Solar earnings explained
The calculations behind average solar bill earnings.
Solar savings for a typical three-bedroom home
Drawing on data from hundreds of our solar and battery installations, average Good Energy customers installing a 10-panel system could save up to £975 a year, or up to £1,700 in the first year if your install includes a 10kWh battery.
This page is intended to provide average estimates only. Read on for our workings.
How much can you save with solar panels?
A customer in a 3-bedroom home with a 10 panel (4.75kW) solar panel system could save up to £975.90 per year with solar panel installation and our Solar Savings** export tariff. Using standard MCS methodologies, this system is estimated to generate 4,822kWh per year, of which 2,000kWh is used at home, reducing electricity bought from the grid, and 2,822kWh exported at 15p / kWh through Good Energy’s Solar Savings tariff. Total annual bill savings and export earnings could be up to £975. Actual savings may vary depending on system size, tariff rates and household electricity use.
These average savings increase significantly by installing a battery through Good Energy too.
| 10 solar panels (4.75kW) (savings on energy bills at a unit rate of 27p / kWh) | £552.60 |
| Solar Savings export tariff (earning 15p per kWh) | £423.30 |
| Total (per year) | £975.90 |
Good Energy often installs much larger solar and battery systems for customers, resulting in much larger savings. In fact, the average install size for Good Energy’s supply customers between January 2024 and January 2025 is 10.02kWh – roughly equivalent to 22 panels.
On average, these customers with a 22 panel system save up to £1,819.68 through reduced grid usage and export earnings.
| 22 solar panels (10.02kW) (savings on energy bills) | £1,288 |
| Solar Savings export tariff (earning 15p per kWh) | £531.68 |
| Total (per year) | £1,819.68 |
How much can you save with solar panels and a battery?
Good Energy customers with a 10-panel solar panel system and a 10kW battery could save up to £1,730.99 in the first year, followed by up to £1448.79 in successive years.
This is because having both solar panels and a battery installed by Good Energy unlocks our exclusive export tariff rate, Solar Savings Exclusive*** (25p per kWh in the first year), rolling onto Solar Savings (15p per kWh) after the first year.
| 10 solar panels + Solar Savings Exclusive export tariff (25p per kWh for 12 months) | £1258.10 |
| 10 solar panels + Solar Savings export tariff (15p per kWh after 12 months) | £975.90 |
| 10kWh battery (Savings from being on a Smart time-of-use tariff and charging your battery overnight.) | £472.89 |
| Total (in first year) | £1,730.99 |
| Total (every following year) | £1448.79 |
The larger the system size – the larger the annual savings. A 22 panel system with a battery could save up to £2,448.99 in the first year, followed by up to £1,980.68 in successive years.
| 22 solar panels + Solar Savings Exclusive export tariff (25p per kWh for 12 months) | £1,976.10 |
| 22 solar panels + Solar Savings export tariff (15p per kWh after 12 months) | £1,507.79 |
| 10kWh battery (Savings from being on a Smart time-of-use tariff and charging your battery overnight.) | £472.89 |
| Total (in first year) | £2,448.99 |
| Total (every following year) | £1,980.68 |
How long do solar panels take to payback?
For most Good Energy customers, their solar panels pay for themselves 8 years or less. After which, the electricity they generate is essentially free, with continued savings for decades.
The solar payback periods below were calculated by analysing 157 real customer proposals.
| 7 years or less | 42.7% |
| 8–10 years | 38.2% |
| 11+ years | 19.1% |
How Solar Savings compares to the Feed-in Tariff export rate
If you receive Feed-in Tariff payments, current export rates for 2025-2026 are between 5.25 and 7.39p per kWh. Solar Savings could pay around £122.67 more per year.
For this calculation, we’ve based our model on a 3.6 kWp installation, which was the average domestic solar system size under the UK Feed-in Tariff scheme.
| Annual generation | 3,224 kWh |
| Assumed export volume | 50% |
| Solar export | 1,612 kWh |
| Feed-in Tariff export rate | £0.0739 per kWh |
| Feed-in Tariff annual export payment | £119.13 |
| Solar Savings annual earnings | £241.80 |
| Additional annual earnings (by switching to Solar Savings) | £122.67 |
How is this calculated?
To see our workings, you can find more information below.
Our average 3 bedroom household has a electricity consumption of 2,700 kWh a year – the national averages defined by Ofgem. We have based our modelling on installing a 10 panel (4.75 kWp) solar panel system and a 10 kWh battery. These are realistic upgrades for homes of this size.
Good Energy installs highly efficient 475W solar panels, meaning a 10-panel solar array will have a total installed capacity of 4.75kW.
A south facing system in the South of England with no shading and an average 30° pitched roof is estimated to generate up to 5,997 kWh per year using standard MCS methodologies. East or West-facing systems are estimated to generate up to 4,822 kWh.
Using our internal data, we estimate that an average 3 bedroom household would use around 2,000 kWh of their solar power as its produced, instead of drawing power from the grid at 27p / kWh (the current average energy price cap across our install areas). Assuming they have East / West facing panels, they would export around 2,822 kWh a year at 15p / kWh.
If their install included a battery, this household would be eligible for our exclusive rate export tariff for 12 months, currently paying 25p / kWh.
Modelling based on a 10-panel 4.75kW system
| Solar power generated (4822 kWh total) |
Unit rate saved / earned | Financial saving | |
| Electricity bill savings | 2,000 kWh | 0.27 / kWh | £552.60 |
| Export tariff earnings (standard rate) |
2,822 kWh | 0.15 / kWh | £423.30 |
| Export tariff earnings (12-month exclusive rate for customers with batteries) |
2,822 kWh | 0.25 / kWh | £705.50 |
| Total bill savings (First 12 months, if install includes a battery) |
£1,258.10 | ||
| Total solar bill savings (Future) |
£975.90 |
Good Energy customers can expect a return on investment on their household solar panels in eight years or less. To calculate this, we looked at 157 domestic solar proposals created between 1st March 25 – 20th June 2025.
Of these 157 proposals:
42.7% of proposals had a payback period of 7 years or under
38.2% had a payback period of between 8 – 10 years
19.1% had a payback period of 11 years or more.
All of these proposals were created for homes in the South and South West of England, and involve complex modelling to calculate an estimated annual generation figure, based on system size, orientation, inclination, postcode and shade factor. Estimated annual generation is not guaranteed due to variability in the amount of sunlight from location to location and year to year.
Estimated annual savings from solar panels include bill savings from using solar power directly in the home, in addition to export tariff earnings. Return on investment period is calculated by dividing total system price by estimated annual savings.
Based on anonymised smart meter data from 400 of customers, we found that people were using around 6.6 kWh in the evenings each day. If they were to charge their battery at an off-peak rate, and then use this stored power in the evenings during peak times, they could unlock substantial savings.
Based on an average unit rate of 27p / kWh (the current average energy price cap across our install areas) and an off-peak rate of 8p per kWh, this this would reduce electricity costs by up to £472 per year.
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- Our estimations are based on current energy unit rates, export tariff rates, and solar panel efficiencies. Actual savings can fluctuate depending on these factors.
- Households with solar panels but no battery are estimated to export around 50% of the solar power they generate. This is based on the deemed export volume agreed by the government’s Feed-in Tariff scheme.
- Households with solar panels and a battery are estimated to use up to 75% of the solar power they generate, and export 25%. This can vary depending on how large your system is, and how much power you use at home.
- The earnings from exporting solar power are based on the current Good Energy Solar Savings export rate, which is 15p/kWh. To get the Solar Savings Exclusive rate of 25p/kWh (for a 12 month term), you must have installed both solar panels and a battery with Good Energy Solar.
Do solar panels save carbon?
Solar energy is 100% renewable and produces no greenhouse gas emissions when generating power. Every kilowatt-hour your panels produce replaces electricity that might otherwise have been generated from fossil fuels. And because solar panels can last 25 years or more, those carbon savings really add up.
By choosing solar, you’re directly contributing to cleaner air, reduced carbon emissions, and a more sustainable energy system.
What makes Good Energy different?
We don’t just install solar panels — we design systems you can rely on. Here’s what sets us apart:
Trusted by thousands: With over 11,500 5-star Trustpilot reviews, customers consistently highlight our expertise, customer care and professionalism.
Built to last: Our systems come with long-term product and workmanship warranties, so you can feel confident long after installation day.
Designed properly, not rushed: Every system is carefully designed for your home and energy use — not based on instant estimates or guesswork.
Support beyond install day: From expert design through to aftercare, we’re set up for the long run — so your solar investment is too.
A certified force for good: As a B Corp certified energy supplier, we meet high standards for environmental and social responsibility across our business.
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* Your actual savings and export payments will depend on the size of your solar installation, how much of your solar electricity you are able to use, and the volume you export.
** Solar Savings is a variable tariff, with rates updated from time to time to make sure you receive a fair price. Rates can go down as well as up.
We’ve analysed real payments made to 2,128 Good Energy customers in 2024 on our Solar Savings tariff. We can see our median customer earns £416.72 through export of excess energy, and our top 10% earn in excess of £963.59 a year.
*** Solar Savings Exclusive is a fixed rate, fixed term tariff for 12 months. That means once you’ve joined, your unit rate won’t change for a whole year. We regularly review our exclusive tariff rate to ensure it is competitive. This means that the rate available may change for new customers.