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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in DE12 (North West Leicestershire)

See if solar pays off for you in North West Leicestershire — 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
13.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£775
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,214
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 East Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.55p/kWh with a 49.09p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 956 kWh/kW — 12 below the regional median (968).

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 956 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.6p/kWh
Standing charge
49.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
956 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: £775, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1912 kWh 765 kWh 1147 kWh £195 £115 £310 £4,069 13.1 yrs £2,135
3 kW 2869 kWh 1147 kWh 1721 kWh £293 £172 £465 £6,104 13.1 yrs £3,202
4 kW 3825 kWh 1530 kWh 2295 kWh £391 £229 £620 £8,138 13.1 yrs £4,269
5 kW 4781 kWh 1912 kWh 2869 kWh £489 £287 £775 £10,173 13.1 yrs £5,337
6 kW 5737 kWh 2295 kWh 3442 kWh £586 £344 £931 £12,207 13.1 yrs £6,404
7 kW 6693 kWh 2677 kWh 4016 kWh £684 £402 £1,086 £14,242 13.1 yrs £7,471
8 kW 7649 kWh 3060 kWh 4590 kWh £782 £459 £1,241 £16,276 13.1 yrs £8,539

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: £924, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1912 kWh 1147 kWh 765 kWh £293 £76 £370 £6,169 16.7 yrs £1,224
3 kW 2869 kWh 1721 kWh 1147 kWh £440 £115 £554 £8,204 14.8 yrs £2,886
4 kW 3825 kWh 2295 kWh 1530 kWh £586 £153 £739 £10,238 13.8 yrs £4,548
5 kW 4781 kWh 2869 kWh 1912 kWh £733 £191 £924 £12,273 13.3 yrs £6,210
6 kW 5737 kWh 3442 kWh 2295 kWh £879 £229 £1,109 £14,307 12.9 yrs £7,872
7 kW 6693 kWh 4016 kWh 2677 kWh £1,026 £268 £1,294 £16,342 12.6 yrs £9,535
8 kW 7649 kWh 4590 kWh 3060 kWh £1,173 £306 £1,479 £18,376 12.4 yrs £11,197

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: £998, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1912 kWh 1339 kWh 574 kWh £342 £57 £399 £7,569 19.0 yrs £419
3 kW 2869 kWh 2008 kWh 861 kWh £513 £86 £599 £9,604 16.0 yrs £2,378
4 kW 3825 kWh 2677 kWh 1147 kWh £684 £115 £799 £11,638 14.6 yrs £4,338
5 kW 4781 kWh 3347 kWh 1434 kWh £855 £143 £998 £13,673 13.7 yrs £6,297
6 kW 5737 kWh 4016 kWh 1721 kWh £1,026 £172 £1,198 £15,707 13.1 yrs £8,257
7 kW 6693 kWh 4685 kWh 2008 kWh £1,197 £201 £1,398 £17,742 12.7 yrs £10,216
8 kW 7649 kWh 5355 kWh 2295 kWh £1,368 £229 £1,598 £19,776 12.4 yrs £12,176

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: £1,021, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1912 kWh 1396 kWh 516 kWh £357 £52 £408 £9,319 22.8 yrs £-1,153
3 kW 2869 kWh 2094 kWh 775 kWh £535 £77 £612 £11,354 18.5 yrs £896
4 kW 3825 kWh 2792 kWh 1033 kWh £713 £103 £817 £13,388 16.4 yrs £2,945
5 kW 4781 kWh 3490 kWh 1291 kWh £892 £129 £1,021 £15,423 15.1 yrs £4,993
6 kW 5737 kWh 4188 kWh 1549 kWh £1,070 £155 £1,225 £17,457 14.3 yrs £7,042
7 kW 6693 kWh 4886 kWh 1807 kWh £1,248 £181 £1,429 £19,492 13.6 yrs £9,091
8 kW 7649 kWh 5584 kWh 2065 kWh £1,427 £207 £1,633 £21,526 13.2 yrs £11,139

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: £1,036, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1912 kWh 1434 kWh 478 kWh £366 £48 £414 £11,069 26.7 yrs £-2,784
3 kW 2869 kWh 2151 kWh 717 kWh £550 £72 £621 £13,104 21.1 yrs £-676
4 kW 3825 kWh 2869 kWh 956 kWh £733 £96 £829 £15,138 18.3 yrs £1,433
5 kW 4781 kWh 3586 kWh 1195 kWh £916 £120 £1,036 £17,173 16.6 yrs £3,541
6 kW 5737 kWh 4303 kWh 1434 kWh £1,099 £143 £1,243 £19,207 15.5 yrs £5,649
7 kW 6693 kWh 5020 kWh 1673 kWh £1,283 £167 £1,450 £21,242 14.7 yrs £7,757
8 kW 7649 kWh 5737 kWh 1912 kWh £1,466 £191 £1,657 £23,276 14.0 yrs £9,865

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: £1,051, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1912 kWh 1473 kWh 440 kWh £376 £44 £420 £13,519 32.2 yrs £-5,115
3 kW 2869 kWh 2209 kWh 660 kWh £564 £66 £630 £15,554 24.7 yrs £-2,947
4 kW 3825 kWh 2945 kWh 880 kWh £752 £88 £840 £17,588 20.9 yrs £-780
5 kW 4781 kWh 3681 kWh 1100 kWh £941 £110 £1,051 £19,623 18.7 yrs £1,388
6 kW 5737 kWh 4418 kWh 1320 kWh £1,129 £132 £1,261 £21,657 17.2 yrs £3,556
7 kW 6693 kWh 5154 kWh 1539 kWh £1,317 £154 £1,471 £23,692 16.1 yrs £5,723
8 kW 7649 kWh 5890 kWh 1759 kWh £1,505 £176 £1,681 £25,726 15.3 yrs £7,891

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 DE12

Figures below are tailored to DE12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #857 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1745 of 2997
11.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£887 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1440 of 2997
20.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£179 fixed • ~£887 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.55p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.09p/day
Local Sunshine
956kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~956 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: 81% • Flats: 6% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 6,104 properties

Coverage

North West Leicestershire (58%)|South Derbyshire (42%)

Areas Covered

Seales, Linton, Oakthorpe & Donisthorpe, Measham South, Ashby Woulds, Appleby, Measham North, Swadlincote + 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 East Midlands

LE65 (North West Leicestershire)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~955 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DE12
DE11 (South Derbyshire)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~946 kWh/kWp · -1% vs DE12
LE55 (North West Leicestershire)
≈6.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DE12
DE15 (East Staffordshire)
≈8.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~937 kWh/kWp · -2% vs DE12
DE14 (East Staffordshire)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · -2% vs DE12
LE6 (North West Leicestershire)
≈11.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~957 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DE12

Similar sunshine across the UK

DN20 (North Lincolnshire)
~956 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DE12
HR5 (Herefordshire, County of)
~956 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DE12
BT19 (Ards and North Down)
~956 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DE12