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Solar panel cost in Leicester (LE4)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for LE4 (Leicester) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

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
12.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£611
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,969
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: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • 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

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £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 East Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.10p/kWh with a 53.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 952 kWh/kW — 16 below the regional median (968).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 952 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.1p/kWh
Standing charge
53.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
952 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: £764, Upfront: £9,134, 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 1905 kWh 762 kWh 1143 kWh £191 £114 £306 £3,654 12.0 yrs £2,457
3 kW 2857 kWh 1143 kWh 1714 kWh £287 £171 £458 £5,481 12.0 yrs £3,685
4 kW 3809 kWh 1524 kWh 2286 kWh £382 £229 £611 £7,307 12.0 yrs £4,913
5 kW 4762 kWh 1905 kWh 2857 kWh £478 £286 £764 £9,134 12.0 yrs £6,142
6 kW 5714 kWh 2286 kWh 3429 kWh £574 £343 £917 £10,961 12.0 yrs £7,370
7 kW 6667 kWh 2667 kWh 4000 kWh £669 £400 £1,069 £12,788 12.0 yrs £8,599
8 kW 7619 kWh 3048 kWh 4571 kWh £765 £457 £1,222 £14,615 12.0 yrs £9,827

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £908, Upfront: £11,234, 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 1905 kWh 1143 kWh 762 kWh £287 £76 £363 £5,754 15.8 yrs £1,507
3 kW 2857 kWh 1714 kWh 1143 kWh £430 £114 £545 £7,581 13.9 yrs £3,311
4 kW 3809 kWh 2286 kWh 1524 kWh £574 £152 £726 £9,407 13.0 yrs £5,114
5 kW 4762 kWh 2857 kWh 1905 kWh £717 £190 £908 £11,234 12.4 yrs £6,918
6 kW 5714 kWh 3429 kWh 2286 kWh £861 £229 £1,089 £13,061 12.0 yrs £8,722
7 kW 6667 kWh 4000 kWh 2667 kWh £1,004 £267 £1,271 £14,888 11.7 yrs £10,525
8 kW 7619 kWh 4571 kWh 3048 kWh £1,147 £305 £1,452 £16,715 11.5 yrs £12,329

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £980, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1905 kWh 1333 kWh 571 kWh £335 £57 £392 £7,154 18.3 yrs £682
3 kW 2857 kWh 2000 kWh 857 kWh £502 £86 £588 £8,981 15.3 yrs £2,774
4 kW 3809 kWh 2667 kWh 1143 kWh £669 £114 £784 £10,807 13.8 yrs £4,865
5 kW 4762 kWh 3333 kWh 1429 kWh £837 £143 £980 £12,634 12.9 yrs £6,956
6 kW 5714 kWh 4000 kWh 1714 kWh £1,004 £171 £1,175 £14,461 12.3 yrs £9,047
7 kW 6667 kWh 4667 kWh 2000 kWh £1,171 £200 £1,371 £16,288 11.9 yrs £11,138
8 kW 7619 kWh 5333 kWh 2286 kWh £1,339 £229 £1,567 £18,115 11.6 yrs £13,230

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,001, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1905 kWh 1390 kWh 514 kWh £349 £51 £400 £8,904 22.2 yrs £-895
3 kW 2857 kWh 2086 kWh 771 kWh £524 £77 £601 £10,731 17.9 yrs £1,282
4 kW 3809 kWh 2781 kWh 1029 kWh £698 £103 £801 £12,557 15.7 yrs £3,460
5 kW 4762 kWh 3476 kWh 1286 kWh £873 £129 £1,001 £14,384 14.4 yrs £5,637
6 kW 5714 kWh 4171 kWh 1543 kWh £1,047 £154 £1,201 £16,211 13.5 yrs £7,815
7 kW 6667 kWh 4867 kWh 1800 kWh £1,222 £180 £1,402 £18,038 12.9 yrs £9,992
8 kW 7619 kWh 5562 kWh 2057 kWh £1,396 £206 £1,602 £19,865 12.4 yrs £12,170

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,015, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1905 kWh 1429 kWh 476 kWh £359 £48 £406 £10,654 26.2 yrs £-2,530
3 kW 2857 kWh 2143 kWh 714 kWh £538 £71 £609 £12,481 20.5 yrs £-295
4 kW 3809 kWh 2857 kWh 952 kWh £717 £95 £812 £14,307 17.6 yrs £1,940
5 kW 4762 kWh 3571 kWh 1190 kWh £896 £119 £1,015 £16,134 15.9 yrs £4,175
6 kW 5714 kWh 4286 kWh 1429 kWh £1,076 £143 £1,219 £17,961 14.7 yrs £6,410
7 kW 6667 kWh 5000 kWh 1667 kWh £1,255 £167 £1,422 £19,788 13.9 yrs £8,645
8 kW 7619 kWh 5714 kWh 1905 kWh £1,434 £190 £1,625 £21,615 13.3 yrs £10,880

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,030, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1905 kWh 1467 kWh 438 kWh £368 £44 £412 £13,104 31.8 yrs £-4,865
3 kW 2857 kWh 2200 kWh 657 kWh £552 £66 £618 £14,931 24.2 yrs £-2,572
4 kW 3809 kWh 2933 kWh 876 kWh £736 £88 £824 £16,757 20.3 yrs £-280
5 kW 4762 kWh 3667 kWh 1095 kWh £920 £110 £1,030 £18,584 18.0 yrs £2,013
6 kW 5714 kWh 4400 kWh 1314 kWh £1,104 £131 £1,236 £20,411 16.5 yrs £4,305
7 kW 6667 kWh 5133 kWh 1533 kWh £1,288 £153 £1,442 £22,238 15.4 yrs £6,598
8 kW 7619 kWh 5867 kWh 1752 kWh £1,473 £175 £1,648 £24,065 14.6 yrs £8,890

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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.

Before you request quotes in Leicester

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

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Insights for LE4

Figures below are tailored to LE4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1630 of 2182
4.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2529 of 2996
12.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£611 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2449 of 2996
32.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£196 fixed • ~£611 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.8% West −19.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in LE4

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 50 Feb 81 Mar 108 Apr 116 May 113 Jun 115 Jul 105 Aug 89 Sep 62 Oct 43 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.4% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 40 kWh per month; the average month produces around 79 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 160 kWh in winter, or 317 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.10p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.60p/day
Local Sunshine
952kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~952 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 74% • Flats: 18% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 22,426 properties

Coverage

Leicester (76%)|Charnwood (23%)|Blaby (1%)

Areas Covered

Belgrave, Abbey, Troon, Beaumont Leys, Rushey Mead, Thurmaston, Birstall West, Birstall East & Wanlip + 2 more

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

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 East Midlands

LE41 (Leicester)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~954 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE4
LE87 (Leicester)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~966 kWh/kWp · +1% vs LE4
LE1 (Leicester)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs LE4
LE21 (Leicester)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs LE4
LE5 (Leicester)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~959 kWh/kWp · +1% vs LE4
LE3 (Leicester)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs LE4

Similar sunshine across the UK

SA64 (Pembrokeshire)
~953 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE4
SA65 (Pembrokeshire)
~953 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE4
S66 (Rotherham)
~953 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE4