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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in IP12 (East Suffolk)

See if solar pays off for you in East Suffolk — 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
11.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,074
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,633
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 1077 kWh/kW — 68 above 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 1077 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)
1077 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: £895, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 862 kWh 1293 kWh £229 £129 £358 £4,069 11.4 yrs £3,088
3 kW 3231 kWh 1293 kWh 1939 kWh £343 £194 £537 £6,104 11.4 yrs £4,632
4 kW 4309 kWh 1723 kWh 2585 kWh £457 £259 £716 £8,138 11.4 yrs £6,177
5 kW 5386 kWh 2154 kWh 3231 kWh £572 £323 £895 £10,173 11.4 yrs £7,721
6 kW 6463 kWh 2585 kWh 3878 kWh £686 £388 £1,074 £12,207 11.4 yrs £9,265
7 kW 7540 kWh 3016 kWh 4524 kWh £800 £452 £1,253 £14,242 11.4 yrs £10,809
8 kW 8617 kWh 3447 kWh 5170 kWh £914 £517 £1,431 £16,276 11.4 yrs £12,353

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: £1,073, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1293 kWh 862 kWh £343 £86 £429 £6,169 14.4 yrs £2,413
3 kW 3231 kWh 1939 kWh 1293 kWh £514 £129 £644 £8,204 12.7 yrs £4,669
4 kW 4309 kWh 2585 kWh 1723 kWh £686 £172 £858 £10,238 11.9 yrs £6,925
5 kW 5386 kWh 3231 kWh 2154 kWh £857 £215 £1,073 £12,273 11.4 yrs £9,182
6 kW 6463 kWh 3878 kWh 2585 kWh £1,029 £259 £1,287 £14,307 11.1 yrs £11,438
7 kW 7540 kWh 4524 kWh 3016 kWh £1,200 £302 £1,502 £16,342 10.9 yrs £13,694
8 kW 8617 kWh 5170 kWh 3447 kWh £1,372 £345 £1,716 £18,376 10.7 yrs £15,951

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: £1,162, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1508 kWh 646 kWh £400 £65 £465 £7,569 16.3 yrs £1,725
3 kW 3231 kWh 2262 kWh 969 kWh £600 £97 £697 £9,604 13.8 yrs £4,337
4 kW 4309 kWh 3016 kWh 1293 kWh £800 £129 £929 £11,638 12.5 yrs £6,950
5 kW 5386 kWh 3770 kWh 1616 kWh £1,000 £162 £1,162 £13,673 11.8 yrs £9,562
6 kW 6463 kWh 4524 kWh 1939 kWh £1,200 £194 £1,394 £15,707 11.3 yrs £12,175
7 kW 7540 kWh 5278 kWh 2262 kWh £1,400 £226 £1,626 £17,742 10.9 yrs £14,787
8 kW 8617 kWh 6032 kWh 2585 kWh £1,600 £259 £1,859 £19,776 10.6 yrs £17,400

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: £1,188, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1573 kWh 582 kWh £417 £58 £475 £9,319 19.6 yrs £189
3 kW 3231 kWh 2359 kWh 872 kWh £626 £87 £713 £11,354 15.9 yrs £2,908
4 kW 4309 kWh 3145 kWh 1163 kWh £834 £116 £951 £13,388 14.1 yrs £5,627
5 kW 5386 kWh 3932 kWh 1454 kWh £1,043 £145 £1,188 £15,423 13.0 yrs £8,346
6 kW 6463 kWh 4718 kWh 1745 kWh £1,252 £174 £1,426 £17,457 12.2 yrs £11,066
7 kW 7540 kWh 5504 kWh 2036 kWh £1,460 £204 £1,664 £19,492 11.7 yrs £13,785
8 kW 8617 kWh 6290 kWh 2327 kWh £1,669 £233 £1,902 £21,526 11.3 yrs £16,504

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: £1,206, Upfront: £17,173, 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 2154 kWh 1616 kWh 539 kWh £429 £54 £483 £11,069 22.9 yrs £-1,419
3 kW 3231 kWh 2424 kWh 808 kWh £643 £81 £724 £13,104 18.1 yrs £1,371
4 kW 4309 kWh 3231 kWh 1077 kWh £857 £108 £965 £15,138 15.7 yrs £4,162
5 kW 5386 kWh 4039 kWh 1346 kWh £1,072 £135 £1,206 £17,173 14.2 yrs £6,952
6 kW 6463 kWh 4847 kWh 1616 kWh £1,286 £162 £1,448 £19,207 13.3 yrs £9,743
7 kW 7540 kWh 5655 kWh 1885 kWh £1,500 £188 £1,689 £21,242 12.6 yrs £12,533
8 kW 8617 kWh 6463 kWh 2154 kWh £1,715 £215 £1,930 £23,276 12.1 yrs £15,324

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: £1,224, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1659 kWh 495 kWh £440 £50 £490 £13,519 27.6 yrs £-3,727
3 kW 3231 kWh 2488 kWh 743 kWh £660 £74 £734 £15,554 21.2 yrs £-865
4 kW 4309 kWh 3318 kWh 991 kWh £880 £99 £979 £17,588 18.0 yrs £1,997
5 kW 5386 kWh 4147 kWh 1239 kWh £1,100 £124 £1,224 £19,623 16.0 yrs £4,859
6 kW 6463 kWh 4976 kWh 1486 kWh £1,320 £149 £1,469 £21,657 14.7 yrs £7,720
7 kW 7540 kWh 5806 kWh 1734 kWh £1,540 £173 £1,714 £23,692 13.8 yrs £10,582
8 kW 8617 kWh 6635 kWh 1982 kWh £1,760 £198 £1,958 £25,726 13.1 yrs £13,444

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 IP12

Figures below are tailored to IP12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #454 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #160 of 2997
9.9 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,234 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #129 of 2997
14.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,234 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1077kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1077 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: 67% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 18% Based on 7,609 properties

Coverage

East Suffolk (100%)

Areas Covered

Woodbridge, Deben, Rendlesham & Orford, Melton, Martlesham & Purdis Farm, Orwell & Villages, Wickham Market, Carlford & Fynn Valley

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

IP5 (East Suffolk)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP12
IP10 (East Suffolk)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP12
IP13 (East Suffolk)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP12
IP4 (Ipswich)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IP12
IP3 (Ipswich)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP12
IP1 (Ipswich)
≈12.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IP12

Similar sunshine across the UK

TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP12
PO16 (Fareham)
~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP12
PO14 (Fareham)
~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP12