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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in DT4 (Dorset)

See if solar pays off for you in Dorset — 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
11.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£920
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,840
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 Southern, the current unit rate is 26.48p/kWh with a 44.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1110 kWh/kW — 108 above the regional median (1001).

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 1110 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
44.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1110 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: £920, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2219 kWh 888 kWh 1331 kWh £235 £133 £368 £4,069 11.1 yrs £3,295
3 kW 3329 kWh 1331 kWh 1997 kWh £353 £200 £552 £6,104 11.1 yrs £4,942
4 kW 4438 kWh 1775 kWh 2663 kWh £470 £266 £736 £8,138 11.1 yrs £6,590
5 kW 5548 kWh 2219 kWh 3329 kWh £588 £333 £920 £10,173 11.1 yrs £8,237
6 kW 6657 kWh 2663 kWh 3994 kWh £705 £399 £1,105 £12,207 11.1 yrs £9,885
7 kW 7767 kWh 3107 kWh 4660 kWh £823 £466 £1,289 £14,242 11.1 yrs £11,532
8 kW 8877 kWh 3551 kWh 5326 kWh £940 £533 £1,473 £16,276 11.1 yrs £13,180

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: £1,103, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2219 kWh 1331 kWh 888 kWh £353 £89 £441 £6,169 14.0 yrs £2,658
3 kW 3329 kWh 1997 kWh 1331 kWh £529 £133 £662 £8,204 12.4 yrs £5,037
4 kW 4438 kWh 2663 kWh 1775 kWh £705 £178 £883 £10,238 11.6 yrs £7,416
5 kW 5548 kWh 3329 kWh 2219 kWh £881 £222 £1,103 £12,273 11.1 yrs £9,795
6 kW 6657 kWh 3994 kWh 2663 kWh £1,058 £266 £1,324 £14,307 10.8 yrs £12,173
7 kW 7767 kWh 4660 kWh 3107 kWh £1,234 £311 £1,545 £16,342 10.6 yrs £14,552
8 kW 8877 kWh 5326 kWh 3551 kWh £1,410 £355 £1,765 £18,376 10.4 yrs £16,931

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: £1,195, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2219 kWh 1553 kWh 666 kWh £411 £67 £478 £7,569 15.8 yrs £1,989
3 kW 3329 kWh 2330 kWh 999 kWh £617 £100 £717 £9,604 13.4 yrs £4,734
4 kW 4438 kWh 3107 kWh 1331 kWh £823 £133 £956 £11,638 12.2 yrs £7,479
5 kW 5548 kWh 3883 kWh 1664 kWh £1,028 £166 £1,195 £13,673 11.4 yrs £10,223
6 kW 6657 kWh 4660 kWh 1997 kWh £1,234 £200 £1,434 £15,707 11.0 yrs £12,968
7 kW 7767 kWh 5437 kWh 2330 kWh £1,440 £233 £1,673 £17,742 10.6 yrs £15,712
8 kW 8877 kWh 6214 kWh 2663 kWh £1,645 £266 £1,912 £19,776 10.3 yrs £18,457

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: £1,222, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2219 kWh 1620 kWh 599 kWh £429 £60 £489 £9,319 19.1 yrs £459
3 kW 3329 kWh 2430 kWh 899 kWh £643 £90 £733 £11,354 15.5 yrs £3,313
4 kW 4438 kWh 3240 kWh 1198 kWh £858 £120 £978 £13,388 13.7 yrs £6,167
5 kW 5548 kWh 4050 kWh 1498 kWh £1,072 £150 £1,222 £15,423 12.6 yrs £9,022
6 kW 6657 kWh 4860 kWh 1798 kWh £1,287 £180 £1,467 £17,457 11.9 yrs £11,876
7 kW 7767 kWh 5670 kWh 2097 kWh £1,501 £210 £1,711 £19,492 11.4 yrs £14,730
8 kW 8877 kWh 6480 kWh 2397 kWh £1,716 £240 £1,956 £21,526 11.0 yrs £17,585

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: £1,240, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2219 kWh 1664 kWh 555 kWh £441 £55 £496 £11,069 22.3 yrs £-1,145
3 kW 3329 kWh 2497 kWh 832 kWh £661 £83 £744 £13,104 17.6 yrs £1,782
4 kW 4438 kWh 3329 kWh 1110 kWh £881 £111 £992 £15,138 15.3 yrs £4,710
5 kW 5548 kWh 4161 kWh 1387 kWh £1,102 £139 £1,240 £17,173 13.8 yrs £7,637
6 kW 6657 kWh 4993 kWh 1664 kWh £1,322 £166 £1,489 £19,207 12.9 yrs £10,565
7 kW 7767 kWh 5825 kWh 1942 kWh £1,543 £194 £1,737 £21,242 12.2 yrs £13,492
8 kW 8877 kWh 6657 kWh 2219 kWh £1,763 £222 £1,985 £23,276 11.7 yrs £16,420

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: £1,259, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2219 kWh 1709 kWh 510 kWh £452 £51 £504 £13,519 26.8 yrs £-3,449
3 kW 3329 kWh 2563 kWh 766 kWh £679 £77 £755 £15,554 20.6 yrs £-448
4 kW 4438 kWh 3417 kWh 1021 kWh £905 £102 £1,007 £17,588 17.5 yrs £2,553
5 kW 5548 kWh 4272 kWh 1276 kWh £1,131 £128 £1,259 £19,623 15.6 yrs £5,553
6 kW 6657 kWh 5126 kWh 1531 kWh £1,357 £153 £1,511 £21,657 14.3 yrs £8,554
7 kW 7767 kWh 5981 kWh 1786 kWh £1,584 £179 £1,762 £23,692 13.4 yrs £11,554
8 kW 8877 kWh 6835 kWh 2042 kWh £1,810 £204 £2,014 £25,726 12.8 yrs £14,555

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 DT4

Figures below are tailored to DT4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1788 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #60 of 2997
9.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,058 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #463 of 2997
15.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£1,058 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1110kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1110 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: 49% • Flats: 41% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 11,077 properties

Coverage

Dorset (100%)

Areas Covered

Melcombe Regis, Rodwell & Wyke, Westham, Radipole, Chickerell, Littlemoor & Preston, Portland, Upwey & Broadwey

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 Southern

DT3 (Dorset)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,110 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DT4
DT5 (Dorset)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,109 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DT4
DT1 (Dorset)
≈11.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,090 kWh/kWp · -2% vs DT4
DT2 (Dorset)
≈14.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,066 kWh/kWp · -4% vs DT4
BH20 (Dorset)
≈25.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,103 kWh/kWp · -1% vs DT4
BH16 (Dorset)
≈33.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,071 kWh/kWp · -3% vs DT4

Similar sunshine across the UK

CT15 (Dover)
~1,110 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DT4
BN42 (Adur)
~1,110 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DT4
BN4 (Adur)
~1,110 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DT4