The short answer for Leicester: a 4kW south-facing system in Leicester generates about 3,920 kWh a year on the EU's PVGIS model — about 4% less than London. Installed prices for that size run roughly £6,600–£7,800 on the UK government's 2025/26 cost data, and at October–December 2026 East Midlands electricity prices (25.36p/kWh) it is worth roughly £700 a year without a battery, or £800 if a battery lets you use most of it yourself.
Leicester's city boundary is drawn tight. Oadby, Wigston, Glenfield and Birstall are in neighbouring districts, so the city council area is mostly terraces, semis, flats and rented homes. Output and prices on this page hold across LE postcodes; the housing figures and planning notes describe the city itself.
How much a solar panel system generates in Leicester
The table uses the European Commission's PVGIS tool for Leicester: crystalline panels at a 35° pitch, with PVGIS's standard 14% allowance for system losses and the local horizon. Your installer's MCS estimate will differ a little because MCS uses its own irradiance tables and your actual pitch and shading, but the gap between places and orientations is what matters here.
| Roof faces | Per kW | 3kW system | 4kW system | 6kW system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | 981 kWh | 2,940 kWh | 3,920 kWh | 5,890 kWh |
| East | 785 kWh | 2,360 kWh | 3,140 kWh | 4,710 kWh |
| West | 763 kWh | 2,290 kWh | 3,050 kWh | 4,580 kWh |
Annual output, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3 satellite data, 2005–2023) for Leicester, fetched 30 October 2026. Actual output varies year to year.
Of the 25 areas we cover, Leicester ranks 12th for south-facing yield (Dorset is highest at 1,126 kWh per kW, Glasgow lowest at 853). The seasons matter as much as the location: in December a 4kW system here makes about 137 kWh for the whole month, against 466 kWh in June — which is why a battery is mostly a summer and shoulder-season tool, and why nobody should promise you winter bills near zero.
Leicester models slightly more output per kW than Nottingham or Derby, and about 4% less than London. East- and west-facing roofs make about four-fifths of a south-facing one here. If your terrace has one slope facing east and the other west, panels on both slopes spread generation from morning to evening and suit a household that is home during the day.
What solar costs and saves in Leicester
There is no separate "Leicester price" for solar — installers price by system size, roof and access — so the fairest benchmark is the government's own cost series. Across domestic installations registered with MCS between April 2025 and March 2026, the average installed cost was £1,955 per kW for systems up to 4kW and £1,645 per kW for 4–10kW, VAT included and batteries excluded.
| System | Output in Leicester | Typical installed price | Year-one value, no battery | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 2,940 kWh | £4,900–£5,900 | £500 | 10–11 years |
| 4kW | 3,920 kWh | £6,600–£7,800 | £700 | 10–11 years |
| 6kW | 5,890 kWh | £9,900–£11,700 | £1,000 | 10–11 years |
Price range: DESNZ Solar PV cost data (published 28 May 2026), each size priced between the 4–10kW average (£1,645/kW) and the up-to-4kW average (£1,955/kW); bigger systems tend towards the lower figure per kW. Value: south-facing PVGIS output, 40% used in the home at the East Midlands price-cap unit rate of 25.36p/kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026), the rest exported at 12p/kWh (the 12p rate several large suppliers pay their own import customers in September 2026). Payback ignores panel degradation, future price changes and inverter replacement.
Two things move those numbers more than anything about Leicester itself. First, how much you use yourself: every unit you use saves 25.36p, every unit you export earns only what your export tariff pays — 12p in this illustration. Our illustration assumes you use 40% without a battery; with a battery taking that to around 70%, the same 4kW system is worth about £800 a year — but the battery adds several thousand pounds, so price it as its own line and judge it on its own payback (battery storage guide). Second, the export tariff: rates are set by suppliers, not Ofgem, and range widely — see the solar payback guide for current examples.
VAT on solar panels and batteries installed in homes is 0% until 31 March 2027 (how the relief works), so a quote that adds 20% VAT to a domestic install is wrong.
Leicester homes and what they mean for your roof
Census 2021 counted 127,385 households in Leicester: 36.4% semi-detached, 29.2% terraced, 11.4% detached and 23.0% flats or maisonettes, with 46.7% owner-occupied and 29.4% privately rented (England and Wales: 61.6% owned).
Semis are the largest group in Leicester, with terraces close behind. A terraced roof often suits about 3kW and a semi 3.5–4kW. Fewer than half of households own their home and nearly three in ten rent privately, so for many homes the landlord has to commission the panels, and the bill savings go to whoever pays the electricity bill.
Almost a quarter of Leicester households live in flats, where the freeholder or management company has to agree, and the council reminds flat owners that flats "do not have the same permitted development rights as single dwellings". About 1.9% of households are heated by a heat network alone, roughly double the England and Wales share, which is worth knowing if you are planning solar alongside a future change to your heating.
Planning permission in Leicester
For houses in England, roof-mounted solar is permitted development — no planning application — as long as the panels stand no more than 20cm proud of the roof slope and don't rise above the highest part of the roof. The main exceptions are listed buildings (which need listed building consent), panels mounted on a wall that faces a road in a conservation area, and properties where the council has removed permitted development rights with an Article 4 direction. Blocks of flats have their own, similar permitted development rules, but panels on a shared roof still need the freeholder's consent. The rules were last amended on 27 August 2026.
Leicester has 25 conservation areas, from the medieval core around the Castle and High Street to Victorian suburbs such as Stoneygate and South Highfields, and old village centres like Knighton and Aylestone (council list). The council's guidance goes further than the national rules: in a conservation area it says you must apply for planning permission if "the panel or dish faces the street and is visible" (what you can do in a conservation area). Thirteen of the 25 also have Article 4 directions that can bring "altering windows, doors or roofs" under planning control: across most of Stoneygate, Spinney Hill Park, the West End, South Highfields, Knighton Village, New Walk, St Paul's and Evington Footpath, many properties in Loughborough Road, and a few streets in Aylestone Village, Belgrave Hall, Braunstone Village and the Castle area (Stoneygate; Spinney Hill Park; West End; each area's page on the council list). If your house is in one of these areas, check with the council before you pay for a survey.
Connecting to the grid: National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands)
Leicester's local electricity network is run by National Grid Electricity Distribution in its East Midlands licence area. Your installer notifies or applies to it for the connection; your electricity supplier is a separate company.
For a typical home system the installer handles this. A single-phase installation up to 3.68kW of inverter capacity (16 amps per phase) is connected under the G98 process and the network operator is notified within 28 days of commissioning. Anything larger — including a bigger system, or panels plus a battery whose combined inverter capacity passes that limit — goes through G99, which needs the network operator's approval before installation and can add weeks. Ask your installer which route your design needs and whether an export limit is being applied.
Getting a quote in Leicester
Tell us about your home
Postcode, property type and how you'd pay. Two minutes.
We pass it to one installer
If an accredited (MCS-certified) installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them. They can arrange a roof survey and quote.
Judge the quote
Check it against the figures on this page. If it's out of range, you can say no. No obligation at any stage.
How your enquiry is handled
- One installer introduction, fulfilling your request. If an accredited (MCS-certified) installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them — not a list of companies.
- No obligation, at any stage. You can say no at any point, including after the survey or the quote, and owe nothing.
- It costs you nothing. An installer may pay Great British Energy a referral fee if you go ahead, and that fee does not change your price.
- We are an independent guide, not an installer. Great British Energy Guide doesn't install anything and isn't the government body of a similar name. Your consent is recorded with the enquiry, as set out in our privacy policy.
Get your solar quote in Leicester
One MCS-certified installer who covers your postcode. Nothing is shared until you submit.
What the quote should show
- The installer's MCS certificate number — needed for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff — and their consumer code (RECC or HIES).
- Named panel and inverter make and model, with quantities, and the MCS performance estimate for your roof in kWh a year. Every saving quoted to you should come from that estimate.
- Scaffolding stated as included or excluded, and any battery priced as a separate line.
- No VAT added on a home installation (0% until 31 March 2027), warranty terms split out, and, if financed, the total repayable next to the cash price.
The full checklist is on the solar quotes page.
Questions from Leicester homeowners
Is solar worth it in Leicester?
For most unshaded roofs, yes. On PVGIS data a south-facing roof in Leicester makes about 4% less per kW than one in London and slightly more than one in Nottingham or Derby. The payback table above uses Leicester's own output and East Midlands prices.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in a Leicester conservation area?
Leicester City Council says you must apply if the panels face the street and are visible, sit above the ridge line, or project more than 200mm from the roof. Panels on a rear slope that cannot be seen from the street are normally fine unless an Article 4 direction applies. Listed buildings always need consent.
I live in Oadby, Wigston or Glenfield. Does this page apply?
Yes for output, prices and the grid: same East Midlands network and price-cap region. Planning is handled by Oadby and Wigston Borough Council or Blaby District Council rather than Leicester City Council, so check their conservation-area maps.
I rent in Leicester. Can I get solar panels?
Only if your landlord arranges and pays for it. You can pass them this page; our form records landlord enquiries separately so the installer knows who owns the roof.
Who is the electricity network operator in Leicester?
National Grid Electricity Distribution, which runs the East Midlands network. Your installer handles the notification or the approval application, depending on system size.
Other areas
- Solar in Birmingham
- Solar in Newcastle
- Solar in Manchester
- Solar in Bristol
- Solar in Sheffield
- Solar in Doncaster
- Solar in Nottingham
- Solar in Cornwall
- Solar in Aberdeen
- Solar in Cambridge
- Solar in Cardiff
- Solar in Derby
- Solar in Devon
- Solar in Dorset
- Solar in Edinburgh
- Solar in Essex
- Solar in Glasgow
- Solar in Hull
- Solar in Kent
- Solar in Leeds
- Solar in Liverpool
- Solar in London
- Solar in Norfolk
- Solar in Telford & Shropshire
Heat pump pages: Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Wales, and all heat pump quotes.
Solar for a shop, office, farm or factory instead? See commercial solar panels and the business energy audit guide.
Sources
- European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.3 — grid-connected PV, Leicester, 1kWp crystalline silicon, 35° slope, 14% system loss, south/east/west, SARAH3 2005–2023; queried 30 October 2026.
- Office for National Statistics, Census 2021 tables TS044 (accommodation type), TS046 (central heating), TS050 (bedrooms) and TS054 (tenure), local authority level, via Nomis.
- DESNZ, Solar PV cost data, updated 28 May 2026 — domestic, mean cost per kW, Total Installed Capacity basis, 2025/26 (Official Statistics in development).
- Ofgem, Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026 (26 August 2026) and regional unit rates and standing charges; electricity at 0% VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 (HMRC).
- Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee: tariffs must be above zero; suppliers with 150,000+ domestic customers must offer one. Supplier export rates checked on supplier websites, 23 September 2026.
- HMRC, VAT Notice 708/6: 0% on installing energy-saving materials in homes, 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027.
- Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 14 Class A, as amended to 27 August 2026.
- Network connection thresholds (G98 up to 16A per phase — 3.68kW single-phase; larger systems G99): SP Electricity North West; find your operator via the Energy Networks Association.
- Leicester City Council, conservation areas, what you can do in a conservation area, and the individual conservation area pages, including Stoneygate, Spinney Hill Park and West End (checked 30 October 2026).