The regional figures
DESNZ's 2025/26 solar cost statistics, published on 28 May 2026, draw on 18,822 MCS-certified installations in Yorkshire and the Humber. Of those, 13,608 were systems of up to 4 kW, at a mean of £1,972 per kW, and 4,425 were 4 to 10 kW, at £1,745 per kW (DESNZ).
Set against the other northern regions, Yorkshire sits between the North West at £2,021 and the North East at £1,878 for small systems, and above the GB median of £1,780. A quote from a firm that also works across the Pennines may be pitched at a different market, so ask how its price is built up rather than comparing it with a national headline.
Compare each quote with the mean for its own size band. The two Yorkshire and the Humber means are £227 per kW apart (our arithmetic), so a 4.5 kW quote judged against the small-system mean will look cheaper than it is, and a 3.8 kW quote judged against the larger-system mean will look dearer. The estimator handles the output side for any size.
Sizes and output at the regional means
The table prices common sizes at the regional means and gives what each would make facing south at 35°, in the city centre and in the valley at Haworth, where the hills take a little (PVGIS 5.3). Totals are our arithmetic, rounded to £50. The Energy Saving Trust treats 4.5 kWp as a typical home system (Energy Saving Trust); many terrace roofs will take less.
| Size | Mean per kW | About | kWh a year, city centre | kWh a year, Haworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 kW | £1,972 | £4,950 | 2,335 | 2,265 |
| 3.5 kW | £1,972 | £6,900 | 3,269 | 3,171 |
| 4 kW | £1,972 | £7,900 | 3,736 | 3,624 |
| 5 kW | £1,745 | £8,750 | 4,670 | 4,530 |
| 6 kW | £1,745 | £10,450 | 5,604 | 5,436 |
The step between 4 and 5 kW reflects the two DESNZ size bands rather than a sudden drop in price; a 4.5 kW quote could fairly sit between them. Put your own figures through the estimator for the output side.
What pushes a Bradford quote up
- Steep streets and tall gables. Scaffolding on a hillside terrace or a three-storey gable costs more than on a level semi.
- Stone and slate. Heavy stone slates and old slate take more care to fix through, and broken ones need replacing.
- Small roofs. A terrace slope broken by stacks and an extension takes fewer panels, so fixed costs weigh more per kW.
- Consent. In Saltaire or on any listed home, listed building consent adds time and drawings.
- Shade and kit. Optimisers for a shaded slope, a premium panel, a battery or a diverter for hot water.
None of these is a reason to accept a price without seeing it broken down. Each should be its own line on the quote, so two quotes can be compared item by item. See choosing an installer.
Adding a battery
DESNZ also publishes median battery prices for existing homes: in 2025/26, £1,300 per kWh under 6 kWh, £890 from 6 to 11 kWh and £630 from 11 to 30 kWh (DESNZ). Ask for a battery on its own line so the panels can still be judged per kW. Batteries in Bradford homes
Three Bradford houses, priced at the regional means
Three typical cases across the district, each priced at the Yorkshire and the Humber mean for its size band and paired with what PVGIS gives a south-facing roof at the nearest of our thirteen places, hills included (our arithmetic from DESNZ and PVGIS 5.3):
| Home | System | At the mean | kWh a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone terrace near the city centre | 2.5 kW | £4,950 | 2,335 |
| Semi on the ridge at Idle | 4 kW | £7,900 | 3,764 |
| Detached house in Ilkley | 6 kW | £10,450 | 5,532 |
The regional means do not split a 2.5 kW system from a 4 kW one, so a small terrace system will usually come in above the mean per kW: its scaffolding, inverter and labour are shared across fewer panels. The Ilkley figure carries a small loss to the moor above the town that the city centre does not have. Put your own size and place into the estimator to see the output side, and read stone terraces for why terrace systems tend to be small.
Who pays: owners, landlords and the council's scheme
Nearly a quarter of Bradford households rent from a private landlord, 23% at the 2021 Census, more than the 14.6% who rent from a council or housing association; 31.9% own outright and 29.9% with a mortgage (Census 2021). For tenants the landlord decides and pays, so the prices here are the landlord's yardstick. Better Homes Bradford offers solar PV with battery storage to privately-owned and privately-rented households in qualifying areas after a survey, with a landlord's first property at no charge and a contribution on later ones; the scheme decides whether an address qualifies (Bradford Council). See help with the cost for every route.
VAT
Installed solar panels and batteries in homes are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, and carry 5% from 1 April 2027 (HMRC). On a 4 kW system at the regional mean, 5% would add about £400, by our arithmetic. Which rate applies depends on when the work is done, so a quote for work early in 2027 should say how it treats VAT. Lower-income households may be able to get help through the council: see help with the cost.