Study finds solar power slashes energy bills by hundreds of pounds across Britain

New analysis shows that rooftop solar panels can save households in the UK's cloudiest areas more than £400 annually on electricity bills, with savings exceeding £600 in sunnier regions. The potential savings have grown due to rising wholesale energy prices and falling installation costs. This has led to a boom in solar installations, with record numbers in the first half of the year.

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The analysis, prepared by Somerset-based Recharge Renewable, models a standard 4kW south-facing rooftop array against regional solar generation data. Glasgow households could see £440 in annual savings, while Manchester homes reach £463. Southern locations fare better, with Brighton at £571 and Southampton at £618. The company cautions that roof orientation and shading significantly affect real-world performance, and recommends batteries or increased daytime electricity use to maximise on-site consumption.

Installation figures show the first half of this year produced more new solar capacity than any six-month period since 2011, when the UK's first large-scale solar farm opened in Cornwall. Rooftop systems now account for roughly one-third of national solar capacity. In July,