Is Now the Right Time to Invest in Solar and Battery Storage?

If you’ve been thinking about solar and battery storage for your home, you might be wondering: Should I wait… or is now the right time to take the plunge? We get asked this question a lot "Aren't prices of batteries just going to go down?"

In the UK and especially in Nottingham, Leicester, and Derby, acting now could be one of the smartest financial decisions you make this decade.

1. You Start Saving Sooner

Every month you delay installation is another month of paying full price for electricity passes, potentially costing you hundreds of pounds. The sooner your system is installed, the sooner you:

• Reduce your grid reliance

• Protect yourself from price hikes

• Start generating and storing your own energy

In most UK homes, every month of delay pushes your break-even point further into the future. With solar and battery installations or even just battery only installations it can save you £100’s per month. Meaning waiting a year could cost you over £1,200. If you’ve been thinking about this for a year, you could have saved £1,200 from your bill, or over £600 if you’ve been thinking about it for 6 months.

2. Energy Prices Aren’t Going Down

According to the Government’s own ONS data, electricity prices have risen 5.8% per year since they started recording the data in the 80’s. This includes a period in the 90’s of extremely cheap energy and a decrease in cost of Russian oil after the fall of the Soviet Union. This is when the west got hooked on cheap electricity. Prices over the last 10-20 years have seen annual percentage increases in double figures on a consistent basis.

UK Electricity Prices 1988–2025 in GBP per kWh – Modern Infographic

3. 0% VAT and Other Incentives Are Still in Play

The UK’s 0% VAT rate on domestic solar and batteries won’t last forever, it is set to expire in less than two years in 2027. That means prices will increase overnight once this incentive is stopped. Considering the fact that 6-12 months before this deadline there will be a mad rush to get in before the deadline means that you really should be considering this now. Locking in while it’s available will save you thousands in cost and savings.

If incentives change, you could end up paying more for the exact same system in under two years from now.

4. The Gap is Getting Wider, increasing the pressure on household budgets

It's clear in the graph, electricity price inflation increases more than that of standard inflation. When prices increase faster than GDP, which they do every year, that directly results in more downward pressure on our household budgets, wages are not growing fast enough to keep up. This means your disposable income is eaten away with more needing to go on your home and less on the fun stuff you prefer to spend your money on. A solar and battery system, or a battery only solution is the solution to this problem.

5. Tech has Matured and Is More Reliable Than Ever Reducing Payback Periods

Modern batteries offer longer lifespans, better warranties, and smarter energy management than even 5 years ago. All thanks to the demand in electric vehicles, leading to better and cheaper manufacturing practices and considerable amounts invested into research and development. Waiting for the “next big thing” could mean missing years of proven savings with today’s technology.

Bar chart showing cumulative savings from a UK solar installation, with an initial investment in 2025, payback reached after 6 years 7 months, and total net savings of £51,040 by 2044

6. Local Demand is Rising

In Nottingham, Leicester, and Derby, more homeowners are joining the switch to solar and battery storage. That’s great for the environment, but it also means grid connection queues are getting longer in some areas. Getting in now could mean a faster installation and more power on your roof, or a more appropriate inverter for your battery. Added to this the Government’s plan to make solar and requirement for all new build housing projects, the demand on the grid will increase, meaning the restrictions we are starting to see will increase.

Summary

If you’re serious about reducing bills, protecting against energy price volatility, and taking control of your home’s energy, there’s little financial reason to wait. In most cases, the sooner you act, the better your long-term return, especially as the VAT free incentive will end in less than two years, meaning prices will increase by 20% overnight.