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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. DA5 (Bexley) has the lowest drag at ~16.1%.

Highest drag: PA39 (Highland) at about 54.4%. 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. Inputs: PVGIS January 2025, Ofgem Q3 2026, and MCS March 2026 (TIC).

# Postcode Place Drag Standing charge (≈) Annual benefit (≈) Region
1 DA5 Bexley 16.1% £163 £1,012 London
2 PO22 Arun 16.1% £181 £1,121 Southern
3 BR7 Bromley 16.2% £163 £1,004 London
4 DA6 Bexley 16.2% £163 £1,008 London
5 PO20 Chichester 16.2% £181 £1,115 Southern
6 PO38 Isle of Wight 16.2% £181 £1,118 Southern
7 E18 Redbridge 16.3% £163 £998 London
8 IG3 Redbridge 16.3% £163 £1,002 London
9 IG4 Redbridge 16.3% £163 £1,002 London
10 IG5 Redbridge 16.3% £163 £1,003 London
11 BR3 Bromley 16.4% £163 £991 London
12 IG8 Redbridge 16.4% £163 £994 London
13 PO18 Chichester 16.4% £181 £1,101 Southern
14 PO21 Arun 16.4% £181 £1,104 Southern
15 PO35 Isle of Wight 16.4% £181 £1,104 Southern
16 PO36 Isle of Wight 16.4% £181 £1,103 Southern
17 PO37 Isle of Wight 16.4% £181 £1,101 Southern
18 PO39 Isle of Wight 16.4% £181 £1,106 Southern
19 PO40 Isle of Wight 16.4% £181 £1,106 Southern
20 SE23 Lewisham 16.4% £163 £992 London
21 BH20 Dorset 16.5% £181 £1,096 Southern
22 BH25 New Forest 16.5% £181 £1,099 Southern
23 IG9 Epping Forest 16.5% £163 £988 London
24 PO41 Isle of Wight 16.5% £181 £1,094 Southern
25 SE1P Southwark 16.5% £163 £985 London
26 SE21 Southwark 16.5% £163 £988 London
27 SE22 Southwark 16.5% £163 £989 London
28 SE24 Lambeth 16.5% £163 £985 London
29 SE4 Lewisham 16.5% £163 £986 London
30 SE5 Southwark 16.5% £163 £985 London
31 SE99 Southwark 16.5% £163 £985 London
32 SO41 New Forest 16.5% £181 £1,099 Southern
33 SW12 Wandsworth 16.5% £163 £985 London
34 SW13 Richmond upon Thames 16.5% £163 £987 London
35 SW14 Richmond upon Thames 16.5% £163 £986 London
36 SW15 Wandsworth 16.5% £163 £987 London
37 SW16 Lambeth 16.5% £163 £985 London
38 SW19 Merton 16.5% £163 £988 London
39 SW20 Merton 16.5% £163 £988 London
40 W14 Hammersmith and Fulham 16.5% £163 £988 London
41 W6 Hammersmith and Fulham 16.5% £163 £987 London
42 BH19 Dorset 16.6% £181 £1,090 Southern
43 E20 Newham 16.6% £163 £984 London
44 E22 Tower Hamlets 16.6% £163 £983 London
45 E5 Hackney 16.6% £163 £984 London
46 E77 Tower Hamlets 16.6% £163 £981 London
47 E8 Hackney 16.6% £163 £981 London
48 E98 Tower Hamlets 16.6% £163 £981 London
49 EC1A City of London 16.6% £163 £980 London
50 EC1M Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
51 EC1P Islington 16.6% £163 £979 London
52 EC1R Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
53 EC1V Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
54 EC1Y Islington 16.6% £163 £981 London
55 EC2A Hackney 16.6% £163 £981 London
56 EC2M City of London 16.6% £163 £979 London
57 EC2P Islington 16.6% £163 £979 London
58 EC2R City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
59 EC2V City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
60 EC2Y City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
61 EC3A City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
62 EC3B City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
63 EC3M City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
64 EC3N City of London 16.6% £163 £979 London
65 EC3P Islington 16.6% £163 £979 London
66 EC3R City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
67 EC3V City of London 16.6% £163 £979 London
68 EC4M City of London 16.6% £163 £980 London
69 EC4N City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
70 EC4P Islington 16.6% £163 £979 London
71 EC4R City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
72 EC4V City of London 16.6% £163 £981 London
73 EC4Y City of London 16.6% £163 £980 London
74 EC50 Islington 16.6% £163 £979 London
75 EC88 Hackney 16.6% £163 £981 London
76 N1 Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
77 N16 Hackney 16.6% £163 £982 London
78 N19 Islington 16.6% £163 £981 London
79 N1P Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
80 N5 Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
81 N7 Islington 16.6% £163 £980 London
82 NW1 Camden 16.6% £163 £980 London
83 NW10 Brent 16.6% £163 £982 London
84 NW1W Camden 16.6% £163 £980 London
85 NW26 Brent 16.6% £163 £980 London
86 NW3 Camden 16.6% £163 £979 London
87 NW5 Camden 16.6% £163 £980 London
88 NW6 Brent 16.6% £163 £981 London
89 NW8 Westminster 16.6% £163 £981 London
90 PO11 Havant 16.6% £181 £1,090 Southern
91 SE11 Lambeth 16.6% £163 £983 London
92 SW10 Kensington and Chelsea 16.6% £163 £984 London
93 SW11 Wandsworth 16.6% £163 £984 London
94 SW18 Wandsworth 16.6% £163 £984 London
95 SW1A Westminster 16.6% £163 £983 London
96 SW1E Westminster 16.6% £163 £983 London
97 SW1H Westminster 16.6% £163 £983 London
98 SW1P Westminster 16.6% £163 £983 London
99 SW1V Westminster 16.6% £163 £983 London
100 SW1W Westminster 16.6% £163 £983 London

Where standing-charge drag is highest (bottom 10)

# Postcode Place Drag Standing charge (≈) Annual benefit (≈) Region
2987 LL41 Gwynedd 46.7% £258 £552 North Wales and Mersey
2988 IV42 Highland 46.8% £210 £449 Northern Scotland
2989 IV53 Highland 46.8% £210 £449 Northern Scotland
2990 PH33 Highland 47.4% £210 £443 Northern Scotland
2991 PH50 Highland 48.5% £210 £433 Northern Scotland
2992 PH38 Highland 49.0% £210 £429 Northern Scotland
2993 PA40 Highland 50.0% £210 £420 Northern Scotland
2994 PH49 Highland 50.5% £210 £416 Northern Scotland
2995 LS1 Leeds 52.7% £235 £446 Yorkshire
2996 PA39 Highland 54.4% £210 £386 Northern Scotland

Check your own

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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 Q3 2026 standing charges, the refreshed Solar Payback Index annual benefit per postcode, PVGIS January 2025, and MCS March 2026 (TIC).