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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CM6 (Uttlesford)

See if solar pays off for you in Uttlesford — 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
11.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,022
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,340
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 1025 kWh/kW — 16 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 1025 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)
1025 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: £852, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2050 kWh 820 kWh 1230 kWh £218 £123 £341 £4,069 11.9 yrs £2,743
3 kW 3076 kWh 1230 kWh 1845 kWh £326 £185 £511 £6,104 11.9 yrs £4,115
4 kW 4101 kWh 1640 kWh 2461 kWh £435 £246 £681 £8,138 11.9 yrs £5,487
5 kW 5126 kWh 2050 kWh 3076 kWh £544 £308 £852 £10,173 11.9 yrs £6,859
6 kW 6151 kWh 2461 kWh 3691 kWh £653 £369 £1,022 £12,207 11.9 yrs £8,230
7 kW 7177 kWh 2871 kWh 4306 kWh £762 £431 £1,192 £14,242 11.9 yrs £9,602
8 kW 8202 kWh 3281 kWh 4921 kWh £870 £492 £1,363 £16,276 11.9 yrs £10,974

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: £1,021, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2050 kWh 1230 kWh 820 kWh £326 £82 £408 £6,169 15.1 yrs £1,999
3 kW 3076 kWh 1845 kWh 1230 kWh £490 £123 £613 £8,204 13.4 yrs £4,049
4 kW 4101 kWh 2461 kWh 1640 kWh £653 £164 £817 £10,238 12.5 yrs £6,099
5 kW 5126 kWh 3076 kWh 2050 kWh £816 £205 £1,021 £12,273 12.0 yrs £8,148
6 kW 6151 kWh 3691 kWh 2461 kWh £979 £246 £1,225 £14,307 11.7 yrs £10,198
7 kW 7177 kWh 4306 kWh 2871 kWh £1,142 £287 £1,429 £16,342 11.4 yrs £12,247
8 kW 8202 kWh 4921 kWh 3281 kWh £1,306 £328 £1,634 £18,376 11.2 yrs £14,297

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: £1,106, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2050 kWh 1435 kWh 615 kWh £381 £62 £442 £7,569 17.1 yrs £1,277
3 kW 3076 kWh 2153 kWh 923 kWh £571 £92 £663 £9,604 14.5 yrs £3,666
4 kW 4101 kWh 2871 kWh 1230 kWh £762 £123 £885 £11,638 13.2 yrs £6,054
5 kW 5126 kWh 3588 kWh 1538 kWh £952 £154 £1,106 £13,673 12.4 yrs £8,443
6 kW 6151 kWh 4306 kWh 1845 kWh £1,142 £185 £1,327 £15,707 11.8 yrs £10,831
7 kW 7177 kWh 5024 kWh 2153 kWh £1,333 £215 £1,548 £17,742 11.5 yrs £13,220
8 kW 8202 kWh 5741 kWh 2461 kWh £1,523 £246 £1,769 £19,776 11.2 yrs £15,609

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: £1,131, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2050 kWh 1497 kWh 554 kWh £397 £55 £452 £9,319 20.6 yrs £-269
3 kW 3076 kWh 2245 kWh 830 kWh £596 £83 £679 £11,354 16.7 yrs £2,221
4 kW 4101 kWh 2994 kWh 1107 kWh £794 £111 £905 £13,388 14.8 yrs £4,711
5 kW 5126 kWh 3742 kWh 1384 kWh £993 £138 £1,131 £15,423 13.6 yrs £7,201
6 kW 6151 kWh 4491 kWh 1661 kWh £1,191 £166 £1,357 £17,457 12.9 yrs £9,692
7 kW 7177 kWh 5239 kWh 1938 kWh £1,390 £194 £1,584 £19,492 12.3 yrs £12,182
8 kW 8202 kWh 5987 kWh 2215 kWh £1,588 £221 £1,810 £21,526 11.9 yrs £14,672

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: £1,148, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2050 kWh 1538 kWh 513 kWh £408 £51 £459 £11,069 24.1 yrs £-1,884
3 kW 3076 kWh 2307 kWh 769 kWh £612 £77 £689 £13,104 19.0 yrs £674
4 kW 4101 kWh 3076 kWh 1025 kWh £816 £103 £919 £15,138 16.5 yrs £3,232
5 kW 5126 kWh 3845 kWh 1282 kWh £1,020 £128 £1,148 £17,173 15.0 yrs £5,790
6 kW 6151 kWh 4614 kWh 1538 kWh £1,224 £154 £1,378 £19,207 13.9 yrs £8,348
7 kW 7177 kWh 5383 kWh 1794 kWh £1,428 £179 £1,607 £21,242 13.2 yrs £10,906
8 kW 8202 kWh 6151 kWh 2050 kWh £1,632 £205 £1,837 £23,276 12.7 yrs £13,464

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: £1,165, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2050 kWh 1579 kWh 472 kWh £419 £47 £466 £13,519 29.0 yrs £-4,198
3 kW 3076 kWh 2368 kWh 707 kWh £628 £71 £699 £15,554 22.2 yrs £-1,572
4 kW 4101 kWh 3158 kWh 943 kWh £838 £94 £932 £17,588 18.9 yrs £1,053
5 kW 5126 kWh 3947 kWh 1179 kWh £1,047 £118 £1,165 £19,623 16.8 yrs £3,679
6 kW 6151 kWh 4737 kWh 1415 kWh £1,257 £141 £1,398 £21,657 15.5 yrs £6,305
7 kW 7177 kWh 5526 kWh 1651 kWh £1,466 £165 £1,631 £23,692 14.5 yrs £8,931
8 kW 8202 kWh 6315 kWh 1886 kWh £1,675 £189 £1,864 £25,726 13.8 yrs £11,557

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 CM6

Figures below are tailored to CM6 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #438 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #393 of 2997
10.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,174 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #248 of 2997
15.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,174 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1025kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1025 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: 78% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 7,801 properties

Coverage

Uttlesford (93%)|Braintree (6%)|Chelmsford (1%)

Areas Covered

Great Dunmow South & Barnston, Thaxted & the Eastons, Felsted & Stebbing, Great Dunmow North, Takeley, High Easter & the Rodings, Flitch Green & Little Dunmow, Braintree Central & Beckers Green + 4 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

CM22 (Uttlesford)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,014 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM6
CM24 (Uttlesford)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,017 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM6
CM77 (Braintree)
≈12.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM6
CM7 (Braintree)
≈13.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CM6
CM23 (East Hertfordshire)
≈14.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,004 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CM6
CM21 (East Hertfordshire)
≈16.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,011 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM6

Similar sunshine across the UK

HU12 (East Riding of Yorkshire)
~1,025 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM6
TR5 (Cornwall)
~1,025 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM6
DA3 (Sevenoaks)
~1,025 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM6