Households in even Great Britain's cloudiest regions can save more than £400 a year on energy bills by installing rooftop solar panels, according to new analysis, as rising wholesale energy prices and falling installation costs make the technology increasingly worthwhile nationwide. The findings come as Britain sees record levels of solar uptake, with more new installations in the first half of 2026 than in any six-month period since 2011, driven partly by conflict-related energy price rises and the Labour government's target to triple solar farm capacity by 2030.

Analysis by Somerset-based firm Recharge Renewable found households in southern Scotland could save around £440 a year based on Glasgow's solar generation, while north-west England could save £463 based on Manchester. Sunnier southern England fares better still, with Brighton and Southampton households potentially saving £571 and £618 respectively. The figures, based on a typical south-facing 4kW system costing about £7,000 after VAT removal, assume households use only half the electricity they generate, meaning savings could be higher for those who shift more usage to daylight hours. Solar power supplied a record 14.4% of Great Britain's electricity in July amid summer heatwaves, though the firm cautioned that roof orientation, shading and individual household usage will affect actual savings.