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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in EC3B (City of London)

See if solar pays off for you in City of London — 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
12.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£964
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,899
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 London, the current unit rate is 25.63p/kWh with a 46.06p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 989 kWh/kW — 2 below the regional median (991).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 989 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
46.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
989 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: £804, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1978 kWh 791 kWh 1187 kWh £203 £119 £321 £4,069 12.7 yrs £2,359
3 kW 2967 kWh 1187 kWh 1780 kWh £304 £178 £482 £6,104 12.7 yrs £3,539
4 kW 3955 kWh 1582 kWh 2373 kWh £406 £237 £643 £8,138 12.7 yrs £4,719
5 kW 4944 kWh 1978 kWh 2967 kWh £507 £297 £804 £10,173 12.7 yrs £5,898
6 kW 5933 kWh 2373 kWh 3560 kWh £608 £356 £964 £12,207 12.7 yrs £7,078
7 kW 6922 kWh 2769 kWh 4153 kWh £710 £415 £1,125 £14,242 12.7 yrs £8,258
8 kW 7911 kWh 3164 kWh 4746 kWh £811 £475 £1,286 £16,276 12.7 yrs £9,437

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: £958, 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 1978 kWh 1187 kWh 791 kWh £304 £79 £383 £6,169 16.1 yrs £1,496
3 kW 2967 kWh 1780 kWh 1187 kWh £456 £119 £575 £8,204 14.3 yrs £3,294
4 kW 3955 kWh 2373 kWh 1582 kWh £608 £158 £766 £10,238 13.4 yrs £5,092
5 kW 4944 kWh 2967 kWh 1978 kWh £760 £198 £958 £12,273 12.8 yrs £6,889
6 kW 5933 kWh 3560 kWh 2373 kWh £912 £237 £1,150 £14,307 12.4 yrs £8,687
7 kW 6922 kWh 4153 kWh 2769 kWh £1,064 £277 £1,341 £16,342 12.2 yrs £10,485
8 kW 7911 kWh 4746 kWh 3164 kWh £1,217 £316 £1,533 £18,376 12.0 yrs £12,283

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: £1,035, 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 1978 kWh 1384 kWh 593 kWh £355 £59 £414 £7,569 18.3 yrs £714
3 kW 2967 kWh 2077 kWh 890 kWh £532 £89 £621 £9,604 15.5 yrs £2,821
4 kW 3955 kWh 2769 kWh 1187 kWh £710 £119 £828 £11,638 14.1 yrs £4,928
5 kW 4944 kWh 3461 kWh 1483 kWh £887 £148 £1,035 £13,673 13.2 yrs £7,035
6 kW 5933 kWh 4153 kWh 1780 kWh £1,064 £178 £1,242 £15,707 12.6 yrs £9,142
7 kW 6922 kWh 4845 kWh 2077 kWh £1,242 £208 £1,450 £17,742 12.2 yrs £11,249
8 kW 7911 kWh 5538 kWh 2373 kWh £1,419 £237 £1,657 £19,776 11.9 yrs £13,356

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: £1,059, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1978 kWh 1444 kWh 534 kWh £370 £53 £423 £9,319 22.0 yrs £-851
3 kW 2967 kWh 2166 kWh 801 kWh £555 £80 £635 £11,354 17.9 yrs £1,349
4 kW 3955 kWh 2887 kWh 1068 kWh £740 £107 £847 £13,388 15.8 yrs £3,549
5 kW 4944 kWh 3609 kWh 1335 kWh £925 £133 £1,059 £15,423 14.6 yrs £5,749
6 kW 5933 kWh 4331 kWh 1602 kWh £1,110 £160 £1,270 £17,457 13.7 yrs £7,948
7 kW 6922 kWh 5053 kWh 1869 kWh £1,295 £187 £1,482 £19,492 13.2 yrs £10,148
8 kW 7911 kWh 5775 kWh 2136 kWh £1,480 £214 £1,694 £21,526 12.7 yrs £12,348

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: £1,074, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1978 kWh 1483 kWh 494 kWh £380 £49 £430 £11,069 25.8 yrs £-2,477
3 kW 2967 kWh 2225 kWh 742 kWh £570 £74 £644 £13,104 20.3 yrs £-215
4 kW 3955 kWh 2967 kWh 989 kWh £760 £99 £859 £15,138 17.6 yrs £2,046
5 kW 4944 kWh 3708 kWh 1236 kWh £950 £124 £1,074 £17,173 16.0 yrs £4,308
6 kW 5933 kWh 4450 kWh 1483 kWh £1,140 £148 £1,289 £19,207 14.9 yrs £6,569
7 kW 6922 kWh 5191 kWh 1730 kWh £1,331 £173 £1,504 £21,242 14.1 yrs £8,831
8 kW 7911 kWh 5933 kWh 1978 kWh £1,521 £198 £1,718 £23,276 13.5 yrs £11,092

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: £1,089, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1978 kWh 1523 kWh 455 kWh £390 £45 £436 £13,519 31.0 yrs £-4,803
3 kW 2967 kWh 2284 kWh 682 kWh £585 £68 £654 £15,554 23.8 yrs £-2,480
4 kW 3955 kWh 3046 kWh 910 kWh £781 £91 £872 £17,588 20.2 yrs £-157
5 kW 4944 kWh 3807 kWh 1137 kWh £976 £114 £1,089 £19,623 18.0 yrs £2,167
6 kW 5933 kWh 4568 kWh 1365 kWh £1,171 £136 £1,307 £21,657 16.6 yrs £4,490
7 kW 6922 kWh 5330 kWh 1592 kWh £1,366 £159 £1,525 £23,692 15.5 yrs £6,814
8 kW 7911 kWh 6091 kWh 1819 kWh £1,561 £182 £1,743 £25,726 14.8 yrs £9,137

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 EC3B

Figures below are tailored to EC3B — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1361 of 2997
11.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,103 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #372 of 2997
15.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£168 fixed • ~£1,103 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.63p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
46.06p/day
Local Sunshine
989kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~989 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

City of London (100%)

Areas Covered

Lime 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 London

EC3A (City of London)
≈0.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B
EC3M (City of London)
≈0.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B
EC2N (City of London)
≈0.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B
EC3V (City of London)
≈0.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~987 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B
EC3R (City of London)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B
EC3N (City of London)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~986 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B

Similar sunshine across the UK

EN2 (Enfield)
~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3B
N8 (Haringey)
~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3B
SL9 (Buckinghamshire)
~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3B