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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BH6 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)

See if solar pays off for you in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
11.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£542
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,444
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Costs: Battery prices are typically £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In Southern, the current unit rate is 26.48p/kWh with a 44.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1089 kWh/kW — 87 above the regional median (1001).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1089 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
44.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1089 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £903, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 871 kWh 1306 kWh £231 £131 £361 £4,069 11.3 yrs £3,156
3 kW 3266 kWh 1306 kWh 1960 kWh £346 £196 £542 £6,104 11.3 yrs £4,735
4 kW 4355 kWh 1742 kWh 2613 kWh £461 £261 £723 £8,138 11.3 yrs £6,313
5 kW 5444 kWh 2177 kWh 3266 kWh £577 £327 £903 £10,173 11.3 yrs £7,891
6 kW 6532 kWh 2613 kWh 3919 kWh £692 £392 £1,084 £12,207 11.3 yrs £9,469
7 kW 7621 kWh 3048 kWh 4573 kWh £807 £457 £1,264 £14,242 11.3 yrs £11,048
8 kW 8710 kWh 3484 kWh 5226 kWh £923 £523 £1,445 £16,276 11.3 yrs £12,626

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,083, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1306 kWh 871 kWh £346 £87 £433 £6,169 14.2 yrs £2,492
3 kW 3266 kWh 1960 kWh 1306 kWh £519 £131 £650 £8,204 12.6 yrs £4,788
4 kW 4355 kWh 2613 kWh 1742 kWh £692 £174 £866 £10,238 11.8 yrs £7,084
5 kW 5444 kWh 3266 kWh 2177 kWh £865 £218 £1,083 £12,273 11.3 yrs £9,380
6 kW 6532 kWh 3919 kWh 2613 kWh £1,038 £261 £1,299 £14,307 11.0 yrs £11,675
7 kW 7621 kWh 4573 kWh 3048 kWh £1,211 £305 £1,516 £16,342 10.8 yrs £13,971
8 kW 8710 kWh 5226 kWh 3484 kWh £1,384 £348 £1,732 £18,376 10.6 yrs £16,267

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,172, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1524 kWh 653 kWh £404 £65 £469 £7,569 16.1 yrs £1,809
3 kW 3266 kWh 2286 kWh 980 kWh £605 £98 £703 £9,604 13.7 yrs £4,464
4 kW 4355 kWh 3048 kWh 1306 kWh £807 £131 £938 £11,638 12.4 yrs £7,119
5 kW 5444 kWh 3810 kWh 1633 kWh £1,009 £163 £1,172 £13,673 11.7 yrs £9,774
6 kW 6532 kWh 4573 kWh 1960 kWh £1,211 £196 £1,407 £15,707 11.2 yrs £12,428
7 kW 7621 kWh 5335 kWh 2286 kWh £1,413 £229 £1,641 £17,742 10.8 yrs £15,083
8 kW 8710 kWh 6097 kWh 2613 kWh £1,614 £261 £1,876 £19,776 10.5 yrs £17,738

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,199, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1590 kWh 588 kWh £421 £59 £480 £9,319 19.4 yrs £275
3 kW 3266 kWh 2384 kWh 882 kWh £631 £88 £720 £11,354 15.8 yrs £3,037
4 kW 4355 kWh 3179 kWh 1176 kWh £842 £118 £959 £13,388 14.0 yrs £5,800
5 kW 5444 kWh 3974 kWh 1470 kWh £1,052 £147 £1,199 £15,423 12.9 yrs £8,562
6 kW 6532 kWh 4769 kWh 1764 kWh £1,263 £176 £1,439 £17,457 12.1 yrs £11,324
7 kW 7621 kWh 5563 kWh 2058 kWh £1,473 £206 £1,679 £19,492 11.6 yrs £14,087
8 kW 8710 kWh 6358 kWh 2352 kWh £1,684 £235 £1,919 £21,526 11.2 yrs £16,849

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,217, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1633 kWh 544 kWh £432 £54 £487 £11,069 22.7 yrs £-1,332
3 kW 3266 kWh 2450 kWh 817 kWh £649 £82 £730 £13,104 17.9 yrs £1,502
4 kW 4355 kWh 3266 kWh 1089 kWh £865 £109 £974 £15,138 15.5 yrs £4,337
5 kW 5444 kWh 4083 kWh 1361 kWh £1,081 £136 £1,217 £17,173 14.1 yrs £7,171
6 kW 6532 kWh 4899 kWh 1633 kWh £1,297 £163 £1,461 £19,207 13.2 yrs £10,005
7 kW 7621 kWh 5716 kWh 1905 kWh £1,514 £191 £1,704 £21,242 12.5 yrs £12,839
8 kW 8710 kWh 6532 kWh 2177 kWh £1,730 £218 £1,947 £23,276 12.0 yrs £15,673

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,235, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1677 kWh 501 kWh £444 £50 £494 £13,519 27.4 yrs £-3,638
3 kW 3266 kWh 2515 kWh 751 kWh £666 £75 £741 £15,554 21.0 yrs £-732
4 kW 4355 kWh 3353 kWh 1002 kWh £888 £100 £988 £17,588 17.8 yrs £2,174
5 kW 5444 kWh 4191 kWh 1252 kWh £1,110 £125 £1,235 £19,623 15.9 yrs £5,080
6 kW 6532 kWh 5030 kWh 1502 kWh £1,332 £150 £1,482 £21,657 14.6 yrs £7,986
7 kW 7621 kWh 5868 kWh 1753 kWh £1,554 £175 £1,729 £23,692 13.7 yrs £10,891
8 kW 8710 kWh 6706 kWh 2003 kWh £1,776 £200 £1,976 £25,726 13.0 yrs £13,797

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Insights for BH6

Figures below are tailored to BH6 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1212 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #113 of 2997
9.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,245 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #19 of 2997
13.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£1,245 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1089kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1089 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 35% • Flats: 52% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 6,560 properties

Coverage

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (100%)

Areas Covered

West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, East Cliff & Springbourne, Littledown & Iford, Boscombe East & Pokesdown, Westbourne & West Cliff

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Southern

BH7 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,090 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH6
BH5 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,090 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH6
BH23 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,089 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH6
BH8 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,092 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH6
BH1 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH6
BH9 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH6

Similar sunshine across the UK

CT17 (Dover)
~1,089 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH6
CT18 (Folkestone and Hythe)
~1,088 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH6
CT16 (Dover)
~1,089 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH6