Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in IP17 (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
11.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,057
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,211
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 1060 kWh/kW — 51 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 1060 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)
1060 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: £881, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2120 kWh 848 kWh 1272 kWh £225 £127 £352 £4,069 11.6 yrs £2,976
3 kW 3181 kWh 1272 kWh 1908 kWh £338 £191 £528 £6,104 11.6 yrs £4,463
4 kW 4241 kWh 1696 kWh 2544 kWh £450 £254 £704 £8,138 11.6 yrs £5,951
5 kW 5301 kWh 2120 kWh 3181 kWh £563 £318 £881 £10,173 11.6 yrs £7,439
6 kW 6361 kWh 2544 kWh 3817 kWh £675 £382 £1,057 £12,207 11.6 yrs £8,927
7 kW 7421 kWh 2969 kWh 4453 kWh £788 £445 £1,233 £14,242 11.6 yrs £10,415
8 kW 8481 kWh 3393 kWh 5089 kWh £900 £509 £1,409 £16,276 11.6 yrs £11,903

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: £1,056, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2120 kWh 1272 kWh 848 kWh £338 £85 £422 £6,169 14.6 yrs £2,278
3 kW 3181 kWh 1908 kWh 1272 kWh £506 £127 £633 £8,204 12.9 yrs £4,466
4 kW 4241 kWh 2544 kWh 1696 kWh £675 £170 £845 £10,238 12.1 yrs £6,655
5 kW 5301 kWh 3181 kWh 2120 kWh £844 £212 £1,056 £12,273 11.6 yrs £8,844
6 kW 6361 kWh 3817 kWh 2544 kWh £1,013 £254 £1,267 £14,307 11.3 yrs £11,033
7 kW 7421 kWh 4453 kWh 2969 kWh £1,181 £297 £1,478 £16,342 11.1 yrs £13,222
8 kW 8481 kWh 5089 kWh 3393 kWh £1,350 £339 £1,689 £18,376 10.9 yrs £15,411

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: £1,143, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2120 kWh 1484 kWh 636 kWh £394 £64 £457 £7,569 16.5 yrs £1,579
3 kW 3181 kWh 2226 kWh 954 kWh £591 £95 £686 £9,604 14.0 yrs £4,118
4 kW 4241 kWh 2969 kWh 1272 kWh £788 £127 £915 £11,638 12.7 yrs £6,657
5 kW 5301 kWh 3711 kWh 1590 kWh £984 £159 £1,143 £13,673 12.0 yrs £9,197
6 kW 6361 kWh 4453 kWh 1908 kWh £1,181 £191 £1,372 £15,707 11.4 yrs £11,736
7 kW 7421 kWh 5195 kWh 2226 kWh £1,378 £223 £1,601 £17,742 11.1 yrs £14,275
8 kW 8481 kWh 5937 kWh 2544 kWh £1,575 £254 £1,830 £19,776 10.8 yrs £16,815

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: £1,170, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2120 kWh 1548 kWh 572 kWh £411 £57 £468 £9,319 19.9 yrs £39
3 kW 3181 kWh 2322 kWh 859 kWh £616 £86 £702 £11,354 16.2 yrs £2,683
4 kW 4241 kWh 3096 kWh 1145 kWh £821 £114 £936 £13,388 14.3 yrs £5,328
5 kW 5301 kWh 3870 kWh 1431 kWh £1,027 £143 £1,170 £15,423 13.2 yrs £7,972
6 kW 6361 kWh 4644 kWh 1717 kWh £1,232 £172 £1,404 £17,457 12.4 yrs £10,617
7 kW 7421 kWh 5418 kWh 2004 kWh £1,437 £200 £1,638 £19,492 11.9 yrs £13,261
8 kW 8481 kWh 6191 kWh 2290 kWh £1,643 £229 £1,872 £21,526 11.5 yrs £15,906

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: £1,187, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2120 kWh 1590 kWh 530 kWh £422 £53 £475 £11,069 23.3 yrs £-1,571
3 kW 3181 kWh 2385 kWh 795 kWh £633 £80 £712 £13,104 18.4 yrs £1,144
4 kW 4241 kWh 3181 kWh 1060 kWh £844 £106 £950 £15,138 15.9 yrs £3,858
5 kW 5301 kWh 3976 kWh 1325 kWh £1,055 £133 £1,187 £17,173 14.5 yrs £6,573
6 kW 6361 kWh 4771 kWh 1590 kWh £1,266 £159 £1,425 £19,207 13.5 yrs £9,287
7 kW 7421 kWh 5566 kWh 1855 kWh £1,477 £186 £1,662 £21,242 12.8 yrs £12,002
8 kW 8481 kWh 6361 kWh 2120 kWh £1,688 £212 £1,900 £23,276 12.3 yrs £14,717

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: £1,205, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2120 kWh 1633 kWh 488 kWh £433 £49 £482 £13,519 28.1 yrs £-3,881
3 kW 3181 kWh 2449 kWh 732 kWh £650 £73 £723 £15,554 21.5 yrs £-1,096
4 kW 4241 kWh 3265 kWh 975 kWh £866 £98 £964 £17,588 18.2 yrs £1,689
5 kW 5301 kWh 4082 kWh 1219 kWh £1,083 £122 £1,205 £19,623 16.3 yrs £4,473
6 kW 6361 kWh 4898 kWh 1463 kWh £1,299 £146 £1,446 £21,657 15.0 yrs £7,258
7 kW 7421 kWh 5714 kWh 1707 kWh £1,516 £171 £1,687 £23,692 14.0 yrs £10,043
8 kW 8481 kWh 6531 kWh 1951 kWh £1,733 £195 £1,928 £25,726 13.3 yrs £12,827

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 IP17

Figures below are tailored to IP17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #528 of 2182
5.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #222 of 2997
10.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,214 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #177 of 2997
14.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,214 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1060kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1060 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: 74% • Flats: 7% • Bungalows: 18% Based on 4,239 properties

Coverage

East Suffolk (100%)

Areas Covered

Aldeburgh & Leiston, Saxmundham, Kelsale & Yoxford, Wrentham, Wangford & Westleton, Framlingham, Wickham Market, Rendlesham & Orford

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

IP16 (East Suffolk)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,051 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP17
IP15 (East Suffolk)
≈9.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP17
IP13 (East Suffolk)
≈11.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP17
IP19 (East Suffolk)
≈13.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP17
IP18 (East Suffolk)
≈17.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,041 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP17
IP12 (East Suffolk)
≈18.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,077 kWh/kWp · +2% vs IP17

Similar sunshine across the UK

RH15 (Mid Sussex)
~1,060 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP17
TN25 (Ashford)
~1,059 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP17
ME12 (Swale)
~1,059 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP17