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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in HP23 (Dacorum)

See if solar pays off for you in Dacorum — 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
12.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£814
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,167
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 Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.53p/kWh with a 48.25p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 980 kWh/kW — 30 below the regional median (1009).

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 980 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
48.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
980 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: £814, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1959 kWh 784 kWh 1175 kWh £208 £118 £325 £4,069 12.5 yrs £2,440
3 kW 2939 kWh 1175 kWh 1763 kWh £312 £176 £488 £6,104 12.5 yrs £3,660
4 kW 3918 kWh 1567 kWh 2351 kWh £416 £235 £651 £8,138 12.5 yrs £4,879
5 kW 4898 kWh 1959 kWh 2939 kWh £520 £294 £814 £10,173 12.5 yrs £6,099
6 kW 5877 kWh 2351 kWh 3526 kWh £624 £353 £976 £12,207 12.5 yrs £7,319
7 kW 6857 kWh 2743 kWh 4114 kWh £728 £411 £1,139 £14,242 12.5 yrs £8,539
8 kW 7836 kWh 3134 kWh 4702 kWh £832 £470 £1,302 £16,276 12.5 yrs £9,759

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: £976, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1959 kWh 1175 kWh 784 kWh £312 £78 £390 £6,169 15.8 yrs £1,635
3 kW 2939 kWh 1763 kWh 1175 kWh £468 £118 £585 £8,204 14.0 yrs £3,503
4 kW 3918 kWh 2351 kWh 1567 kWh £624 £157 £780 £10,238 13.1 yrs £5,370
5 kW 4898 kWh 2939 kWh 1959 kWh £780 £196 £976 £12,273 12.6 yrs £7,238
6 kW 5877 kWh 3526 kWh 2351 kWh £936 £235 £1,171 £14,307 12.2 yrs £9,105
7 kW 6857 kWh 4114 kWh 2743 kWh £1,091 £274 £1,366 £16,342 12.0 yrs £10,973
8 kW 7836 kWh 4702 kWh 3134 kWh £1,247 £313 £1,561 £18,376 11.8 yrs £12,840

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: £1,056, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1959 kWh 1371 kWh 588 kWh £364 £59 £423 £7,569 17.9 yrs £883
3 kW 2939 kWh 2057 kWh 882 kWh £546 £88 £634 £9,604 15.2 yrs £3,074
4 kW 3918 kWh 2743 kWh 1175 kWh £728 £118 £845 £11,638 13.8 yrs £5,265
5 kW 4898 kWh 3428 kWh 1469 kWh £910 £147 £1,056 £13,673 12.9 yrs £7,457
6 kW 5877 kWh 4114 kWh 1763 kWh £1,091 £176 £1,268 £15,707 12.4 yrs £9,648
7 kW 6857 kWh 4800 kWh 2057 kWh £1,273 £206 £1,479 £17,742 12.0 yrs £11,839
8 kW 7836 kWh 5485 kWh 2351 kWh £1,455 £235 £1,690 £19,776 11.7 yrs £14,031

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: £1,081, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1959 kWh 1430 kWh 529 kWh £379 £53 £432 £9,319 21.6 yrs £-673
3 kW 2939 kWh 2145 kWh 793 kWh £569 £79 £648 £11,354 17.5 yrs £1,615
4 kW 3918 kWh 2860 kWh 1058 kWh £759 £106 £865 £13,388 15.5 yrs £3,904
5 kW 4898 kWh 3575 kWh 1322 kWh £949 £132 £1,081 £15,423 14.3 yrs £6,192
6 kW 5877 kWh 4290 kWh 1587 kWh £1,138 £159 £1,297 £17,457 13.5 yrs £8,481
7 kW 6857 kWh 5005 kWh 1851 kWh £1,328 £185 £1,513 £19,492 12.9 yrs £10,769
8 kW 7836 kWh 5720 kWh 2116 kWh £1,518 £212 £1,729 £21,526 12.4 yrs £13,058

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: £1,097, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1959 kWh 1469 kWh 490 kWh £390 £49 £439 £11,069 25.2 yrs £-2,294
3 kW 2939 kWh 2204 kWh 735 kWh £585 £73 £658 £13,104 19.9 yrs £60
4 kW 3918 kWh 2939 kWh 980 kWh £780 £98 £878 £15,138 17.3 yrs £2,413
5 kW 4898 kWh 3673 kWh 1224 kWh £974 £122 £1,097 £17,173 15.7 yrs £4,766
6 kW 5877 kWh 4408 kWh 1469 kWh £1,169 £147 £1,316 £19,207 14.6 yrs £7,119
7 kW 6857 kWh 5142 kWh 1714 kWh £1,364 £171 £1,536 £21,242 13.8 yrs £9,473
8 kW 7836 kWh 5877 kWh 1959 kWh £1,559 £196 £1,755 £23,276 13.3 yrs £11,826

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: £1,113, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1959 kWh 1508 kWh 451 kWh £400 £45 £445 £13,519 30.4 yrs £-4,614
3 kW 2939 kWh 2263 kWh 676 kWh £600 £68 £668 £15,554 23.3 yrs £-2,196
4 kW 3918 kWh 3017 kWh 901 kWh £800 £90 £891 £17,588 19.8 yrs £222
5 kW 4898 kWh 3771 kWh 1126 kWh £1,000 £113 £1,113 £19,623 17.6 yrs £2,640
6 kW 5877 kWh 4525 kWh 1352 kWh £1,201 £135 £1,336 £21,657 16.2 yrs £5,058
7 kW 6857 kWh 5280 kWh 1577 kWh £1,401 £158 £1,558 £23,692 15.2 yrs £7,476
8 kW 7836 kWh 6034 kWh 1802 kWh £1,601 £180 £1,781 £25,726 14.4 yrs £9,894

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 HP23

Figures below are tailored to HP23 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #772 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1133 of 2997
10.9 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£935 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1214 of 2997
18.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£935 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
980kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~980 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: 76% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 4,647 properties

Coverage

Dacorum (92%)|Buckinghamshire (8%)

Areas Covered

Tring West and Rural, Tring East, Tring Central, Aldbury and Wigginton, Chesham North, Ivinghoe, Aston Clinton & Weston Turville, Northchurch + 3 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 Eastern

HP22 (Buckinghamshire)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~983 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23
HP4 (Dacorum)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~983 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23
HP5 (Buckinghamshire)
≈9.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~981 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23
HP21 (Buckinghamshire)
≈9.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~984 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23
HP20 (Buckinghamshire)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~982 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23
HP16 (Buckinghamshire)
≈10.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~975 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP23

Similar sunshine across the UK

LN10 (East Lindsey)
~980 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23
SA63 (Pembrokeshire)
~979 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP23
GU7 (Waverley)
~980 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP23