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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CA12 (Cumberland)

See if solar pays off for you in Cumberland — 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
15.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£775
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,171
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 North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 767 kWh/kW — 103 below the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 767 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
767 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: £646, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 614 kWh 920 kWh £166 £92 £258 £4,069 15.7 yrs £1,099
3 kW 2301 kWh 920 kWh 1381 kWh £250 £138 £388 £6,104 15.7 yrs £1,648
4 kW 3068 kWh 1227 kWh 1841 kWh £333 £184 £517 £8,138 15.7 yrs £2,197
5 kW 3835 kWh 1534 kWh 2301 kWh £416 £230 £646 £10,173 15.7 yrs £2,746
6 kW 4602 kWh 1841 kWh 2761 kWh £499 £276 £775 £12,207 15.7 yrs £3,296
7 kW 5369 kWh 2148 kWh 3221 kWh £582 £322 £904 £14,242 15.7 yrs £3,845
8 kW 6136 kWh 2454 kWh 3682 kWh £665 £368 £1,034 £16,276 15.7 yrs £4,394

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: £777, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 920 kWh 614 kWh £250 £61 £311 £6,169 19.8 yrs £48
3 kW 2301 kWh 1381 kWh 920 kWh £374 £92 £466 £8,204 17.6 yrs £1,123
4 kW 3068 kWh 1841 kWh 1227 kWh £499 £123 £622 £10,238 16.5 yrs £2,197
5 kW 3835 kWh 2301 kWh 1534 kWh £624 £153 £777 £12,273 15.8 yrs £3,271
6 kW 4602 kWh 2761 kWh 1841 kWh £749 £184 £933 £14,307 15.3 yrs £4,345
7 kW 5369 kWh 3221 kWh 2148 kWh £873 £215 £1,088 £16,342 15.0 yrs £5,419
8 kW 6136 kWh 3682 kWh 2454 kWh £998 £245 £1,243 £18,376 14.8 yrs £6,494

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: £843, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1074 kWh 460 kWh £291 £46 £337 £7,569 22.5 yrs £-827
3 kW 2301 kWh 1611 kWh 690 kWh £437 £69 £506 £9,604 19.0 yrs £510
4 kW 3068 kWh 2148 kWh 920 kWh £582 £92 £674 £11,638 17.3 yrs £1,847
5 kW 3835 kWh 2684 kWh 1150 kWh £728 £115 £843 £13,673 16.2 yrs £3,183
6 kW 4602 kWh 3221 kWh 1381 kWh £873 £138 £1,011 £15,707 15.5 yrs £4,520
7 kW 5369 kWh 3758 kWh 1611 kWh £1,019 £161 £1,180 £17,742 15.0 yrs £5,857
8 kW 6136 kWh 4295 kWh 1841 kWh £1,164 £184 £1,348 £19,776 14.7 yrs £7,193

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: £862, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1120 kWh 414 kWh £304 £41 £345 £9,319 27.0 yrs £-2,419
3 kW 2301 kWh 1680 kWh 621 kWh £455 £62 £517 £11,354 21.9 yrs £-1,004
4 kW 3068 kWh 2240 kWh 828 kWh £607 £83 £690 £13,388 19.4 yrs £412
5 kW 3835 kWh 2799 kWh 1035 kWh £759 £104 £862 £15,423 17.9 yrs £1,827
6 kW 4602 kWh 3359 kWh 1243 kWh £911 £124 £1,035 £17,457 16.9 yrs £3,242
7 kW 5369 kWh 3919 kWh 1450 kWh £1,063 £145 £1,207 £19,492 16.1 yrs £4,658
8 kW 6136 kWh 4479 kWh 1657 kWh £1,214 £166 £1,380 £21,526 15.6 yrs £6,073

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: £876, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1150 kWh 383 kWh £312 £38 £350 £11,069 31.6 yrs £-4,064
3 kW 2301 kWh 1726 kWh 575 kWh £468 £58 £525 £13,104 24.9 yrs £-2,596
4 kW 3068 kWh 2301 kWh 767 kWh £624 £77 £700 £15,138 21.6 yrs £-1,128
5 kW 3835 kWh 2876 kWh 959 kWh £780 £96 £876 £17,173 19.6 yrs £340
6 kW 4602 kWh 3451 kWh 1150 kWh £936 £115 £1,051 £19,207 18.3 yrs £1,807
7 kW 5369 kWh 4027 kWh 1342 kWh £1,092 £134 £1,226 £21,242 17.3 yrs £3,275
8 kW 6136 kWh 4602 kWh 1534 kWh £1,248 £153 £1,401 £23,276 16.6 yrs £4,743

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: £889, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1181 kWh 353 kWh £320 £35 £355 £13,519 38.0 yrs £-6,409
3 kW 2301 kWh 1772 kWh 529 kWh £480 £53 £533 £15,554 29.2 yrs £-4,889
4 kW 3068 kWh 2362 kWh 706 kWh £640 £71 £711 £17,588 24.7 yrs £-3,368
5 kW 3835 kWh 2953 kWh 882 kWh £801 £88 £889 £19,623 22.1 yrs £-1,848
6 kW 4602 kWh 3543 kWh 1058 kWh £961 £106 £1,066 £21,657 20.3 yrs £-328
7 kW 5369 kWh 4134 kWh 1235 kWh £1,121 £123 £1,244 £23,692 19.0 yrs £1,193
8 kW 6136 kWh 4725 kWh 1411 kWh £1,281 £141 £1,422 £25,726 18.1 yrs £2,713

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 CA12

Figures below are tailored to CA12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #766 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2932 of 2997
13.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£893 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1599 of 2997
20.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£893 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
767kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~767 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 64% • Flats: 22% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 2,872 properties

Coverage

Cumberland (95%)|Westmorland and Furness (5%)

Areas Covered

Keswick, Bothel and Wharrels, Greystoke and Ullswater

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 North West

CA13 (Cumberland)
≈16.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~812 kWh/kWp · +6% vs CA12
LA22 (Westmorland and Furness)
≈21.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~836 kWh/kWp · +9% vs CA12
CA26 (Cumberland)
≈23.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · +13% vs CA12
CA7 (Cumberland)
≈24.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~910 kWh/kWp · +19% vs CA12
CA11 (Westmorland and Furness)
≈25.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~877 kWh/kWp · +14% vs CA12
CA15 (Cumberland)
≈25.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~915 kWh/kWp · +19% vs CA12

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA22 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA12
PH24 (Highland)
~766 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA12
PA71 (Argyll and Bute)
~768 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA12