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 IP24 (Breckland)

See if solar pays off for you in Breckland — 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
12.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£826
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,481
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 995 kWh/kW — 14 below the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 995 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)
995 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: £826, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1989 kWh 796 kWh 1194 kWh £211 £119 £330 £4,069 12.3 yrs £2,540
3 kW 2984 kWh 1194 kWh 1790 kWh £317 £179 £496 £6,104 12.3 yrs £3,810
4 kW 3979 kWh 1591 kWh 2387 kWh £422 £239 £661 £8,138 12.3 yrs £5,080
5 kW 4973 kWh 1989 kWh 2984 kWh £528 £298 £826 £10,173 12.3 yrs £6,350
6 kW 5968 kWh 2387 kWh 3581 kWh £633 £358 £991 £12,207 12.3 yrs £7,620
7 kW 6962 kWh 2785 kWh 4177 kWh £739 £418 £1,157 £14,242 12.3 yrs £8,890
8 kW 7957 kWh 3183 kWh 4774 kWh £844 £477 £1,322 £16,276 12.3 yrs £10,160

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: £991, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1989 kWh 1194 kWh 796 kWh £317 £80 £396 £6,169 15.6 yrs £1,755
3 kW 2984 kWh 1790 kWh 1194 kWh £475 £119 £594 £8,204 13.8 yrs £3,683
4 kW 3979 kWh 2387 kWh 1591 kWh £633 £159 £792 £10,238 12.9 yrs £5,611
5 kW 4973 kWh 2984 kWh 1989 kWh £792 £199 £991 £12,273 12.4 yrs £7,538
6 kW 5968 kWh 3581 kWh 2387 kWh £950 £239 £1,189 £14,307 12.0 yrs £9,466
7 kW 6962 kWh 4177 kWh 2785 kWh £1,108 £278 £1,387 £16,342 11.8 yrs £11,394
8 kW 7957 kWh 4774 kWh 3183 kWh £1,267 £318 £1,585 £18,376 11.6 yrs £13,322

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: £1,073, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1989 kWh 1392 kWh 597 kWh £369 £60 £429 £7,569 17.6 yrs £1,013
3 kW 2984 kWh 2089 kWh 895 kWh £554 £90 £644 £9,604 14.9 yrs £3,270
4 kW 3979 kWh 2785 kWh 1194 kWh £739 £119 £858 £11,638 13.6 yrs £5,526
5 kW 4973 kWh 3481 kWh 1492 kWh £924 £149 £1,073 £13,673 12.7 yrs £7,783
6 kW 5968 kWh 4177 kWh 1790 kWh £1,108 £179 £1,287 £15,707 12.2 yrs £10,039
7 kW 6962 kWh 4874 kWh 2089 kWh £1,293 £209 £1,502 £17,742 11.8 yrs £12,296
8 kW 7957 kWh 5570 kWh 2387 kWh £1,478 £239 £1,716 £19,776 11.5 yrs £14,552

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: £1,097, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1989 kWh 1452 kWh 537 kWh £385 £54 £439 £9,319 21.2 yrs £-540
3 kW 2984 kWh 2178 kWh 806 kWh £578 £81 £658 £11,354 17.2 yrs £1,816
4 kW 3979 kWh 2904 kWh 1074 kWh £771 £107 £878 £13,388 15.2 yrs £4,171
5 kW 4973 kWh 3630 kWh 1343 kWh £963 £134 £1,097 £15,423 14.1 yrs £6,526
6 kW 5968 kWh 4356 kWh 1611 kWh £1,156 £161 £1,317 £17,457 13.3 yrs £8,881
7 kW 6962 kWh 5083 kWh 1880 kWh £1,348 £188 £1,536 £19,492 12.7 yrs £11,236
8 kW 7957 kWh 5809 kWh 2148 kWh £1,541 £215 £1,756 £21,526 12.3 yrs £13,591

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: £1,114, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1989 kWh 1492 kWh 497 kWh £396 £50 £446 £11,069 24.8 yrs £-2,158
3 kW 2984 kWh 2238 kWh 746 kWh £594 £75 £668 £13,104 19.6 yrs £263
4 kW 3979 kWh 2984 kWh 995 kWh £792 £99 £891 £15,138 17.0 yrs £2,684
5 kW 4973 kWh 3730 kWh 1243 kWh £990 £124 £1,114 £17,173 15.4 yrs £5,105
6 kW 5968 kWh 4476 kWh 1492 kWh £1,187 £149 £1,337 £19,207 14.4 yrs £7,526
7 kW 6962 kWh 5222 kWh 1741 kWh £1,385 £174 £1,559 £21,242 13.6 yrs £9,947
8 kW 7957 kWh 5968 kWh 1989 kWh £1,583 £199 £1,782 £23,276 13.1 yrs £12,367

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: £1,130, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1989 kWh 1532 kWh 458 kWh £406 £46 £452 £13,519 29.9 yrs £-4,477
3 kW 2984 kWh 2298 kWh 686 kWh £610 £69 £678 £15,554 22.9 yrs £-1,990
4 kW 3979 kWh 3063 kWh 915 kWh £813 £92 £904 £17,588 19.5 yrs £497
5 kW 4973 kWh 3829 kWh 1144 kWh £1,016 £114 £1,130 £19,623 17.4 yrs £2,984
6 kW 5968 kWh 4595 kWh 1373 kWh £1,219 £137 £1,356 £21,657 16.0 yrs £5,470
7 kW 6962 kWh 5361 kWh 1601 kWh £1,422 £160 £1,582 £23,692 15.0 yrs £7,957
8 kW 7957 kWh 6127 kWh 1830 kWh £1,625 £183 £1,808 £25,726 14.2 yrs £10,444

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 IP24

Figures below are tailored to IP24 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1108 of 2182
5.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #809 of 2997
10.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£949 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1165 of 2997
18.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£949 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
995kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~995 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 74% • Flats: 17% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 7,680 properties

Coverage

Breckland (91%)|West Suffolk (9%)

Areas Covered

Thetford Castle, Thetford Burrell, Thetford Priory, Thetford Boudica, All Saints & Wayland, Forest, Bardwell, Lakenheath + 3 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

IP27 (West Suffolk)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~973 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP24
IP31 (West Suffolk)
≈15.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,016 kWh/kWp · +2% vs IP24
IP26 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk)
≈17.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP24
IP32 (West Suffolk)
≈17.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,013 kWh/kWp · +2% vs IP24
IP28 (West Suffolk)
≈18.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,007 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IP24
IP25 (Breckland)
≈18.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,002 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IP24

Similar sunshine across the UK

RG2 (Reading)
~995 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP24
NN17 (North Northamptonshire)
~995 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP24
TW10 (Richmond upon Thames)
~995 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP24