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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CB7 (East Cambridgeshire)

See if solar pays off for you in East Cambridgeshire — 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
12.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£839
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,806
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 Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.53p/kWh with a 48.25p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1010 kWh/kW — 1 above the regional median (1009).

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 1010 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
48.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1010 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: £839, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2021 kWh 808 kWh 1212 kWh £214 £121 £336 £4,069 12.1 yrs £2,644
3 kW 3031 kWh 1212 kWh 1819 kWh £322 £182 £503 £6,104 12.1 yrs £3,966
4 kW 4041 kWh 1616 kWh 2425 kWh £429 £242 £671 £8,138 12.1 yrs £5,288
5 kW 5051 kWh 2021 kWh 3031 kWh £536 £303 £839 £10,173 12.1 yrs £6,610
6 kW 6062 kWh 2425 kWh 3637 kWh £643 £364 £1,007 £12,207 12.1 yrs £7,932
7 kW 7072 kWh 2829 kWh 4243 kWh £750 £424 £1,175 £14,242 12.1 yrs £9,255
8 kW 8082 kWh 3233 kWh 4849 kWh £858 £485 £1,343 £16,276 12.1 yrs £10,577

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: £1,006, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2021 kWh 1212 kWh 808 kWh £322 £81 £402 £6,169 15.3 yrs £1,880
3 kW 3031 kWh 1819 kWh 1212 kWh £482 £121 £604 £8,204 13.6 yrs £3,870
4 kW 4041 kWh 2425 kWh 1616 kWh £643 £162 £805 £10,238 12.7 yrs £5,860
5 kW 5051 kWh 3031 kWh 2021 kWh £804 £202 £1,006 £12,273 12.2 yrs £7,850
6 kW 6062 kWh 3637 kWh 2425 kWh £965 £242 £1,207 £14,307 11.8 yrs £9,840
7 kW 7072 kWh 4243 kWh 2829 kWh £1,126 £283 £1,409 £16,342 11.6 yrs £11,831
8 kW 8082 kWh 4849 kWh 3233 kWh £1,287 £323 £1,610 £18,376 11.4 yrs £13,821

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: £1,090, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2021 kWh 1414 kWh 606 kWh £375 £61 £436 £7,569 17.4 yrs £1,148
3 kW 3031 kWh 2122 kWh 909 kWh £563 £91 £654 £9,604 14.7 yrs £3,472
4 kW 4041 kWh 2829 kWh 1212 kWh £750 £121 £872 £11,638 13.4 yrs £5,796
5 kW 5051 kWh 3536 kWh 1515 kWh £938 £152 £1,090 £13,673 12.5 yrs £8,120
6 kW 6062 kWh 4243 kWh 1819 kWh £1,126 £182 £1,308 £15,707 12.0 yrs £10,444
7 kW 7072 kWh 4950 kWh 2122 kWh £1,313 £212 £1,526 £17,742 11.6 yrs £12,769
8 kW 8082 kWh 5658 kWh 2425 kWh £1,501 £242 £1,743 £19,776 11.3 yrs £15,093

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: £1,115, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2021 kWh 1475 kWh 546 kWh £391 £55 £446 £9,319 20.9 yrs £-401
3 kW 3031 kWh 2213 kWh 818 kWh £587 £82 £669 £11,354 17.0 yrs £2,023
4 kW 4041 kWh 2950 kWh 1091 kWh £783 £109 £892 £13,388 15.0 yrs £4,447
5 kW 5051 kWh 3688 kWh 1364 kWh £978 £136 £1,115 £15,423 13.8 yrs £6,871
6 kW 6062 kWh 4425 kWh 1637 kWh £1,174 £164 £1,338 £17,457 13.1 yrs £9,296
7 kW 7072 kWh 5163 kWh 1909 kWh £1,370 £191 £1,561 £19,492 12.5 yrs £11,720
8 kW 8082 kWh 5900 kWh 2182 kWh £1,565 £218 £1,784 £21,526 12.1 yrs £14,144

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: £1,131, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2021 kWh 1515 kWh 505 kWh £402 £51 £453 £11,069 24.5 yrs £-2,018
3 kW 3031 kWh 2273 kWh 758 kWh £603 £76 £679 £13,104 19.3 yrs £473
4 kW 4041 kWh 3031 kWh 1010 kWh £804 £101 £905 £15,138 16.7 yrs £2,964
5 kW 5051 kWh 3789 kWh 1263 kWh £1,005 £126 £1,131 £17,173 15.2 yrs £5,455
6 kW 6062 kWh 4546 kWh 1515 kWh £1,206 £152 £1,358 £19,207 14.1 yrs £7,947
7 kW 7072 kWh 5304 kWh 1768 kWh £1,407 £177 £1,584 £21,242 13.4 yrs £10,438
8 kW 8082 kWh 6062 kWh 2021 kWh £1,608 £202 £1,810 £23,276 12.9 yrs £12,929

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: £1,148, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2021 kWh 1556 kWh 465 kWh £413 £46 £459 £13,519 29.4 yrs £-4,334
3 kW 3031 kWh 2334 kWh 697 kWh £619 £70 £689 £15,554 22.6 yrs £-1,776
4 kW 4041 kWh 3112 kWh 929 kWh £826 £93 £918 £17,588 19.1 yrs £782
5 kW 5051 kWh 3890 kWh 1162 kWh £1,032 £116 £1,148 £19,623 17.1 yrs £3,339
6 kW 6062 kWh 4668 kWh 1394 kWh £1,238 £139 £1,378 £21,657 15.7 yrs £5,897
7 kW 7072 kWh 5445 kWh 1627 kWh £1,445 £163 £1,607 £23,692 14.7 yrs £8,455
8 kW 8082 kWh 6223 kWh 1859 kWh £1,651 £186 £1,837 £25,726 14.0 yrs £11,013

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 CB7

Figures below are tailored to CB7 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1128 of 2182
5.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #484 of 2997
10.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£964 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1091 of 2997
18.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£964 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1010kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1010 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: 70% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 16% Based on 8,997 properties

Coverage

East Cambridgeshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Ely East, Soham South, Fordham & Isleham, Soham North, Ely West, Ely North, Littleport, The Rows + 1 more

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 Eastern

CB6 (East Cambridgeshire)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,001 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CB7
CB25 (East Cambridgeshire)
≈13.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB7
IP28 (West Suffolk)
≈14.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,007 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB7
CB8 (West Suffolk)
≈16.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,011 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB7
CB24 (South Cambridgeshire)
≈18.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,012 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB7
PE16 (Fenland)
≈19.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,006 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB7

Similar sunshine across the UK

BR8 (Sevenoaks)
~1,010 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB7
IG2 (Redbridge)
~1,010 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB7
OX11 (South Oxfordshire)
~1,010 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB7