Solar panels only in Herne Bay

What it costs for a Herne Bay house

Estimates, not quotes. Each bar shows the payback range on a 0 to 45 year scale, with the dark marker at how long the equipment lasts, so a bar that runs past it is a warning. Prices assume 0% VAT (ends 31 March 2027, then 5%). The plug-in payback is our arithmetic on the Energy Saving Trust figures. Full table and method.

Who it suits

• Someone is in during the day, or you run appliances by day
• You have a south, east or west roof slope with little shade
• Payback speed matters most to you
• A battery might follow later

How it works

1. Send your address and a year of electricity use, from your bill or your supplier's app.
2. We look at your roof on maps and photos, then arrange a survey visit.
3. You receive a written quote that shows system size, price and expected saving side by side.
4. Our MCS-certified installation partner fits it, normally within one to two days for solar.
5. The network operator is told, you receive your certificates, and you can apply for export payments.

Local notes for Herne Bay

• Different roofs, different sizes. Victorian terraces near the front may fit 2 to 3.5 kWp. A 1930s or 1960s semi usually takes 3.5 to 4 kWp. Detached houses in Beltinge, Reculver and Herne can take more. East and west slopes still work, and tree shade matters more than compass direction.
• Planning. Most house roofs are permitted development. In a conservation area panels must not go on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway, and listed buildings need consent. The national planning data lists seven conservation area records that by our reading cover parts of Herne Bay, Herne and Reculver, so we check your address.
• Flats and shared roofs. In the Heron ward, which is the town centre, about 23% of homes are purpose-built flats and 13% are converted or shared houses (Census 2021). A shared roof needs the freeholder's agreement, so we start with who owns it, and plug-in solar may be the first step.
• Close to the sea. Ask any installer what the roof fixings and rails are made from, how they are rated for wind and how long they are guaranteed, especially on the clifftop and seafront roofs.
• Export payments. Suppliers must pay a rate above zero for power you send back. The rates we read on 7 October 2026 ran from 3p to 18p per kWh, so the supplier you choose matters.