Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in GL53 (Cheltenham)

See if solar pays off for you in Cheltenham — 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
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£935
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,164
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.64p/kWh with a 53.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 958 kWh/kW — 16 above the regional median (942).

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 958 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
53.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
958 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: £779, 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 1917 kWh 767 kWh 1150 kWh £197 £115 £312 £4,069 13.1 yrs £2,163
3 kW 2875 kWh 1150 kWh 1725 kWh £295 £173 £467 £6,104 13.1 yrs £3,245
4 kW 3834 kWh 1534 kWh 2300 kWh £393 £230 £623 £8,138 13.1 yrs £4,327
5 kW 4792 kWh 1917 kWh 2875 kWh £491 £288 £779 £10,173 13.1 yrs £5,408
6 kW 5751 kWh 2300 kWh 3450 kWh £590 £345 £935 £12,207 13.1 yrs £6,490
7 kW 6709 kWh 2684 kWh 4026 kWh £688 £403 £1,091 £14,242 13.1 yrs £7,571
8 kW 7668 kWh 3067 kWh 4601 kWh £786 £460 £1,246 £16,276 13.1 yrs £8,653

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: £929, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1917 kWh 1150 kWh 767 kWh £295 £77 £372 £6,169 16.6 yrs £1,262
3 kW 2875 kWh 1725 kWh 1150 kWh £442 £115 £557 £8,204 14.7 yrs £2,944
4 kW 3834 kWh 2300 kWh 1534 kWh £590 £153 £743 £10,238 13.8 yrs £4,625
5 kW 4792 kWh 2875 kWh 1917 kWh £737 £192 £929 £12,273 13.2 yrs £6,306
6 kW 5751 kWh 3450 kWh 2300 kWh £885 £230 £1,115 £14,307 12.8 yrs £7,987
7 kW 6709 kWh 4026 kWh 2684 kWh £1,032 £268 £1,301 £16,342 12.6 yrs £9,669
8 kW 7668 kWh 4601 kWh 3067 kWh £1,180 £307 £1,486 £18,376 12.4 yrs £11,350

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: £1,004, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1917 kWh 1342 kWh 575 kWh £344 £58 £402 £7,569 18.8 yrs £462
3 kW 2875 kWh 2013 kWh 863 kWh £516 £86 £602 £9,604 15.9 yrs £2,443
4 kW 3834 kWh 2684 kWh 1150 kWh £688 £115 £803 £11,638 14.5 yrs £4,424
5 kW 4792 kWh 3355 kWh 1438 kWh £860 £144 £1,004 £13,673 13.6 yrs £6,405
6 kW 5751 kWh 4026 kWh 1725 kWh £1,032 £173 £1,205 £15,707 13.0 yrs £8,386
7 kW 6709 kWh 4696 kWh 2013 kWh £1,204 £201 £1,405 £17,742 12.6 yrs £10,367
8 kW 7668 kWh 5367 kWh 2300 kWh £1,376 £230 £1,606 £19,776 12.3 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.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,026, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1917 kWh 1399 kWh 518 kWh £359 £52 £411 £9,319 22.7 yrs £-1,108
3 kW 2875 kWh 2099 kWh 776 kWh £538 £78 £616 £11,354 18.4 yrs £963
4 kW 3834 kWh 2799 kWh 1035 kWh £718 £104 £821 £13,388 16.3 yrs £3,034
5 kW 4792 kWh 3498 kWh 1294 kWh £897 £129 £1,026 £15,423 15.0 yrs £5,105
6 kW 5751 kWh 4198 kWh 1553 kWh £1,076 £155 £1,232 £17,457 14.2 yrs £7,176
7 kW 6709 kWh 4898 kWh 1811 kWh £1,256 £181 £1,437 £19,492 13.6 yrs £9,247
8 kW 7668 kWh 5597 kWh 2070 kWh £1,435 £207 £1,642 £21,526 13.1 yrs £11,318

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: £1,041, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1917 kWh 1438 kWh 479 kWh £369 £48 £417 £11,069 26.6 yrs £-2,738
3 kW 2875 kWh 2157 kWh 719 kWh £553 £72 £625 £13,104 21.0 yrs £-607
4 kW 3834 kWh 2875 kWh 958 kWh £737 £96 £833 £15,138 18.2 yrs £1,524
5 kW 4792 kWh 3594 kWh 1198 kWh £922 £120 £1,041 £17,173 16.5 yrs £3,655
6 kW 5751 kWh 4313 kWh 1438 kWh £1,106 £144 £1,250 £19,207 15.4 yrs £5,786
7 kW 6709 kWh 5032 kWh 1677 kWh £1,290 £168 £1,458 £21,242 14.6 yrs £7,917
8 kW 7668 kWh 5751 kWh 1917 kWh £1,474 £192 £1,666 £23,276 14.0 yrs £10,048

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: £1,056, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1917 kWh 1476 kWh 441 kWh £378 £44 £423 £13,519 32.0 yrs £-5,068
3 kW 2875 kWh 2214 kWh 661 kWh £568 £66 £634 £15,554 24.5 yrs £-2,877
4 kW 3834 kWh 2952 kWh 882 kWh £757 £88 £845 £17,588 20.8 yrs £-686
5 kW 4792 kWh 3690 kWh 1102 kWh £946 £110 £1,056 £19,623 18.6 yrs £1,505
6 kW 5751 kWh 4428 kWh 1323 kWh £1,135 £132 £1,268 £21,657 17.1 yrs £3,696
7 kW 6709 kWh 5166 kWh 1543 kWh £1,325 £154 £1,479 £23,692 16.0 yrs £5,886
8 kW 7668 kWh 5904 kWh 1764 kWh £1,514 £176 £1,690 £25,726 15.2 yrs £8,077

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 GL53

Figures below are tailored to GL53 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #425 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1682 of 2997
11.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,070 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1030 of 2997
18.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£1,070 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
958kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~958 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

Houses: 70% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 5,564 properties

Coverage

Cheltenham (93%)|Cotswold (5%)|Tewkesbury (2%)

Areas Covered

Leckhampton, Charlton Park, College, Charlton Kings, St Paul's, Ermin, Park, Shurdington + 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 Midlands

GL50 (Cheltenham)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~960 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL53
GL51 (Cheltenham)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~964 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL53
GL52 (Cheltenham)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~960 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL53
GL3 (Tewkesbury)
≈8.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~969 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL53
GL4 (Gloucester)
≈10.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~950 kWh/kWp · -1% vs GL53
GL1 (Gloucester)
≈12.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~969 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL53

Similar sunshine across the UK

DN12 (Doncaster)
~958 kWh/kWp · -0% vs GL53
PL33 (Cornwall)
~959 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL53
DN15 (North Lincolnshire)
~959 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL53