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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CW8 (Cheshire West and Chester)

See if solar pays off for you in Cheshire West and Chester — 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
12.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£791
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,604
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 North Wales and Mersey, the current unit rate is 27.72p/kWh with a 69.95p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 926 kWh/kW — 4 below the regional median (930).

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 926 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.7p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.7p/kWh
Standing charge
70.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
926 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: £791, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1852 kWh 741 kWh 1111 kWh £205 £111 £316 £4,069 12.9 yrs £2,259
3 kW 2778 kWh 1111 kWh 1667 kWh £308 £167 £475 £6,104 12.9 yrs £3,389
4 kW 3703 kWh 1481 kWh 2222 kWh £411 £222 £633 £8,138 12.9 yrs £4,519
5 kW 4629 kWh 1852 kWh 2778 kWh £513 £278 £791 £10,173 12.9 yrs £5,648
6 kW 5555 kWh 2222 kWh 3333 kWh £616 £333 £949 £12,207 12.9 yrs £6,778
7 kW 6481 kWh 2592 kWh 3889 kWh £719 £389 £1,107 £14,242 12.9 yrs £7,908
8 kW 7407 kWh 2963 kWh 4444 kWh £821 £444 £1,266 £16,276 12.9 yrs £9,037

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: £955, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1852 kWh 1111 kWh 741 kWh £308 £74 £382 £6,169 16.1 yrs £1,472
3 kW 2778 kWh 1667 kWh 1111 kWh £462 £111 £573 £8,204 14.3 yrs £3,258
4 kW 3703 kWh 2222 kWh 1481 kWh £616 £148 £764 £10,238 13.4 yrs £5,044
5 kW 4629 kWh 2778 kWh 1852 kWh £770 £185 £955 £12,273 12.8 yrs £6,830
6 kW 5555 kWh 3333 kWh 2222 kWh £924 £222 £1,146 £14,307 12.5 yrs £8,616
7 kW 6481 kWh 3889 kWh 2592 kWh £1,078 £259 £1,337 £16,342 12.2 yrs £10,401
8 kW 7407 kWh 4444 kWh 2963 kWh £1,232 £296 £1,528 £18,376 12.0 yrs £12,187

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: £1,037, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1852 kWh 1296 kWh 556 kWh £359 £56 £415 £7,569 18.2 yrs £728
3 kW 2778 kWh 1944 kWh 833 kWh £539 £83 £622 £9,604 15.4 yrs £2,842
4 kW 3703 kWh 2592 kWh 1111 kWh £719 £111 £830 £11,638 14.0 yrs £4,956
5 kW 4629 kWh 3240 kWh 1389 kWh £898 £139 £1,037 £13,673 13.2 yrs £7,070
6 kW 5555 kWh 3889 kWh 1667 kWh £1,078 £167 £1,245 £15,707 12.6 yrs £9,184
7 kW 6481 kWh 4537 kWh 1944 kWh £1,258 £194 £1,452 £17,742 12.2 yrs £11,298
8 kW 7407 kWh 5185 kWh 2222 kWh £1,437 £222 £1,659 £19,776 11.9 yrs £13,412

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: £1,062, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1852 kWh 1352 kWh 500 kWh £375 £50 £425 £9,319 21.9 yrs £-825
3 kW 2778 kWh 2028 kWh 750 kWh £562 £75 £637 £11,354 17.8 yrs £1,387
4 kW 3703 kWh 2703 kWh 1000 kWh £749 £100 £849 £13,388 15.8 yrs £3,600
5 kW 4629 kWh 3379 kWh 1250 kWh £937 £125 £1,062 £15,423 14.5 yrs £5,812
6 kW 5555 kWh 4055 kWh 1500 kWh £1,124 £150 £1,274 £17,457 13.7 yrs £8,025
7 kW 6481 kWh 4731 kWh 1750 kWh £1,311 £175 £1,486 £19,492 13.1 yrs £10,237
8 kW 7407 kWh 5407 kWh 2000 kWh £1,499 £200 £1,699 £21,526 12.7 yrs £12,450

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: £1,078, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1852 kWh 1389 kWh 463 kWh £385 £46 £431 £11,069 25.7 yrs £-2,444
3 kW 2778 kWh 2083 kWh 694 kWh £577 £69 £647 £13,104 20.3 yrs £-166
4 kW 3703 kWh 2778 kWh 926 kWh £770 £93 £863 £15,138 17.6 yrs £2,112
5 kW 4629 kWh 3472 kWh 1157 kWh £962 £116 £1,078 £17,173 15.9 yrs £4,390
6 kW 5555 kWh 4166 kWh 1389 kWh £1,155 £139 £1,294 £19,207 14.8 yrs £6,669
7 kW 6481 kWh 4861 kWh 1620 kWh £1,347 £162 £1,509 £21,242 14.1 yrs £8,947
8 kW 7407 kWh 5555 kWh 1852 kWh £1,540 £185 £1,725 £23,276 13.5 yrs £11,225

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: £1,095, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1852 kWh 1426 kWh 426 kWh £395 £43 £438 £13,519 30.9 yrs £-4,763
3 kW 2778 kWh 2139 kWh 639 kWh £593 £64 £657 £15,554 23.7 yrs £-2,419
4 kW 3703 kWh 2852 kWh 852 kWh £790 £85 £876 £17,588 20.1 yrs £-75
5 kW 4629 kWh 3565 kWh 1065 kWh £988 £106 £1,095 £19,623 17.9 yrs £2,269
6 kW 5555 kWh 4277 kWh 1278 kWh £1,186 £128 £1,313 £21,657 16.5 yrs £4,612
7 kW 6481 kWh 4990 kWh 1491 kWh £1,383 £149 £1,532 £23,692 15.5 yrs £6,956
8 kW 7407 kWh 5703 kWh 1704 kWh £1,581 £170 £1,751 £25,726 14.7 yrs £9,300

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 CW8

Figures below are tailored to CW8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #886 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1339 of 2997
11.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£914 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2522 of 2997
27.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£255 fixed • ~£914 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.72p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
69.95p/day
Local Sunshine
926kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~926 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: 78% • Flats: 9% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 10,725 properties

Coverage

Cheshire West and Chester (100%)

Areas Covered

Weaver & Cuddington, Hartford & Greenbank, Northwich Winnington & Castle, Marbury, Northwich Witton, Tarvin & Kelsall, Winsford Over & Verdin, Davenham + 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 North Wales and Mersey

CW9 (Cheshire West and Chester)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~914 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CW8
CW7 (Cheshire West and Chester)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~926 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CW8
CW10 (Cheshire East)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~911 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CW8
WA6 (Cheshire West and Chester)
≈11.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~915 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CW8
WA7 (Halton)
≈12.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CW8
WA4 (Warrington)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~910 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CW8

Similar sunshine across the UK

TF9 (Shropshire)
~926 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CW8
TS23 (Stockton-on-Tees)
~926 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CW8
DD8 (Angus)
~926 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CW8