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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CO1 (Colchester)

See if solar pays off for you in Colchester — 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
11.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£706
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,510
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 1062 kWh/kW — 53 above the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1062 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)
1062 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: £882, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2125 kWh 850 kWh 1275 kWh £225 £127 £353 £4,069 11.5 yrs £2,990
3 kW 3187 kWh 1275 kWh 1912 kWh £338 £191 £529 £6,104 11.5 yrs £4,485
4 kW 4250 kWh 1700 kWh 2550 kWh £451 £255 £706 £8,138 11.5 yrs £5,981
5 kW 5312 kWh 2125 kWh 3187 kWh £564 £319 £882 £10,173 11.5 yrs £7,476
6 kW 6374 kWh 2550 kWh 3825 kWh £676 £382 £1,059 £12,207 11.5 yrs £8,971
7 kW 7437 kWh 2975 kWh 4462 kWh £789 £446 £1,235 £14,242 11.5 yrs £10,466
8 kW 8499 kWh 3400 kWh 5099 kWh £902 £510 £1,412 £16,276 11.5 yrs £11,961

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: £1,058, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2125 kWh 1275 kWh 850 kWh £338 £85 £423 £6,169 14.6 yrs £2,295
3 kW 3187 kWh 1912 kWh 1275 kWh £507 £127 £635 £8,204 12.9 yrs £4,493
4 kW 4250 kWh 2550 kWh 1700 kWh £676 £170 £846 £10,238 12.1 yrs £6,690
5 kW 5312 kWh 3187 kWh 2125 kWh £846 £212 £1,058 £12,273 11.6 yrs £8,888
6 kW 6374 kWh 3825 kWh 2550 kWh £1,015 £255 £1,270 £14,307 11.3 yrs £11,086
7 kW 7437 kWh 4462 kWh 2975 kWh £1,184 £297 £1,481 £16,342 11.0 yrs £13,283
8 kW 8499 kWh 5099 kWh 3400 kWh £1,353 £340 £1,693 £18,376 10.9 yrs £15,481

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: £1,146, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2125 kWh 1487 kWh 637 kWh £395 £64 £458 £7,569 16.5 yrs £1,598
3 kW 3187 kWh 2231 kWh 956 kWh £592 £96 £687 £9,604 14.0 yrs £4,146
4 kW 4250 kWh 2975 kWh 1275 kWh £789 £127 £917 £11,638 12.7 yrs £6,695
5 kW 5312 kWh 3718 kWh 1594 kWh £986 £159 £1,146 £13,673 11.9 yrs £9,244
6 kW 6374 kWh 4462 kWh 1912 kWh £1,184 £191 £1,375 £15,707 11.4 yrs £11,793
7 kW 7437 kWh 5206 kWh 2231 kWh £1,381 £223 £1,604 £17,742 11.1 yrs £14,342
8 kW 8499 kWh 5949 kWh 2550 kWh £1,578 £255 £1,833 £19,776 10.8 yrs £16,890

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: £1,172, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2125 kWh 1551 kWh 574 kWh £412 £57 £469 £9,319 19.9 yrs £58
3 kW 3187 kWh 2327 kWh 861 kWh £617 £86 £703 £11,354 16.1 yrs £2,713
4 kW 4250 kWh 3102 kWh 1147 kWh £823 £115 £938 £13,388 14.3 yrs £5,367
5 kW 5312 kWh 3878 kWh 1434 kWh £1,029 £143 £1,172 £15,423 13.2 yrs £8,021
6 kW 6374 kWh 4653 kWh 1721 kWh £1,235 £172 £1,407 £17,457 12.4 yrs £10,675
7 kW 7437 kWh 5429 kWh 2008 kWh £1,440 £201 £1,641 £19,492 11.9 yrs £13,329
8 kW 8499 kWh 6204 kWh 2295 kWh £1,646 £229 £1,875 £21,526 11.5 yrs £15,983

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: £1,190, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2125 kWh 1594 kWh 531 kWh £423 £53 £476 £11,069 23.3 yrs £-1,551
3 kW 3187 kWh 2390 kWh 797 kWh £634 £80 £714 £13,104 18.4 yrs £1,173
4 kW 4250 kWh 3187 kWh 1062 kWh £846 £106 £952 £15,138 15.9 yrs £3,898
5 kW 5312 kWh 3984 kWh 1328 kWh £1,057 £133 £1,190 £17,173 14.4 yrs £6,622
6 kW 6374 kWh 4781 kWh 1594 kWh £1,268 £159 £1,428 £19,207 13.5 yrs £9,347
7 kW 7437 kWh 5577 kWh 1859 kWh £1,480 £186 £1,666 £21,242 12.8 yrs £12,071
8 kW 8499 kWh 6374 kWh 2125 kWh £1,691 £212 £1,904 £23,276 12.2 yrs £14,795

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: £1,207, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2125 kWh 1636 kWh 489 kWh £434 £49 £483 £13,519 28.0 yrs £-3,861
3 kW 3187 kWh 2454 kWh 733 kWh £651 £73 £724 £15,554 21.5 yrs £-1,066
4 kW 4250 kWh 3272 kWh 977 kWh £868 £98 £966 £17,588 18.2 yrs £1,729
5 kW 5312 kWh 4090 kWh 1222 kWh £1,085 £122 £1,207 £19,623 16.3 yrs £4,523
6 kW 6374 kWh 4908 kWh 1466 kWh £1,302 £147 £1,449 £21,657 14.9 yrs £7,318
7 kW 7437 kWh 5726 kWh 1710 kWh £1,519 £171 £1,690 £23,692 14.0 yrs £10,113
8 kW 8499 kWh 6544 kWh 1955 kWh £1,736 £195 £1,932 £25,726 13.3 yrs £12,907

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 CO1

Figures below are tailored to CO1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2171 of 2182
3.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~7 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #178 of 2997
10.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£811 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1753 of 2997
21.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£811 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1062kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1062 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 47% • Flats: 47% • Bungalows: 2% Based on 6,754 properties

Coverage

Colchester (100%)

Areas Covered

Castle, Tiptree, New Town and Christ Church, Old Heath and The Hythe, Greenstead, Mile End, Shrub End, Ardleigh & Little Bromley + 2 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

CO2 (Colchester)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO1
CO4 (Colchester)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO1
CO3 (Colchester)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,047 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO1
CO7 (Tendring)
≈7.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CO1
CO6 (Colchester)
≈8.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CO1
CO11 (Tendring)
≈12.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,070 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CO1

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO32 (Isle of Wight)
~1,062 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO1
TQ6 (South Hams)
~1,062 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO1
SO19 (Southampton)
~1,063 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO1