The honest way to buy solar.
We show you the equipment cost, the installation cost and the exact margin we make. You see where every pound goes before you decide.
Every cost
Separated and explained
Every option
Compared like-for-like
Every margin
Printed on your quote
Your decision
No pressure attached
Build a transparent example
Move the slider and toggle the battery to see how the open-book price is built — live.
Indicative annual generation
– kWh
Include a 10 kWh home battery
Guide equipment cost: £1,850
Prices are indicative estimates based on current equipment and installation costs. Your exact quote may vary depending on roof type, location, and access. We'll confirm everything during your free survey.
Open-book cost breakdown
VAT at 0% for qualifying residential installations. These are your actual costs — nothing hidden.
Refer the next customer. Receive £500.
When a customer you’ve referred installs through us, you receive £500 — no codes, no apps, just your name. The margin stays exactly the same every time.
The Sensible Solar margin remains £1,250 every time.
Customer A installs
Customer A gets solar installed and is happy with the open-book pricing. Their name is all the referral they need.
Customer A refers Customer B
Customer B contacts us and mentions Customer A by name. We confirm the referral before their installation begins. Customer A receives £500 on completion.
And so on
Customer B can refer Customer C under the same terms. Our margin stays at £margin)); ?> on every completed installation — the £500 comes from the sales allocation, not our margin.
£6,946
Benchmark selling price
£500
Agent or customer reward
£5,196
Cost to Sensible Solar
£1,250
Sensible Solar margin remains
The £500 sales allocation transfers to the referring customer when no agent is involved. The Sensible Solar margin remains £1,250 on every completed installation.
A £1,051 Year 1 energy benefit.
Illustrative 4.26 kWp + 10 kWh model. Based on 5,000 kWh annual use, 23.79p current import, 10p SEG export, and a standing charge of 47.336p/day.
Current annual bill
£1,362
At 23.79p/kWh + standing charge
Modelled energy cost with solar
£412
Remaining grid import + charges
Year 1 benefit
£1,051
£951 bill saving + £100 SEG income
How the 5,000 kWh is modelled
Grid electricity rises at 5%/yr, SEG tariff at 2.5%/yr. Savings in future years grow accordingly.
Cumulative benefit forecast
| Year | Annual benefit | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £1,051 | £1,051 |
| Year 3 | £1,153 | £3,306 |
| Year 5 | £1,266 | £5,781 |
| Year 7 | £1,390 | £8,498 |
| Year 10 | £1,600 | £13,082 |
| Year 15 | £2,024 | £22,314 |
| Year 20 | £2,563 | £34,000 |
| Year 25 | £3,248 | £48,803 |
Year 25 total: £48,803. Bill saving grows at 5%/yr, SEG at 2.5%/yr.
Illustrative system IRR
≈22%
Over 25 years, no tariff rise
Typical cash benchmark
£6,946
Margin stated, nothing hidden
Customer-arranged borrowing
Your lender’s
terms
We don’t offer finance — no bias
Example only — actual savings depend on your energy usage, roof orientation, shading, and future tariff changes. IRR assumes benchmark price with no energy price escalation. Finance terms are set entirely by your chosen lender; Sensible Solar receives no referral fee or benefit from borrowing arrangements.
Your roof is unique. The pricing shouldn’t be mysterious.
Most solar companies give you a single number. We don’t think that’s good enough. Your quote names every panel, inverter, battery, and cable — with the reason we chose it.
- Named panel, inverter and battery models
- Clear scaffolding, labour and electrical scope
- Assumptions, exclusions and provisional items stated
- Our margin shown as pounds and a percentage
Clarity from first look to switch-on.
Nothing is hidden inside a single unexplained package price. If a cost changes, you see what changed and why.
Understand the home
We assess your roof, check for shading, and understand your energy use — so we size the system to match your home, not inflate a sale.
Design the system
We specify named panel, inverter and battery models. No generic estimates — you get the exact kit and the reason we’ve chosen it.
Open the costs
Your written quote separates equipment, labour, DNO and our margin. Every pound is accounted for — and our margin is shown openly.
Approve with confidence
No pressure to sign on the day. Once you’re comfortable, we handle the DNO application, arrange scaffolding, and confirm your installation date.
We make a fair profit. You see it in full.
We employ qualified people, design systems carefully, and support customers after installation. The margin covers that — at a rate we’re comfortable making public.
When a customer refers the next installation, the £500 sales allocation transfers to them. Our margin of £1,250 stays unchanged.
Questions worth asking any solar company.
If another quote cannot answer these clearly, bring it to us and we'll help you compare like-for-like.
Still have questions? Get in touch →Does open-book mean you share supplier invoices?
Not your supplier invoices, no — but we do show you the cost structure we use to build every quote. You see the per-watt panel rate, the fixed installation allowances, the DNO administration charge, and our margin as a pound figure and a percentage. That's what open-book means in practice: every number that makes up your price, explained.
Is Sensible Solar always the cheapest?
Probably not. Companies that don't show their margin can price below ours on paper while making more profit in practice. Our aim is to be the most transparent — you know exactly what you're paying for and what we're keeping. If another company can genuinely do the same job for less with a clearly stated margin, we'll tell you so.
Can the final price change after the survey?
The benchmark quote you build here is indicative. After a free site survey we issue a written quote that accounts for your specific roof, shading, and access requirements. Provisional items — like scaffolding — are flagged clearly. Our margin stays constant; only the underlying costs can adjust, and you'll see exactly why if they do.
Is £6,946 the maximum price?
No — that figure is the benchmark for a 6-panel + 10 kWh battery system using our standard assumptions. Larger systems, more complex roofs, or different battery choices will produce a different total. The structure stays identical; only the inputs change. Your written survey quote will break everything down in the same open-book format.
Are administration and DNO costs counted in the price?
Yes — always. The DNO application, paperwork, and administration are included as a fixed line item in every quote. You'll see it labelled separately so there's no ambiguity about what it covers. There are no "processing fees" added at the end.
Why can scaffolding and installation costs change?
Every roof is different. A straightforward pitched roof with good access can be scaffolded quickly; a complex multi-storey, a flat roof, or a site with restricted access takes longer and costs more. We flag scaffolding as an estimated figure in the benchmark and confirm the actual cost once we've assessed your home in person.
How does the £500 referral cycle work?
If you refer someone who goes on to have a system installed, you receive £500 once their installation is complete. You don't need a code or an app — just tell the person your name, and ask them to mention it when they contact us. We confirm the referral before their installation begins and pay you directly once it's done. Our margin stays the same every time.
Do I need a battery?
Not necessarily. A battery lets you store surplus daytime generation for use in the evenings and on cloudy days, which increases self-consumption and reduces your grid import. Whether it's worth the additional cost depends on your usage patterns and when you're home. We'll model both options during your survey and show you the numbers honestly.
Does Sensible Solar offer finance?
No. We don't offer or arrange finance, which means we have no financial incentive to steer you towards borrowing. If you want to finance your installation, that's between you and your chosen lender — we simply confirm the price and they decide on terms. This keeps our pricing advice free from any conflict of interest.
What credentials and warranties do I receive?
Your installation is carried out by an MCS-certified team, which is the recognised UK quality standard for renewable energy installations and a requirement for Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) eligibility. You receive manufacturer warranties on all equipment (panels, inverter, battery), a workmanship warranty on the installation, and an MCS certificate — all handed over on completion.
Ask for an open-book quote.
Send the basics and we'll start with a sensible system size — not the biggest system we can sell.