Where the figures come from
Each certified installation on the MCS register is logged with its size and price, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes averages by region each year. The 2025/26 release, published on 28 May 2026, covers 18,822 MCS-certified installations in Yorkshire and the Humber: 13,608 of them up to 4 kW and 4,425 between 4 and 10 kW (DESNZ). Leeds is the region's biggest city, so these are the most relevant published prices for a Leeds home. They are averages across all kinds of roof and kit, so a particular quote can sit above or below for good reasons.
Prices and output by size
| System | Rate used | Total, about | kWh a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | £1,972/kW | £3,950 | 1,904 |
| 3 kW | £1,972/kW | £5,900 | 2,856 |
| 4 kW | £1,972/kW | £7,900 | 3,808 |
| 5 kW | £1,745/kW | £8,750 | 4,760 |
| 6 kW | £1,745/kW | £10,450 | 5,712 |
The output column assumes a south-facing 35° slope; an east or west slope makes about four-fifths of it, and the roof picker gives the figure for your own direction and area. The Energy Saving Trust treats 4.5 kWp as a typical home system (Energy Saving Trust), but many Leeds terraces have room for less.
Yorkshire against other regions
For systems up to 4 kW, the 2025/26 average in Yorkshire and the Humber was £1,972 per kW. The national median for the same size band was £1,780 (DESNZ). Some other regions for comparison:
- North West: £2,021 per kW
- North East: £1,878 per kW
- London: £2,177 per kW
- Scotland: £1,944 per kW
Averages and medians are different measures, so treat the comparison as a rough guide. What it does show is that Yorkshire prices sit in the middle of the national range, not at either end.
What moves a Leeds quote
- Roof size. A back-to-back slope or a small terrace roof spreads the fixed costs over fewer panels, so the price per kW rises.
- Access. Scaffold standing on a pavement needs a council licence, and narrow streets with parked cars take more planning. A detached house with a drive is simpler.
- Roof shape. Hipped semis, dormers and chimney stacks mean more cutting around obstacles and sometimes two arrays.
- Shade. Optimisers or microinverters add cost but protect output where stacks or neighbouring roofs shade part of the array.
- Kit. Panel make and power, inverter type, and extras such as bird mesh or an export meter.
Adding a battery
DESNZ also publishes battery prices for existing homes. In 2025/26 the median installed price was £1300 per kWh for batteries under 6 kWh, £890 for 6 to 11 kWh and £630 for 11 to 30 kWh (DESNZ). A battery and its inverter also count towards the network connection limit. The battery page explains sizing.
Installed solar and batteries are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027; the rate becomes 5% from 1 April 2027 (HMRC). On a £7,900 job that would be about £400 more, by our arithmetic.
What three Leeds homes would cost at the Yorkshire means
Below, three typical Leeds homes are priced at the regional mean for their size band. Remember that the two bands sit £227 per kW apart (our arithmetic): a quote just over 4 kW belongs against the cheaper band, one just under against the dearer, and mixing them up makes a fair quote look poor or a poor one look fair.
| Home | System | At the mean | kWh a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back-to-back in Harehills, its own slope only | 2 kW | £3,950 | 1,894 |
| Semi in Roundhay | 4 kW | £7,900 | 3,804 |
| Detached house near Wetherby | 6 kW | £10,450 | 5,832 |
The back-to-back is the hardest to price fairly: with only one slope and often a pavement scaffold, a 2 kW job carries the same fixed costs as a bigger one, so expect a quote above the regional mean per kW (DESNZ). The back-to-back page explains the slope rules, and which roof is yours gives the output for any direction (PVGIS 5.3).
Owners and landlords
At the 2021 Census 28% of Leeds households owned outright and 29% with a mortgage; 21.8% rented privately and 15.1% from the council (Census 2021). Owners can use the figures on this page directly. Tenants depend on the landlord, and council tenants on the council's own programme. For the grant the council has run, and its current status, see solar funding in Leeds.
Checking a quote
- Divide the total by the system size in kW and set it against the averages above.
- Check the expected kWh a year against the roof picker for your direction and area.
- Make sure scaffold, the licence, the network notification and the certificates are all included.
- Get at least two written, itemised quotes from MCS-certified installers, and read the installer checklist on this site.
For help with the cost, see funding in Leeds.