Everyone wants to know: do solar panels actually save money? The honest answer is in the bills. Below, we've pulled together six real case studies from real CRG Direct customers across Hampshire, West Sussex and Dorset, complete with actual energy bills, usage data, and verified savings figures.
How solar panels work: Solar panels generate electricity by converting sunlight into usable power for your home. By installing solar panels, you can use your own solar power directly, reduce your reliance on the national grid, and save with solar panels through lower electricity costs and export payments for surplus energy. Solar panels are worth considering for both their financial and environmental benefits, offering long-term savings, a potential increase in property value, and reduced reliance on the grid for UK homeowners. Research from the Urban Big Data Centre at the University of Glasgow found homes with solar panels attract roughly a 6-7% price premium, though any uplift varies by property and local market (study). Installing solar panels is a key step toward sustainability and can help you maximise your potential savings as energy bills continue to rise.
These are numbers from people who made the switch and tracked the results.
At a Glance: Results Across All Six Customers
| Case Study | Headline result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| £8 a month for gas and electricity | Nearly £200 in credit | Customer's own message |
| 85% bill reduction with solar + battery | £316.43 net over 12 months | Home's energy app |
| Before & after Octopus bills (2022 vs 2025) | Total bill 38% lower, electricity after export credit 73% lower | Octopus statements |
| Solar panels in winter, 35% lower bill in November | November bill £81.75 down to £53.37 | Utility Warehouse bills |
| £1,000 a year from a £7,500 investment | £1,000/year, 56% bill reduction, ~7.5 years payback | Customer's own figures |
| Real solar savings, paying less despite doubled unit prices | June 2025 bill £4.02, against £86.52 in June 2021 | Octopus statements |
The Case Studies
1. £8 a Month for Gas and Electricity, Nearly £200 in Credit
"We are currently paying £8:00 per month since last April for our gas and electricity. We are still in credit of nearly £200:00 after some of the coldest months. I would certainly recommend solar panels to anyone. The initial cost can be off putting but long term we're quids in."
This customer with solar panels has paid about £8 a month for gas and electricity since April 2025, and is still nearly £200 in credit after some of the coldest months. The only source for this result is the customer's own message to CRG, so we have not added any system or bill figures to it.
2. 85% Bill Reduction: Down to £4.66 a Month for Actual Energy
"I can report the solar installation is working very well indeed. My bills for energy alone are £56 per year or £4.66 per month!"
This Hampshire homeowner went from £178 a month to £25 a month, an 85% reduction. The home's energy app shows a net cost of £316.43 for gas and electricity over the last 12 months, after export payments. The homeowner estimates that about £260 of that is standing charges (the fixed cost of being connected to the grid), which leaves about £56 a year, or £4.66 a month, for the energy itself. Even in January, one of the worst months for solar in the UK, grid imports were only 8-12kWh per day.
- Before solar: £2,136 per year (the homeowner's own figure)
- After solar: £316.43 per year, net of export payments (from the home's energy app)
- Energy consumption cost alone: about £56 per year (the homeowner's estimate)
3. Real Octopus Bills Compared: Total Bill 38% Lower
This case study uses genuine Octopus Energy bills from a home in Worthing, West Sussex, April 2022 versus April 2025. The total bill fell from £182.81 to £113.26, which is 38% lower. Electricity after the export credit fell from £104.77 to £27.94, which is 73% lower. The biggest driver is a 61% drop in grid electricity consumption, from 11.68kWh per day down to 4.60kWh. In April 2025 the panels also exported 159.9kWh, earning £23.99 at 15p per kWh. The £113.26 bill already includes that export credit.
- Total bill: £182.81 down to £113.26 (38% lower)
- Electricity after export credit: £104.77 down to £27.94 (73% lower)
- Grid electricity usage: down 61%
- Export earnings in April 2025: £23.99
4. Solar Panels in Winter: November Bill Down 35%
A common concern is whether solar panels deliver value through winter. This case study compares actual Utility Warehouse bills from November 2022 (no solar) and November 2023 (with solar) for the same home in Weymouth, Dorset. The November bill dropped from £81.75 to £53.37, which is 35% lower in the darkest month of the year. Daytime electricity usage fell 45%, which makes sense given that solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours. Over the 12-month period the household also bought 796kWh (32%) less electricity from the grid.
- November bill: £81.75 down to £53.37
- Daytime electricity usage: down 45%
- Annual grid consumption: down 32% (796kWh)
5. £1,000 a Year from a £7,500 Investment
| £1,000 Annual Savings | 56% Bill Reduction | ~7.5 yrs Payback Period | 900 kg CO2 Saved |
|---|
Three years in and this Hampshire household has consistently saved around £1,000 per year against an upfront installation cost of £7,500. The solar panel system generates roughly 9,400kWh annually, with around 5,000kWh of excess energy exported back to the grid each year via the Smart Export Guarantee. The customer has tracked a full six years of energy data, showing grid imports holding steady at around 3,600-4,000kWh per year even as total household usage grows. At current savings rates, the system pays for itself in around 7.5 years, with 17+ years of total lifetime savings to follow. Export payments from the energy supplier for surplus energy further increase the financial return.
- Annual solar generation: ~9,400kWh (energy generated)
- Annual export earnings included in the £1,000 figure (export payments for surplus energy)
- Grid imports held steady at ~3,600-4,000kWh per year
- Estimated payback: 7-8 years
6. Paying Less Today Than Before Solar, Despite Doubled Unit Prices
"Gives you a rough idea of the huge savings I am making since you fitted my panels and batteries in Dec '22. The financial savings are more impressive as we mostly live off the batteries every day instead of importing at 27.75p/kWh."
This household in Fleet, Hampshire had solar panels and a battery installed in December 2022. Their June 2025 gas and electricity bill was £4.02, compared with £86.52 in June 2021, before solar. Unit prices roughly doubled over that time: the bills show 14.51p per kWh in 2021 and a 27.42p day rate in 2025. Octopus's own yearly estimate of their electricity cost is lower now (£880.64) than in 2021 (£1,041.66). They also added an electric car, and grid imports are still well below their pre-solar level. In 2025 they exported 2,890kWh, earning export payments on top of their reduced bills.
- Grid imports fell from 6,282kWh in 2022 to 2,036kWh in 2023 (the first full year with solar and battery)
- 2025 grid imports: 5,600kWh, with an electric car charging at home and batteries charged overnight
- 2025 export: 2,890kWh
- EV charging managed on overnight smart tariff at 7p/kWh (from the homeowner's message)
What Other CRG Customers Say
A customer on Octopus Energy:
"...I'm only paying about 20 pounds a month for electricity and gas at the moment because I built up so much credit in the summer through the panels. I have previously spoken to Octopus energy, who I am with and they say that my system looks as if it's making about £600 pounds a year, as an estimate, which is marvelous..."
A customer with solar, a battery and an EV tariff:
"I'm a big believer in solar as I have seen it work very effective for me both in cutting monthly bills on general electricity but also used in conjunction with the ev tariff it has made a significant difference to enable me to charge the battery overnight."
A customer in Felpham, West Sussex:
"I have got back £300 in 2 years. I didn't get any on my first year due to ovo energy so changed companies."
Your export supplier makes a difference: compare export tariffs before you sign up.
What Affects How Much You Save?
Across these six case studies the results range from a £4.02 monthly bill to a 73% lower electricity cost after export credit. The spread reflects real differences in home size, home and energy use, system specification, available roof space, and whether battery storage was included. A few patterns stand out:
- Battery storage can add to savings. The 85% reduction home and the Fleet home both have batteries, which help by maximizing self consumption, using stored power, and reducing reliance on the national grid. Proper battery capacity allows for more energy to be used directly and supports electric cars and other high-usage appliances.
- Export earnings and export payments matter. Every one of these customers received payments for surplus energy through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), adding meaningfully to total savings. The SEG requires electricity suppliers to pay small-scale generators for any energy they export back to the national grid. Homeowners with solar panel systems of five megawatts or less can apply to join the SEG. Typical households can earn an additional £100 to £220 per year through SEG by selling unused energy back to the grid. Average export earnings under SEG can be around 13p per kWh, with some tariffs advertising rates up to 30p during peak times. Those top rates are limited and conditional (they are often only available when you buy your solar system from that supplier) and most widely-available SEG rates are lower. Rates vary by supplier and change over time. SEG payment rates are also generally lower than the price you pay for grid electricity, making self-consumption of solar energy more beneficial.
- Solar works in winter. The November comparison showed 35% savings in one of the lowest-generation months. Summer figures are significantly higher, and solar panels generate electricity even on cloudy days.
- Rising energy prices and the increasing price cap amplify the benefit. As unit rates and electricity costs have risen, the value of every kWh generated at home has grown alongside them. As energy bills continue to increase, savings rise for those who generate their own solar power.
- The combination of solar panels, battery storage, and smart tariffs can maximize savings and reduce reliance on the grid for homeowners. Customers using time-of-use tariffs can charge batteries at cheap overnight rates and sell energy back during peak times for higher profits.
- Homes that install solar panels typically reduce their electricity bills by 60-75%. Most homeowners see annual savings of over £1,000, especially with battery storage. Typical systems with batteries can reduce energy bills by up to 90%. With battery storage, self-consumption of solar energy can increase from 30-50% to 70-75% or more.
- With current energy prices and smart tariff savings, many homes recover their installation costs even sooner. Typical payback periods for solar PV systems in the UK range from 6-10 years, with most solar systems now having a payback period of around 7-10 years. This makes solar investment increasingly attractive for UK homeowners.
- Solar panels perform best on south facing roofs with minimal shading. More roof space allows for larger systems and more energy generated, but even smaller roofs can benefit from efficient panel technology.
- Many homeowners combine solar installation with other upgrades like loft insulation to maximize savings and total lifetime savings.
Want to Know What You Could Save?
Every home is different. System size, roof orientation, current energy usage, available roof space, and whether you add battery storage all affect your results. The best way to get an accurate picture is to speak to our team directly.
CRG Direct are MCS Certified solar and renewable energy specialists serving Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton, and the wider South and South East of England.
Call us: +44 330 133 2497 Email: info@crgdirect.co.uk Website: crgdirect.co.uk
Sources
- Urban Big Data Centre, University of Glasgow, the research behind the ~6-7% solar property-price premium (the study found a 6.1%-7.1% premium): How do solar panels affect property prices in the UK?. Underlying peer-reviewed study: Asproudis, Gedikli, Talavera & Yilmaz, "Returns to solar panels in the housing market: A meta learner approach", Energy Economics, full paper.
- Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): official scheme page.
- Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS): mcscertified.com.
