What Should a Solar and Battery Package Actually Include?

A solar and battery package should include everything needed to leave you with a working, certified system: a survey-led design, the hardware, scaffolding, installation labour, commissioning, the grid-connection and MCS paperwork, a written workmanship guarantee and aftercare. If a price leaves any of those out, it is not the full cost.

Prices for what looks like the same system can differ by thousands of pounds, usually because some are kits and others are installed and certified. We have installed solar from our Tamworth base since 2009; here is how to tell a complete package from a partial one.

Kit price vs installed price: what is the difference?

A kit is hardware only: panels, inverter, battery, mounting rails and cable, delivered to your door. It is a legitimate product, but its price leaves out:

• Scaffolding, which can cost from several hundred pounds to over £1,000 on its own.
• Installation labour, including the electrical work.
• Commissioning: testing the system and setting up the inverter and battery.
• The MCS certificate, which only an MCS-certified installer can issue.

That last item decides whether exported electricity earns anything: Smart Export Guarantee suppliers ask for proof that the installation and installer are MCS certified, or covered by an equivalent scheme, before they pay. VAT differs too: installing solar panels and batteries in a home is currently zero-rated, while hardware bought alone carries the standard rate.

Checklist: what an installed solar and battery package should include

Each item should be in the price or itemised on the quote. If one is missing, ask why.

• A survey-led design: roof, shading, structure and consumer unit checked, battery position agreed and your electricity use reviewed before the price is final.
• Scaffolding, stated clearly: what the price allows for, and how anything extra would be charged.
• Named hardware: panels, inverter and battery listed by make and model.
• Certified electrical work: an Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations sign-off, which NICEIC- or NAPIT-registered electricians can self-certify.
• DNO paperwork: systems with up to 3.68kW of inverter capacity per phase are notified to your distribution network operator (DNO) under G98 after installation; anything larger needs G99 approval before fitting.
• The MCS certificate, issued after commissioning and needed to register for Smart Export Guarantee payments.
• Battery commissioning and app setup: charging configured around your tariff and routine, and the monitoring app working on your phone before the installers leave.
• A written workmanship guarantee, separate from product warranties: manufacturers warrant the hardware, while the workmanship guarantee covers the installation itself, from roof fixings to wiring. You need both.
• Aftercare: a handover pack with every certificate and warranty document, help applying for export payments, and a named contact if the app shows a fault.

How to compare solar and battery quotes like-for-like

Quotes are only comparable when they specify the same system. Ask every installer to itemise, then check:

• System size: total panel output in kWp and usable battery capacity in kWh, not just the panel count.
• Scaffolding: included, itemised or missing.
• Paperwork: DNO notification and MCS certification handled by the installer, not left to you.
• Guarantees: how long the workmanship guarantee runs, and who registers the product warranties.
• Exclusions: consumer unit upgrades, extra roof elevations, long cable runs.

When one quote is far cheaper than the rest, the reason is usually on that list.

Red flags in a solar and battery quote

• A fixed price with no survey step at all. Fixed package pricing is normal, and our own packages work that way, but a reputable installer still confirms the roof, consumer unit and battery position by survey before the price is final. A binding figure from someone who has never checked your home is guesswork.
• No make or model anywhere. You cannot check the warranty or performance of anonymous hardware.
• Silence on MCS or the DNO. Assume neither is included, and that export payments are at risk.
• Pressure to sign at the first visit. A fair price will still be fair once you have compared it.
• Nothing standing behind your deposit. Check the installer belongs to a consumer code such as HIES, which protects deposits, and confirm their MCS certification on the scheme's own installer directory.

How much does an installed solar and battery package cost?

Across the main 2026 UK price guides, a typical fully installed 4kW solar system with a home battery costs roughly £8,000 to £13,000, and more with a larger battery. Where a home lands depends mainly on battery size, panel count, scaffolding and whether the consumer unit needs upgrading.

Treat any published range, this one included, as a guide rather than a quote. Whether a system pays off depends mostly on how much of its electricity you use at home, which is exactly what a proper survey should work out.

Where to start

Our fixed-price solar and battery package options spell out what the price covers: named hardware, all electrical work, the cost of scaffolding to one elevation, DNO notification, MCS certification, commissioning with app monitoring and our two-year workmanship guarantee. Each price is confirmed in writing after a survey, and nothing is booked until you accept it. We are MCS certified, NAPIT registered, and HIES members.

Or start from your own roof: book a free solar survey for a written quote with every component named by make and model, a useful benchmark for any other quote.