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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CA22 (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
12.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£790
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,587
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 938 kWh/kW — 68 above the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 938 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)
938 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: £790, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1877 kWh 751 kWh 1126 kWh £204 £113 £316 £4,069 12.9 yrs £2,254
3 kW 2815 kWh 1126 kWh 1689 kWh £305 £169 £474 £6,104 12.9 yrs £3,381
4 kW 3754 kWh 1502 kWh 2252 kWh £407 £225 £632 £8,138 12.9 yrs £4,508
5 kW 4692 kWh 1877 kWh 2815 kWh £509 £282 £790 £10,173 12.9 yrs £5,635
6 kW 5631 kWh 2252 kWh 3378 kWh £611 £338 £948 £12,207 12.9 yrs £6,762
7 kW 6569 kWh 2628 kWh 3942 kWh £712 £394 £1,107 £14,242 12.9 yrs £7,889
8 kW 7508 kWh 3003 kWh 4505 kWh £814 £450 £1,265 £16,276 12.9 yrs £9,016

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: £951, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1877 kWh 1126 kWh 751 kWh £305 £75 £380 £6,169 16.2 yrs £1,439
3 kW 2815 kWh 1689 kWh 1126 kWh £458 £113 £571 £8,204 14.4 yrs £3,208
4 kW 3754 kWh 2252 kWh 1502 kWh £611 £150 £761 £10,238 13.5 yrs £4,977
5 kW 4692 kWh 2815 kWh 1877 kWh £763 £188 £951 £12,273 12.9 yrs £6,746
6 kW 5631 kWh 3378 kWh 2252 kWh £916 £225 £1,141 £14,307 12.5 yrs £8,516
7 kW 6569 kWh 3942 kWh 2628 kWh £1,069 £263 £1,331 £16,342 12.3 yrs £10,285
8 kW 7508 kWh 4505 kWh 3003 kWh £1,221 £300 £1,522 £18,376 12.1 yrs £12,054

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: £1,031, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1877 kWh 1314 kWh 563 kWh £356 £56 £412 £7,569 18.3 yrs £681
3 kW 2815 kWh 1971 kWh 845 kWh £534 £84 £619 £9,604 15.5 yrs £2,771
4 kW 3754 kWh 2628 kWh 1126 kWh £712 £113 £825 £11,638 14.1 yrs £4,862
5 kW 4692 kWh 3285 kWh 1408 kWh £890 £141 £1,031 £13,673 13.3 yrs £6,952
6 kW 5631 kWh 3942 kWh 1689 kWh £1,069 £169 £1,237 £15,707 12.7 yrs £9,042
7 kW 6569 kWh 4598 kWh 1971 kWh £1,247 £197 £1,444 £17,742 12.3 yrs £11,133
8 kW 7508 kWh 5255 kWh 2252 kWh £1,425 £225 £1,650 £19,776 12.0 yrs £13,223

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: £1,055, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1877 kWh 1370 kWh 507 kWh £371 £51 £422 £9,319 22.1 yrs £-877
3 kW 2815 kWh 2055 kWh 760 kWh £557 £76 £633 £11,354 17.9 yrs £1,310
4 kW 3754 kWh 2740 kWh 1014 kWh £743 £101 £844 £13,388 15.9 yrs £3,497
5 kW 4692 kWh 3425 kWh 1267 kWh £929 £127 £1,055 £15,423 14.6 yrs £5,684
6 kW 5631 kWh 4110 kWh 1520 kWh £1,114 £152 £1,266 £17,457 13.8 yrs £7,870
7 kW 6569 kWh 4796 kWh 1774 kWh £1,300 £177 £1,477 £19,492 13.2 yrs £10,057
8 kW 7508 kWh 5481 kWh 2027 kWh £1,486 £203 £1,688 £21,526 12.7 yrs £12,244

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: £1,071, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1877 kWh 1408 kWh 469 kWh £382 £47 £429 £11,069 25.8 yrs £-2,498
3 kW 2815 kWh 2112 kWh 704 kWh £572 £70 £643 £13,104 20.4 yrs £-247
4 kW 3754 kWh 2815 kWh 938 kWh £763 £94 £857 £15,138 17.7 yrs £2,004
5 kW 4692 kWh 3519 kWh 1173 kWh £954 £117 £1,071 £17,173 16.0 yrs £4,255
6 kW 5631 kWh 4223 kWh 1408 kWh £1,145 £141 £1,286 £19,207 14.9 yrs £6,506
7 kW 6569 kWh 4927 kWh 1642 kWh £1,336 £164 £1,500 £21,242 14.2 yrs £8,757
8 kW 7508 kWh 5631 kWh 1877 kWh £1,526 £188 £1,714 £23,276 13.6 yrs £11,008

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: £1,087, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1877 kWh 1445 kWh 432 kWh £392 £43 £435 £13,519 31.1 yrs £-4,820
3 kW 2815 kWh 2168 kWh 648 kWh £588 £65 £652 £15,554 23.8 yrs £-2,504
4 kW 3754 kWh 2890 kWh 863 kWh £784 £86 £870 £17,588 20.2 yrs £-189
5 kW 4692 kWh 3613 kWh 1079 kWh £980 £108 £1,087 £19,623 18.0 yrs £2,126
6 kW 5631 kWh 4336 kWh 1295 kWh £1,175 £130 £1,305 £21,657 16.6 yrs £4,441
7 kW 6569 kWh 5058 kWh 1511 kWh £1,371 £151 £1,522 £23,692 15.6 yrs £6,756
8 kW 7508 kWh 5781 kWh 1727 kWh £1,567 £173 £1,740 £25,726 14.8 yrs £9,072

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 CA22

Figures below are tailored to CA22 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #982 of 2182
5.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1508 of 2997
11.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£911 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1498 of 2997
20.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£911 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
938kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~938 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 73% • Flats: 8% • Bungalows: 15% Based on 2,031 properties

Coverage

Cumberland (100%)

Areas Covered

Egremont, Gosforth, Egremont North and St Bees, Cleator Moor East and Frizington

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

CA23 (Cumberland)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · -5% vs CA22
CA24 (Cumberland)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · -5% vs CA22
CA21 (Cumberland)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~950 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CA22
CA27 (Cumberland)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~949 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CA22
CA25 (Cumberland)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · -5% vs CA22
CA26 (Cumberland)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -7% vs CA22

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL11 (Wrexham)
~939 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA22
B38 (Birmingham)
~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA22
B30 (Birmingham)
~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA22