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“That quote is very expensive, check with other companies as I am getting same installed for [~$13,500] next month.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A homeowner in Northwest England says a rooftop solar quote that was more than $14,000 (£12,500) in May became much harder to justify after the price of a similar 19-panel system rose by more than $5,100 (£4,500), stretching the projected payback period to 20 years.
The homeowner shared their story in a post to Reddit’s r/SolarUK community. The original poster explained that the first quote they received in May priced a 9.21-kilowatt-peak, 19-panel installation at $14,000, including a Tesla Powerwall 3 battery and a Backup Gateway 2.
But when the system was priced again, a similar configuration came back at nearly $20,000 (£17,000), with roughly $2,000 of the increase attributed to updated scaffolding costs.
The OP then wrote, “Unfortunately, didn’t have the funds to proceed earlier in the year, but now I feel I’ve been priced out of an efficient solar system…. Anyone else had a jump in quotes this year?… ROI jumped from 16 to 20 years”
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To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
For OP’s household, which uses about 6,000 kilowatt-hours per year, the quote was based on an estimated self-consumption rate of 62%.
In the discussion that followed, several users said the higher total may reflect the battery and backup equipment as much as any wider rise in solar panel prices.
The top comment read, “A 16 year ROI isn’t great to begin with, I’m on around 6 or 7 with my system based on current prices.” Another added, “That ROI seems miles off surely?”
A third user wrote, “That quote is very expensive, check with other companies as I am getting same installed for [~$13,500] next month.”
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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
People responding to the post cited factors such as installer demand, constrained panel supply, and shipping disruptions (in part due to the Iran War), while others argued that premium equipment choices were probably the larger driver of the quote.
For homeowners dealing with quote shock, it may make more sense to reprice the full system rather than looking only at the sticker price of the panels. That can mean requesting at least three new quotes and checking the payback yourself using realistic assumptions for grid imports, exports, and off-peak charging.
If you’re comparing options, EnergySage offers free solar installation estimates and lets homeowners compare quotes side by side. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations.
For readers in the U.S., EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system by state and details solar panel incentives for each state. 
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid, too. Homeowners can also explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
Each article touches on the same affordability questions that surfaced in the Reddit thread, from incentives and equipment choices to cheaper ways to source panels. 
• Budget-minded homeowners on Facebook Marketplace found eye-popping deals for solar by buying used panels.
• In Florida, one homeowner said solar turned an $800 power bill into a $300 credit.
• U.S. homeowners learned that they could get up to $9,000 off solar panels.
These stories can help homeowners sort out whether a long payback comes from market conditions, pricey add-ons, or represents a deal that doesn’t make sense.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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