Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CM5 (Epping Forest)

See if solar pays off for you in Epping Forest — 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
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,012
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,094
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 1015 kWh/kW — 6 above the regional median (1009).

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 1015 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)
1015 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: £843, 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 2031 kWh 812 kWh 1218 kWh £216 £122 £337 £4,069 12.1 yrs £2,678
3 kW 3046 kWh 1218 kWh 1828 kWh £323 £183 £506 £6,104 12.1 yrs £4,017
4 kW 4062 kWh 1625 kWh 2437 kWh £431 £244 £675 £8,138 12.1 yrs £5,356
5 kW 5077 kWh 2031 kWh 3046 kWh £539 £305 £843 £10,173 12.1 yrs £6,695
6 kW 6092 kWh 2437 kWh 3655 kWh £647 £366 £1,012 £12,207 12.1 yrs £8,034
7 kW 7108 kWh 2843 kWh 4265 kWh £754 £426 £1,181 £14,242 12.1 yrs £9,373
8 kW 8123 kWh 3249 kWh 4874 kWh £862 £487 £1,349 £16,276 12.1 yrs £10,712

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: £1,011, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2031 kWh 1218 kWh 812 kWh £323 £81 £404 £6,169 15.3 yrs £1,921
3 kW 3046 kWh 1828 kWh 1218 kWh £485 £122 £607 £8,204 13.5 yrs £3,931
4 kW 4062 kWh 2437 kWh 1625 kWh £647 £162 £809 £10,238 12.7 yrs £5,942
5 kW 5077 kWh 3046 kWh 2031 kWh £808 £203 £1,011 £12,273 12.1 yrs £7,952
6 kW 6092 kWh 3655 kWh 2437 kWh £970 £244 £1,213 £14,307 11.8 yrs £9,962
7 kW 7108 kWh 4265 kWh 2843 kWh £1,131 £284 £1,416 £16,342 11.5 yrs £11,973
8 kW 8123 kWh 4874 kWh 3249 kWh £1,293 £325 £1,618 £18,376 11.4 yrs £13,983

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: £1,095, 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 2031 kWh 1422 kWh 609 kWh £377 £61 £438 £7,569 17.3 yrs £1,192
3 kW 3046 kWh 2132 kWh 914 kWh £566 £91 £657 £9,604 14.6 yrs £3,538
4 kW 4062 kWh 2843 kWh 1218 kWh £754 £122 £876 £11,638 13.3 yrs £5,884
5 kW 5077 kWh 3554 kWh 1523 kWh £943 £152 £1,095 £13,673 12.5 yrs £8,230
6 kW 6092 kWh 4265 kWh 1828 kWh £1,131 £183 £1,314 £15,707 12.0 yrs £10,577
7 kW 7108 kWh 4975 kWh 2132 kWh £1,320 £213 £1,533 £17,742 11.6 yrs £12,923
8 kW 8123 kWh 5686 kWh 2437 kWh £1,509 £244 £1,752 £19,776 11.3 yrs £15,269

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: £1,120, 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 2031 kWh 1482 kWh 548 kWh £393 £55 £448 £9,319 20.8 yrs £-356
3 kW 3046 kWh 2224 kWh 822 kWh £590 £82 £672 £11,354 16.9 yrs £2,090
4 kW 4062 kWh 2965 kWh 1097 kWh £787 £110 £896 £13,388 14.9 yrs £4,537
5 kW 5077 kWh 3706 kWh 1371 kWh £983 £137 £1,120 £15,423 13.8 yrs £6,984
6 kW 6092 kWh 4447 kWh 1645 kWh £1,180 £164 £1,344 £17,457 13.0 yrs £9,431
7 kW 7108 kWh 5189 kWh 1919 kWh £1,377 £192 £1,568 £19,492 12.4 yrs £11,878
8 kW 8123 kWh 5930 kWh 2193 kWh £1,573 £219 £1,793 £21,526 12.0 yrs £14,324

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: £1,137, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1523 kWh 508 kWh £404 £51 £455 £11,069 24.3 yrs £-1,972
3 kW 3046 kWh 2285 kWh 762 kWh £606 £76 £682 £13,104 19.2 yrs £542
4 kW 4062 kWh 3046 kWh 1015 kWh £808 £102 £910 £15,138 16.6 yrs £3,056
5 kW 5077 kWh 3808 kWh 1269 kWh £1,010 £127 £1,137 £17,173 15.1 yrs £5,570
6 kW 6092 kWh 4569 kWh 1523 kWh £1,212 £152 £1,365 £19,207 14.1 yrs £8,084
7 kW 7108 kWh 5331 kWh 1777 kWh £1,414 £178 £1,592 £21,242 13.3 yrs £10,598
8 kW 8123 kWh 6092 kWh 2031 kWh £1,616 £203 £1,819 £23,276 12.8 yrs £13,111

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: £1,154, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1564 kWh 467 kWh £415 £47 £462 £13,519 29.3 yrs £-4,288
3 kW 3046 kWh 2346 kWh 701 kWh £622 £70 £692 £15,554 22.5 yrs £-1,707
4 kW 4062 kWh 3127 kWh 934 kWh £830 £93 £923 £17,588 19.1 yrs £874
5 kW 5077 kWh 3909 kWh 1168 kWh £1,037 £117 £1,154 £19,623 17.0 yrs £3,455
6 kW 6092 kWh 4691 kWh 1401 kWh £1,245 £140 £1,385 £21,657 15.6 yrs £6,036
7 kW 7108 kWh 5473 kWh 1635 kWh £1,452 £163 £1,615 £23,692 14.7 yrs £8,617
8 kW 8123 kWh 6255 kWh 1868 kWh £1,659 £187 £1,846 £25,726 13.9 yrs £11,199

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 CM5

Figures below are tailored to CM5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #502 of 2182
5.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #509 of 2997
10.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,163 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #285 of 2997
15.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,163 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1015kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1015 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: 71% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 2,675 properties

Coverage

Epping Forest (98%)|Brentwood (1%)

Areas Covered

Ongar, Rural East, Theydon Bois with Passingford, Brizes, Stondon Massey & South Weald, Chelmsford Rural West, Hatfield Heath

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

RM4 (Epping Forest)
≈9.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,005 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM5
CM16 (Epping Forest)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,010 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM5
CM15 (Brentwood)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,012 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM5
CM17 (Harlow)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,012 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM5
CM4 (Brentwood)
≈10.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CM5
CM14 (Brentwood)
≈10.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CM5

Similar sunshine across the UK

SO22 (Winchester)
~1,016 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM5
PE21 (Boston)
~1,016 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM5
ME2 (Medway)
~1,016 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM5