting characters.

A practical monthly savings method that works for real homes

You do not need a perfect model. You need a realistic monthly savings band that is robust if you are wrong about one input. Here is the method that works well:

Step 1: Use local yield and savings as your baseline

Start with your outcode page and take the baseline numbers as your first anchor. A few useful reference anchors (very different contexts):

Northern city: AB21 (Aberdeen City)
Belfast: BT7 (Belfast)
Coastal Wales: LL30 (Conwy)
Edinburgh: EH12 (City of Edinburgh)
Plymouth: PL1 (Plymouth)
Isle of Wight: PO30 (Isle of Wight)
Glasgow: G12 (Glasgow City)
Ceredigion: SY23 (Ceredigion)
Shetland: ZE1 (Shetland Islands)

You are not trying to find “the most accurate outcode for your street”. You are trying to stop thinking in generic UK averages. Your local baseline will tell you the likely annual generation and value for a typical system in your area. Divide that annual value by twelve to get a first stab at monthly savings.

Step 2: Get your likely system size and cost from quotes

Use like‑for‑like quote comparisons. If you do not yet have quotes, use a conservative placeholder cost band and replace it later. Your monthly savings sensitivity to cost is large, so do not use a fantasy number.

Step 3: Estimate a realistic self‑use band (not a single number)

Most people underestimate how much self‑use drives savings. A simple way to create a band:

Low self‑use (evening‑heavy): you are mostly out in the day.
Medium self‑use (mixed): some daytime loads, some evening.
High self‑use (daytime‑heavy): work‑from‑home or flexible loads and you can shift appliances.

If you want help thinking about usage pattern, these two are designed for it:

Step 4: Use your actual import rate and a conservative export rate

Your import unit rate is the most important tariff input. For export, use your expected SEG rate if you already know it. If you do not, use a conservative placeholder rather than the best‑case marketing number.

Step 5: Calculate annual and monthly value using the “two prices” model

This is the heart of it:

Annual self‑use value = self‑used kWh × import rate
Annual export value = exported kWh × export rate
Annual total value = self‑use value + export value

Then:

Monthly savings ≈ (annual total value) ÷ 12

You do not have to be perfect. You have to be realistic.

Table 2: Worked examples (illustration only)

This is not a forecast for your home. It is an example that shows why “average monthly savings” hides a wide range. Each example assumes a 4 kWp system costing £7,000, an import rate of 28 p/kWh and an export rate of 12 p/kWh. Only the location and self‑use share change.

Example household	Annual generation (kWh)	Self‑use share	Approx. monthly savings	Notes
Evening‑heavy family in Aberdeen (AB21)	~3,400	30%	~£45–£50 per month	Most electricity used in the evening; limited self‑use means a lot of export on sunny days.
Mixed usage household in Belfast (BT7)	~3,600	50%	~£55–£65 per month	Some daytime loads (dishwasher, washing machine); better balance between self‑use and export.
Daytime‑heavy household in Conwy (LL30)	~4,000	70%	~£70–£80 per month	Working from home, can run appliances when the sun is up; exports less and captures more value per kWh.

Notice what happened:

The roof and the system size did not change (all are 4 kWp).
The import and export rates did not change.
Only the location and self‑use share changed, and monthly savings moved by tens of pounds.

That is why averages are a weak decision tool.

Why “UK average monthly savings” misleads

Averages mislead because they flatten four different sources of variation into one number:

“Average roof yield” is not your roof – shading, direction and pitch vary.
“Average self‑use” is not your household – two homes with the same annual consumption can have very different self‑use shares.
“Average price” is not your quote – design complexity and roof access can move cost by thousands.
Tariffs and export rates vary – import and export rates change, and export can be limited.

If shading might be part of your story, read this before you believe any monthly figure:

Shading and solar panels: when a single tree really does matter

If you have not compared quotes yet, start here:

How batteries fit into monthly savings (and why they often confuse people)

A battery can increase self‑use by moving solar into evening use. That sounds like it always helps monthly savings. But the battery must pay for itself, and many do not in simple payback terms. The right mental model is:

Solar panels create energy.
A battery shifts timing.

If you are tempted to add a battery mainly to improve monthly savings, read this first:

Solar batteries in the UK: who they make sense for (and who should skip them)

Then re‑check your monthly band with and without the battery.

What monthly savings do not capture (but you should still consider)

Monthly savings ignore some real‑world factors that can matter:

Seasonality: summer months generate more than winter months, so your monthly savings will be lumpy.
Price risk: if import prices rise, self‑use becomes more valuable; if they fall, monthly savings shrink.
Degradation: panels slowly produce less over time, usually not enough to change the decision for most homes.
Standing charges: solar does not remove standing charge, which can create “bill shock” if someone expects zero bills. For the concept, see Standing charge drag

None of these are reasons to avoid solar. They are reasons to avoid overconfident point estimates.

Bottom line

Monthly savings are mostly a self‑use and quote price story.
Use your local baseline as a starting point, then layer on self‑use, tariff and cost assumptions.
Aim for a realistic band, not a single number.
Batteries shift timing; they do not create energy.

Next reads

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