Checked 6 November 2026
Solar and battery questions from West Yorkshire homes
22 questions from people in Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax, answered with real numbers. Is yours missing? Ring 07442 511817 and talk to one of us.
4 questions
Cost and VAT
How much do solar panels cost in Leeds?
You get the real figure in writing after a free survey, because scaffolding, roof access, the consumer unit and battery size all shift it. As a guide to size, a typical semi takes about 3.5 kW and a detached house about 4 kW. The quote is fixed, with 0% VAT taken off until 31 March 2027.
Why do you not publish a price list?
A website price is either a guess or a package. We would rather you had a fixed figure for your roof, from someone who has stood in your loft, than a from-price that grows on the day. The homepage calculator shows what a system should save, and the survey tells you what it costs.
When does 0% VAT end, and what comes next?
31 March 2027 is the last day for 0% VAT on solar panels and home batteries. The rate becomes 5% from 1 April 2027, confirmed in the Budget on 28 October 2026. The invoice date decides which applies, so the job has to be fitted and invoiced by the deadline (as of 6 November 2026).
Can a deposit hold the 0% rate?
No. A deposit gets the rate on the day you pay it, for that amount only, and a balance invoiced after 31 March 2027 is at 5%. To keep the whole job at 0%, have it fitted and invoiced by the deadline.
4 questions
Batteries
Should I add a battery to the solar panels I already have?
Usually yes, if the house is empty in the day. Say your 3.5 kW system exports about 1,500 kWh a year. At 8p that brings in around £120. Those same units used at home, in place of buying at 26.32p, are worth about £395. The battery lets you keep the difference year after year.
How big a battery do I need?
Most homes start at 5 kWh, which gets a normal house through the lights, the cooking, the telly and the router until bedtime. Go to 10 kWh or more for an EV, a heat pump or a big family. The survey uses your bills to size it to your evenings.
Does a battery work in a power cut?
Only with backup circuits, which have to be planned and wired at installation. Mention it at the survey if it matters to you. It changes the design and the price, and some batteries cannot do it.
Can I have a battery and no solar panels?
Yes. It fills up overnight on a cheap off-peak tariff and carries the house through the evening peak. You save less than with solar, but the saving is real, and it suits a flat or a shaded roof. VAT is 0% until 31 March 2027 here too.
4 questions
Roofs and planning
Which way should my roof face?
South is best. East and west work fine and can suit a working household better, because the panels produce in the morning and evening when you are in. North-facing roofs are usually a no. You do not need to guess, since the survey measures it.
Will I need planning permission for solar in West Yorkshire?
Usually no. In England you can normally put panels on a house roof under permitted development, provided they stick out no more than 200 mm and the building is not listed. Parts of Headingley, Roundhay, Saltaire, Holmfirth and the Calder Valley are conservation areas, where roofs facing the street have extra rules. We check that before the survey.
Can panels go on a stone slate roof?
Yes. Stone and Welsh slate are everywhere from Huddersfield to Halifax, and both take panels with the right fixings, specified at the survey. Older stone slate gets a close look at the battens and the structure first.
Do solar panels work in winter here?
Yes, only less. A 3.5 kW system in West Yorkshire makes about 2,678 kWh a year, and roughly three-quarters of that arrives between April and September. A winter day still covers the lights, fridge and router, and a battery on an off-peak tariff can carry the evening.
3 questions
Grants
Can I get a grant for solar panels in Leeds?
Most homes cannot. Every home has 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 and the Smart Export Guarantee to use. If your income is lower and your EPC is D to G, ask your council about the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Leeds City Council has £5.96 million, Bradford Council £6.33 million, Wakefield Council £1.5 million and Calderdale Council £3.2 million. The GOV.UK list leaves out Kirklees. Checked 6 November 2026.
Who can get the Warm Homes: Local Grant?
You need to own or privately rent a home in England with an EPC of D to G. On top of that, the household needs an income of £36,000 or less, a means-tested benefit or a council-selected postcode. The council picks its own installers, so we cannot book it, but if you look eligible we will tell you who to ring.
How does the Smart Export Guarantee work?
Your supplier pays you for every unit you export, typically from a few pence to 15p. Claiming needs an MCS certificate, and every system booked through us comes with one from the installation team. Our calculator works on 8p. Add a battery and more of your solar stays in the house, which usually beats selling it.
4 questions
Survey and fitting
What happens once I send the form?
We call back within one working day to go through the roof, your bills and a good day for the survey. The MCS-certified installation team comes out, takes the measurements and puts a fixed quote in writing. You can stop at any stage, and if you would sooner talk first, call 07442 511817.
Who fits the system?
The MCS-certified installation team, who have over 10 years and hundreds of installs behind them. AFL Solar takes the enquiry and books the survey. The installation team surveys, quotes and fits. Your quote carries their name and MCS number, and the MCS certificate comes at completion.
How long does fitting take?
Expect a day on site, or two if a battery and a new consumer unit are going in. The scaffold goes up a day or two earlier and comes down a few days later. Allow a few weeks from saying yes to switch-on, and more as the VAT deadline gets close.
Who do I ring if something goes wrong later?
AFL Solar on 07442 511817. We chase the installation team for you. Warranties sit with the installation team and the manufacturers, and your paperwork shows who covers what.
3 questions
Where we work
Where do you cover?
Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax and the towns between: every LS, WF, BD, HD and HX postcode, and we run it from King Street in Leeds. Just outside that, Harrogate, York, Skipton, Barnsley and Selby are worth a call. Put your postcode in the form for an instant answer.
Are you really based in Leeds?
Yes. AFL Solar is at 27 King Street, Leeds, LS1 2HL. We are a Leeds outfit rather than a national call centre, and we book your survey with the installation team.
Is there a page for my town?
Yes. There are pages for Leeds (taking in Pudsey, Horsforth, Morley, Garforth, Wetherby and Otley), Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax. Each one covers the local council, grant status, housing and conservation areas.
Want the longer version? Read about solar panels and a battery, a battery for existing solar, the VAT deadline and how it works.
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