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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CT1 (Canterbury)

See if solar pays off for you in Canterbury — 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
11.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£891
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,113
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1063 kWh/kW — 34 above the regional median (1029).

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 1063 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1063 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: £891, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2126 kWh 851 kWh 1276 kWh £229 £128 £357 £4,069 11.4 yrs £3,062
3 kW 3190 kWh 1276 kWh 1914 kWh £343 £191 £535 £6,104 11.4 yrs £4,594
4 kW 4253 kWh 1701 kWh 2552 kWh £458 £255 £713 £8,138 11.4 yrs £6,125
5 kW 5316 kWh 2126 kWh 3190 kWh £572 £319 £891 £10,173 11.4 yrs £7,656
6 kW 6379 kWh 2552 kWh 3828 kWh £687 £383 £1,070 £12,207 11.4 yrs £9,187
7 kW 7443 kWh 2977 kWh 4466 kWh £801 £447 £1,248 £14,242 11.4 yrs £10,718
8 kW 8506 kWh 3402 kWh 5104 kWh £916 £510 £1,426 £16,276 11.4 yrs £12,249

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: £1,071, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2126 kWh 1276 kWh 851 kWh £343 £85 £429 £6,169 14.4 yrs £2,402
3 kW 3190 kWh 1914 kWh 1276 kWh £515 £128 £643 £8,204 12.8 yrs £4,652
4 kW 4253 kWh 2552 kWh 1701 kWh £687 £170 £857 £10,238 11.9 yrs £6,903
5 kW 5316 kWh 3190 kWh 2126 kWh £859 £213 £1,071 £12,273 11.5 yrs £9,154
6 kW 6379 kWh 3828 kWh 2552 kWh £1,030 £255 £1,286 £14,307 11.1 yrs £11,405
7 kW 7443 kWh 4466 kWh 2977 kWh £1,202 £298 £1,500 £16,342 10.9 yrs £13,655
8 kW 8506 kWh 5104 kWh 3402 kWh £1,374 £340 £1,714 £18,376 10.7 yrs £15,906

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: £1,161, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2126 kWh 1489 kWh 638 kWh £401 £64 £465 £7,569 16.3 yrs £1,721
3 kW 3190 kWh 2233 kWh 957 kWh £601 £96 £697 £9,604 13.8 yrs £4,332
4 kW 4253 kWh 2977 kWh 1276 kWh £801 £128 £929 £11,638 12.5 yrs £6,942
5 kW 5316 kWh 3721 kWh 1595 kWh £1,002 £159 £1,161 £13,673 11.8 yrs £9,553
6 kW 6379 kWh 4466 kWh 1914 kWh £1,202 £191 £1,394 £15,707 11.3 yrs £12,163
7 kW 7443 kWh 5210 kWh 2233 kWh £1,402 £223 £1,626 £17,742 10.9 yrs £14,774
8 kW 8506 kWh 5954 kWh 2552 kWh £1,603 £255 £1,858 £19,776 10.6 yrs £17,385

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: £1,188, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2126 kWh 1552 kWh 574 kWh £418 £57 £475 £9,319 19.6 yrs £187
3 kW 3190 kWh 2328 kWh 861 kWh £627 £86 £713 £11,354 15.9 yrs £2,906
4 kW 4253 kWh 3105 kWh 1148 kWh £836 £115 £951 £13,388 14.1 yrs £5,624
5 kW 5316 kWh 3881 kWh 1435 kWh £1,045 £144 £1,188 £15,423 13.0 yrs £8,343
6 kW 6379 kWh 4657 kWh 1722 kWh £1,254 £172 £1,426 £17,457 12.2 yrs £11,061
7 kW 7443 kWh 5433 kWh 2010 kWh £1,463 £201 £1,664 £19,492 11.7 yrs £13,780
8 kW 8506 kWh 6209 kWh 2297 kWh £1,672 £230 £1,901 £21,526 11.3 yrs £16,498

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: £1,206, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2126 kWh 1595 kWh 532 kWh £429 £53 £482 £11,069 22.9 yrs £-1,419
3 kW 3190 kWh 2392 kWh 797 kWh £644 £80 £724 £13,104 18.1 yrs £1,371
4 kW 4253 kWh 3190 kWh 1063 kWh £859 £106 £965 £15,138 15.7 yrs £4,162
5 kW 5316 kWh 3987 kWh 1329 kWh £1,073 £133 £1,206 £17,173 14.2 yrs £6,952
6 kW 6379 kWh 4785 kWh 1595 kWh £1,288 £159 £1,447 £19,207 13.3 yrs £9,743
7 kW 7443 kWh 5582 kWh 1861 kWh £1,503 £186 £1,689 £21,242 12.6 yrs £12,533
8 kW 8506 kWh 6379 kWh 2126 kWh £1,717 £213 £1,930 £23,276 12.1 yrs £15,324

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: £1,224, Upfront: £19,623, 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 2126 kWh 1637 kWh 489 kWh £441 £49 £490 £13,519 27.6 yrs £-3,725
3 kW 3190 kWh 2456 kWh 734 kWh £661 £73 £735 £15,554 21.2 yrs £-863
4 kW 4253 kWh 3275 kWh 978 kWh £882 £98 £979 £17,588 18.0 yrs £2,000
5 kW 5316 kWh 4093 kWh 1223 kWh £1,102 £122 £1,224 £19,623 16.0 yrs £4,862
6 kW 6379 kWh 4912 kWh 1467 kWh £1,322 £147 £1,469 £21,657 14.7 yrs £7,725
7 kW 7443 kWh 5731 kWh 1712 kWh £1,543 £171 £1,714 £23,692 13.8 yrs £10,587
8 kW 8506 kWh 6550 kWh 1956 kWh £1,763 £196 £1,959 £25,726 13.1 yrs £13,449

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 CT1

Figures below are tailored to CT1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1879 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #155 of 2997
9.9 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,026 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #706 of 2997
16.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,026 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1063kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1063 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: 53% • Flats: 40% • Bungalows: 5% Based on 10,997 properties

Coverage

Canterbury (100%)

Areas Covered

Northgate, Barton, Westgate, Wincheap, Chartham & Stone Street

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 South East

CT2 (Canterbury)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT1
CT4 (Canterbury)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT1
CT3 (Dover)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,106 kWh/kWp · +4% vs CT1
CT5 (Canterbury)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,047 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CT1
CT6 (Canterbury)
≈9.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,069 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CT1
ME13 (Swale)
≈14.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,044 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CT1

Similar sunshine across the UK

SO19 (Southampton)
~1,063 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CT1
EX12 (East Devon)
~1,064 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT1
CO1 (Colchester)
~1,062 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CT1