Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
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Standing-Charge Drag Index

The standing charge is the part of your bill solar can’t touch. We ranked UK postcodes by how much it drags on savings. PO22 (Arun) has the lowest drag at ~14.4%.

Highest drag: PA39 (Highland) at about 55.9%. Lower drag means faster payback for the same solar system.

Lowest standing-charge drag (best first)

Drag = annual standing charge ÷ typical annual solar benefit for that postcode. Lower is better.

# Postcode Place Drag Standing charge (≈) Annual benefit (≈) Region
1 PO22 Arun 14.4% £167 £1,160 Southern
2 PO38 Isle of Wight 14.4% £167 £1,157 Southern
3 PO20 Chichester 14.5% £167 £1,153 Southern
4 PO21 Arun 14.6% £167 £1,142 Southern
5 PO35 Isle of Wight 14.6% £167 £1,142 Southern
6 PO36 Isle of Wight 14.6% £167 £1,141 Southern
7 PO37 Isle of Wight 14.6% £167 £1,139 Southern
8 PO39 Isle of Wight 14.6% £167 £1,144 Southern
9 PO40 Isle of Wight 14.6% £167 £1,144 Southern
10 BH25 New Forest 14.7% £167 £1,137 Southern
11 PO18 Chichester 14.7% £167 £1,138 Southern
12 SO41 New Forest 14.7% £167 £1,137 Southern
13 BH20 Dorset 14.7% £167 £1,134 Southern
14 PO41 Isle of Wight 14.7% £167 £1,132 Southern
15 BN26 Wealden 14.8% £178 £1,199 South East
16 BH19 Dorset 14.8% £167 £1,126 Southern
17 PO11 Havant 14.8% £167 £1,127 Southern
18 BH2 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,117 Southern
19 BH23 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,119 Southern
20 BH3 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,118 Southern
21 BH5 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,120 Southern
22 BH6 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,119 Southern
23 BH7 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,120 Southern
24 BH8 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,122 Southern
25 BH9 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 14.9% £167 £1,118 Southern
26 PO34 Isle of Wight 14.9% £167 £1,118 Southern
27 BN20 Eastbourne 15.0% £178 £1,185 South East
28 BN24 Wealden 15.0% £178 £1,181 South East
29 BN51 Brighton and Hove 15.0% £178 £1,181 South East
30 TN28 Folkestone and Hythe 15.0% £178 £1,183 South East
31 PO5 Portsmouth 15.0% £167 £1,114 Southern
32 BN21 Eastbourne 15.1% £178 £1,179 South East
33 BN25 Lewes 15.1% £178 £1,174 South East
34 BH10 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 15.1% £167 £1,105 Southern
35 BH14 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 15.1% £167 £1,105 Southern
36 BH13 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 15.1% £167 £1,105 Southern
37 BH18 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 15.1% £167 £1,104 Southern
38 BH4 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 15.1% £167 £1,105 Southern
39 BN16 Arun 15.2% £178 £1,171 South East
40 BN10 Lewes 15.2% £178 £1,166 South East
41 BN12 Worthing 15.2% £178 £1,166 South East
42 TN29 Folkestone and Hythe 15.2% £178 £1,166 South East
43 BH21 Dorset 15.2% £167 £1,101 Southern
44 DT2 Dorset 15.2% £167 £1,096 Southern
45 SO42 New Forest 15.2% £167 £1,097 Southern
46 BN1 Brighton and Hove 15.3% £178 £1,161 South East
47 BN11 Worthing 15.3% £178 £1,162 South East
48 BN14 Worthing 15.3% £178 £1,163 South East
49 BN50 Brighton and Hove 15.3% £178 £1,161 South East
50 BN88 Brighton and Hove 15.3% £178 £1,163 South East
51 BN99 Adur 15.3% £178 £1,162 South East
52 TN39 Rother 15.3% £178 £1,159 South East
53 TN40 Rother 15.3% £178 £1,158 South East
54 PO8 East Hampshire 15.3% £167 £1,087 Southern
55 BN3 Brighton and Hove 15.4% £178 £1,156 South East
56 BN4 Adur 15.4% £178 £1,153 South East
57 BN42 Adur 15.4% £178 £1,153 South East
58 BN52 Brighton and Hove 15.4% £178 £1,156 South East
59 BN95 Adur 15.4% £178 £1,155 South East
60 CT15 Dover 15.4% £178 £1,152 South East
61 CT50 Folkestone and Hythe 15.4% £178 £1,154 South East
62 BH24 New Forest 15.4% £167 £1,085 Southern
63 BH22 Dorset 15.4% £167 £1,084 Southern
64 GU28 Chichester 15.4% £167 £1,080 Southern
65 TN36 Rother 15.5% £178 £1,146 South East
66 TN30 Ashford 15.6% £178 £1,136 South East
67 TN33 Rother 15.6% £178 £1,135 South East
68 RH14 Horsham 15.6% £167 £1,066 Southern
69 BN44 Horsham 15.7% £178 £1,128 South East
70 CT18 Folkestone and Hythe 15.7% £178 £1,130 South East
71 CT21 Folkestone and Hythe 15.7% £178 £1,131 South East
72 CT4 Canterbury 15.7% £178 £1,128 South East
73 CT7 Thanet 15.7% £178 £1,133 South East
74 TN26 Ashford 15.7% £178 £1,129 South East
75 GU29 Chichester 15.7% £167 £1,064 Southern
76 SO32 Winchester 15.7% £167 £1,061 Southern
77 SO43 New Forest 15.7% £167 £1,065 Southern
78 SP3 Wiltshire 15.7% £167 £1,060 Southern
79 BN6 Mid Sussex 15.8% £178 £1,126 South East
80 BN5 Horsham 15.8% £178 £1,124 South East
81 BH31 Dorset 15.8% £167 £1,059 Southern
82 DT10 Dorset 15.8% £167 £1,058 Southern
83 CO16 Tendring 15.9% £180 £1,134 Eastern
84 TN18 Tunbridge Wells 15.9% £178 £1,118 South East
85 GU27 Waverley 15.9% £167 £1,048 Southern
86 SO53 Eastleigh 15.9% £167 £1,052 Southern
87 SP5 Wiltshire 15.9% £167 £1,048 Southern
88 SO20 Test Valley 15.9% £167 £1,047 Southern
89 SO21 Winchester 15.9% £167 £1,046 Southern
90 CO13 Tendring 16.0% £180 £1,126 Eastern
91 CO7 Tendring 16.0% £180 £1,126 Eastern
92 BN45 Mid Sussex 16.0% £178 £1,109 South East
93 BN8 Lewes 16.0% £178 £1,108 South East
94 CT10 Thanet 16.0% £178 £1,112 South East
95 CT6 Canterbury 16.0% £178 £1,110 South East
96 BA9 Somerset 16.0% £167 £1,040 Southern
97 DT9 Dorset 16.0% £167 £1,045 Southern
98 GU31 East Hampshire 16.0% £167 £1,042 Southern
99 GU32 East Hampshire 16.0% £167 £1,043 Southern
100 GU8 Waverley 16.0% £167 £1,040 Southern

Where standing-charge drag is highest (bottom 10)

# Postcode Place Drag Standing charge (≈) Annual benefit (≈) Region
2988 PH35 Highland 47.5% £227 £477 Northern Scotland
2989 PA26 Argyll and Bute 47.7% £227 £475 Northern Scotland
2990 IV53 Highland 48.1% £227 £471 Northern Scotland
2991 IV42 Highland 48.2% £227 £470 Northern Scotland
2992 PH33 Highland 48.9% £227 £463 Northern Scotland
2993 PH50 Highland 50.0% £227 £453 Northern Scotland
2994 PH38 Highland 50.5% £227 £449 Northern Scotland
2995 PA40 Highland 51.6% £227 £439 Northern Scotland
2996 PH49 Highland 52.1% £227 £435 Northern Scotland
2997 PA39 Highland 55.9% £227 £405 Northern Scotland

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Further reading

How we calculated this

What: Share of your typical solar savings that’s eaten by the unavoidable standing charge.

Formula: Drag = (standing charge £/year) ÷ (typical annual solar benefit £ for that postcode).

Data: Ofgem standing charges (regional), SPI annual benefit (per postcode), PVGIS/EPC underpin the SPI numbers.