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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in HP4 (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
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£980
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,285
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 983 kWh/kW — 26 below the regional median (1009).

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 983 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)
983 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: £816, 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 1966 kWh 786 kWh 1180 kWh £209 £118 £327 £4,069 12.5 yrs £2,462
3 kW 2949 kWh 1180 kWh 1769 kWh £313 £177 £490 £6,104 12.5 yrs £3,693
4 kW 3932 kWh 1573 kWh 2359 kWh £417 £236 £653 £8,138 12.5 yrs £4,925
5 kW 4915 kWh 1966 kWh 2949 kWh £522 £295 £816 £10,173 12.5 yrs £6,156
6 kW 5898 kWh 2359 kWh 3539 kWh £626 £354 £980 £12,207 12.5 yrs £7,387
7 kW 6880 kWh 2752 kWh 4128 kWh £730 £413 £1,143 £14,242 12.5 yrs £8,618
8 kW 7863 kWh 3145 kWh 4718 kWh £834 £472 £1,306 £16,276 12.5 yrs £9,849

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: £979, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1966 kWh 1180 kWh 786 kWh £313 £79 £392 £6,169 15.8 yrs £1,662
3 kW 2949 kWh 1769 kWh 1180 kWh £469 £118 £587 £8,204 14.0 yrs £3,543
4 kW 3932 kWh 2359 kWh 1573 kWh £626 £157 £783 £10,238 13.1 yrs £5,424
5 kW 4915 kWh 2949 kWh 1966 kWh £782 £197 £979 £12,273 12.5 yrs £7,305
6 kW 5898 kWh 3539 kWh 2359 kWh £939 £236 £1,175 £14,307 12.2 yrs £9,186
7 kW 6880 kWh 4128 kWh 2752 kWh £1,095 £275 £1,370 £16,342 11.9 yrs £11,067
8 kW 7863 kWh 4718 kWh 3145 kWh £1,252 £315 £1,566 £18,376 11.7 yrs £12,948

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: £1,060, 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 1966 kWh 1376 kWh 590 kWh £365 £59 £424 £7,569 17.8 yrs £912
3 kW 2949 kWh 2064 kWh 885 kWh £548 £88 £636 £9,604 15.1 yrs £3,118
4 kW 3932 kWh 2752 kWh 1180 kWh £730 £118 £848 £11,638 13.7 yrs £5,324
5 kW 4915 kWh 3440 kWh 1474 kWh £913 £147 £1,060 £13,673 12.9 yrs £7,530
6 kW 5898 kWh 4128 kWh 1769 kWh £1,095 £177 £1,272 £15,707 12.3 yrs £9,736
7 kW 6880 kWh 4816 kWh 2064 kWh £1,278 £206 £1,484 £17,742 12.0 yrs £11,942
8 kW 7863 kWh 5504 kWh 2359 kWh £1,460 £236 £1,696 £19,776 11.7 yrs £14,148

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: £1,084, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1966 kWh 1435 kWh 531 kWh £381 £53 £434 £9,319 21.5 yrs £-643
3 kW 2949 kWh 2153 kWh 796 kWh £571 £80 £651 £11,354 17.4 yrs £1,660
4 kW 3932 kWh 2870 kWh 1062 kWh £761 £106 £868 £13,388 15.4 yrs £3,964
5 kW 4915 kWh 3588 kWh 1327 kWh £952 £133 £1,084 £15,423 14.2 yrs £6,267
6 kW 5898 kWh 4305 kWh 1592 kWh £1,142 £159 £1,301 £17,457 13.4 yrs £8,571
7 kW 6880 kWh 5023 kWh 1858 kWh £1,333 £186 £1,518 £19,492 12.8 yrs £10,874
8 kW 7863 kWh 5740 kWh 2123 kWh £1,523 £212 £1,735 £21,526 12.4 yrs £13,178

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: £1,101, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1966 kWh 1474 kWh 491 kWh £391 £49 £440 £11,069 25.1 yrs £-2,263
3 kW 2949 kWh 2212 kWh 737 kWh £587 £74 £660 £13,104 19.8 yrs £105
4 kW 3932 kWh 2949 kWh 983 kWh £782 £98 £881 £15,138 17.2 yrs £2,474
5 kW 4915 kWh 3686 kWh 1229 kWh £978 £123 £1,101 £17,173 15.6 yrs £4,842
6 kW 5898 kWh 4423 kWh 1474 kWh £1,173 £147 £1,321 £19,207 14.5 yrs £7,211
7 kW 6880 kWh 5160 kWh 1720 kWh £1,369 £172 £1,541 £21,242 13.8 yrs £9,579
8 kW 7863 kWh 5898 kWh 1966 kWh £1,565 £197 £1,761 £23,276 13.2 yrs £11,948

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: £1,117, 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 1966 kWh 1514 kWh 452 kWh £402 £45 £447 £13,519 30.3 yrs £-4,583
3 kW 2949 kWh 2271 kWh 678 kWh £602 £68 £670 £15,554 23.2 yrs £-2,150
4 kW 3932 kWh 3027 kWh 904 kWh £803 £90 £894 £17,588 19.7 yrs £284
5 kW 4915 kWh 3784 kWh 1130 kWh £1,004 £113 £1,117 £19,623 17.6 yrs £2,717
6 kW 5898 kWh 4541 kWh 1356 kWh £1,205 £136 £1,340 £21,657 16.2 yrs £5,151
7 kW 6880 kWh 5298 kWh 1583 kWh £1,406 £158 £1,564 £23,692 15.2 yrs £7,584
8 kW 7863 kWh 6055 kWh 1809 kWh £1,606 £181 £1,787 £25,726 14.4 yrs £10,018

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 HP4

Figures below are tailored to HP4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #701 of 2182
5.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #970 of 2997
10.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,126 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #502 of 2997
15.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,126 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
983kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~983 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: 65% • Flats: 26% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 6,502 properties

Coverage

Dacorum (98%)|Buckinghamshire (2%)

Areas Covered

Berkhamsted Castle, Berkhamsted East, Berkhamsted West, Northchurch, Ashridge, Ivinghoe, Adeyfield East, Aldbury and Wigginton + 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 Eastern

HP5 (Buckinghamshire)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~981 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP4
HP1 (Dacorum)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +1% vs HP4
HP3 (Dacorum)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +1% vs HP4
HP23 (Dacorum)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~980 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP4
HP2 (Dacorum)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +1% vs HP4
WD4 (Dacorum)
≈9.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +1% vs HP4

Similar sunshine across the UK

BS12 (South Gloucestershire)
~983 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP4
HP13 (Buckinghamshire)
~983 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP4
OX16 (Cherwell)
~983 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP4