If you live in the low-lying county of Essex and you’re looking to reduce your electricity bills, solar panels are the best decision you can make.

From Epping Forest to Tendring, Essex receives more sunlight than most areas of the UK, which means you have a distinct advantage over other counties when it comes to using solar panels.

In this guide, we’ll explain how much solar panels cost in Essex, which installers you can trust, how well they work in the county’s weather, and which government grants can help you reduce the cost.

At Sunsave we install across the whole of Essex – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll provide an estimate.

What are the best solar panel installers in Essex?

1. Sunsave

At Sunsave, our mission is to make solar accessible to all UK households, which is why we’re offering the UK’s first solar subscription service.

Sunsave Plus allows you to start saving on your energy bills immediately, without having to pay anything upfront.

You’ll get the best-in-class kit installed on your roof, access to the best export tariffs, and the 20-year Sunsave Guarantee.

This includes 24/7 monitoring, maintenance, a free battery upgrade, a replacement inverter if required, and downtime cover – all for a fixed monthly fee.

Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire, and theft.

2. Green Eco Group

Local boys Aaron Hundal and Tarren Dhariwal run this Waltham Abbey-based business, which has grown steadily since launching in 2022.

As well as partnering with reputable brands such as JA Solar, Trina, QCells, and LONGi, Green Eco Group has also worked to provide outstanding customer service.

Reviewers have praised the team for communicating in a direct, transparent manner, and for the aftercare they’ve received.

The company promises that it’ll be available 24/7 to deal with queries from customers, and it seems like this approach has paid off.

3. Bliss Eco Energy

From its offices overlooking the Southend waterfront, Bliss Eco Energy has attained the approval of every top standards organisation – which is pretty impressive, considering it only started operating in 2022.

This young team of installers has also won over the group that matters most of all: its customers.

Bliss has an extremely high rating on both Trustpilot and Which?, while reviewers on Google have heaped praise on managing director Dale Bliss for being friendly, communicative, and knowledgeable.

He’s not afraid of a challenge either, as shown by his willingness to install solar panels vertically, on customers’ walls.

4. TLC Home Group

TLC Home Group describes itself as “large enough to trust – small enough to care”, and this rings true.

This family-run company has an extremely impressive rating of 10 out of 10 on Checkatrade, based on dozens of reviews from happy customers who've complimented the TLC’s competence and expertise.

Its owner, Levi Draycott, started out by working for his father’s building company, before launching his own business in 2015, when he was 27.

‘TLC’ is a combination of his and his two children’s names, and the firm is embedded in the local community. It sponsors local youth football team Colchester Villa, and has completed multiple council projects.

Draycott also supports Manchester United. Try not to hold it against him.

How much do solar panels cost in Essex?

A 4.5kWp solar panel system costs £7,424 to buy and install in Essex, on average, according to MCS data.

For this price, you should be able to get 10 solar panels, each one with a 450-watt peak power rating.

We've also included the cost of adding a 5kWh battery, because a battery can hugely boost your solar returns.

It allows you to use more solar-generated electricity at home – known as self-consumption – which means you can buy less electricity from the grid.

You can also join the best export tariffs and time-of-use import tariffs, and join grid flexibility services like virtual power plants.

Around 94% of new solar panel installations in the UK include a battery, according to data from Flexi-Orb and the EPVS.

Multiple factors may cause your specific solar panel system’s price to be different though, including its size, the installation’s complexity, and the installer you choose.

To learn everything else you need to know, check out our guide to solar panel costs.

At Sunsave, we install across Essex – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll provide an estimate.

Are there any grants for solar panels in Essex?

There are solar panel grants for a variety of households in Essex, as well as schemes that can help you dramatically reduce the upfront cost.

If you’re not eligible for these initiatives but still can’t afford the price of solar panels, check out Sunsave Plus, which is available at no upfront cost. 

For fixed monthly payments over 20 years, you’ll receive the best-in-class kit, full monitoring and maintenance support, and a system that’ll save you money from day one.

To see which schemes you might qualify for, use our grant eligibility checker.

Solar Together Essex

Solar Together helps residents and business owners in a specific area to secure a discount on their solar installations through collective buying.

It’s not a government grant; it's a scheme run by private Dutch company iChoosr, in collaboration with local councils.

In Essex, more than 6,600 signed up during the 2023 edition of the scheme, which was the fourth time it took place in the county.

These households collectively achieved an average discount of 32%, which equated to thousands of pounds in upfront savings.

The initiative returned to Essex in 2024 and 2025, and usually passes through the county in the first couple of months of each year, for a limited time only.

However, the scheme comes with significant downsides. To learn more, read our comprehensive guide to Solar Together.

National grants

If you qualify for these nationwide government grants, you should definitely consider applying.

Solar panels can cut your electricity bills by hundreds of pounds per year, massively reduce your carbon footprint, and potentially increase your property’s value.

Warm Homes: Local Grant

The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) is a UK government grant that replaced the Home Upgrade Grant and Local Authority Delivery scheme.

Its first round of funding, announced in March 2025, awarded £6 million to a consortium of local authorities in Essex.

This group included Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Tendring, Uttlesford, Southend-on-Sea, and Thurrock.

Basildon, which applied separately, received £1.5 million.

These authorities must use the money to boost the energy efficiency and heating systems of energy-inefficient households which are deprived, low-income, or get a means-tested benefit. 

Eligible homes can receive up to £30,000 in funding – £15,000 for energy performance upgrades like solar & battery installations, and £15,000 for low-carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps.

You can’t apply for the grant yourself, though. If your local authority thinks your home might meet the grant's eligibility criteria, a representative will contact you.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

You can access this government project for reducing home emissions if you live in a low-income or vulnerable household with residents on at least one from a list of benefits – though the scheme ends in March 2026.

Rather than a grant, ECO4 is a way for the government to compel large energy suppliers to make energy-efficient improvements in struggling households, at no cost to the inhabitants.

ECO4 can help you to get a free solar panel system, though only if your property is heated with electricity, just like 11.2% of households in England.

For more information, check out our full guide to ECO4.

How many homes in Essex have solar panels?

51,267 homes in Essex have solar panels which are certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), as of January 2026.

Across the county’s 12 councils and two unitary authorities, that means 8.2% of the county's 627,000 households have installed solar panels.

This figure is well above the national average of 5.6% – as it should be, since Essex is sunnier than most of the UK.

Typical solar panel output in Essex

Is it worth getting solar panels in Essex?

It’s absolutely worth getting solar panels in Essex, thanks to the high levels of irradiance – as 8.2% of households in the county have discovered.

If you’re put off by the upfront cost, you could look into accessing a national or local grant.

If you’re not eligible for any of these, consider Sunsave Plus, our all-in-one solar and battery solution that’s tailored to your home, and delivered as a monthly subscription at no upfront cost.

And if you’re interested in how much you could save with a solar & battery system from an installer that covers Essex, enter a few details below and we’ll provide an estimate.