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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in M34 (Tameside)

See if solar pays off for you in Tameside — 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
14.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£569
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,090
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 North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 845 kWh/kW — 25 below the regional median (870).

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 845 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
845 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: £711, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 676 kWh 1014 kWh £183 £101 £285 £4,069 14.3 yrs £1,622
3 kW 2534 kWh 1014 kWh 1520 kWh £275 £152 £427 £6,104 14.3 yrs £2,433
4 kW 3379 kWh 1352 kWh 2027 kWh £366 £203 £569 £8,138 14.3 yrs £3,245
5 kW 4224 kWh 1689 kWh 2534 kWh £458 £253 £711 £10,173 14.3 yrs £4,056
6 kW 5068 kWh 2027 kWh 3041 kWh £550 £304 £854 £12,207 14.3 yrs £4,867
7 kW 5913 kWh 2365 kWh 3548 kWh £641 £355 £996 £14,242 14.3 yrs £5,678
8 kW 6758 kWh 2703 kWh 4055 kWh £733 £405 £1,138 £16,276 14.3 yrs £6,489

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: £856, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1014 kWh 676 kWh £275 £68 £342 £6,169 18.0 yrs £679
3 kW 2534 kWh 1520 kWh 1014 kWh £412 £101 £514 £8,204 16.0 yrs £2,068
4 kW 3379 kWh 2027 kWh 1352 kWh £550 £135 £685 £10,238 15.0 yrs £3,457
5 kW 4224 kWh 2534 kWh 1689 kWh £687 £169 £856 £12,273 14.3 yrs £4,846
6 kW 5068 kWh 3041 kWh 2027 kWh £824 £203 £1,027 £14,307 13.9 yrs £6,236
7 kW 5913 kWh 3548 kWh 2365 kWh £962 £237 £1,198 £16,342 13.6 yrs £7,625
8 kW 6758 kWh 4055 kWh 2703 kWh £1,099 £270 £1,370 £18,376 13.4 yrs £9,014

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: £928, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1183 kWh 507 kWh £321 £51 £371 £7,569 20.4 yrs £-143
3 kW 2534 kWh 1774 kWh 760 kWh £481 £76 £557 £9,604 17.2 yrs £1,535
4 kW 3379 kWh 2365 kWh 1014 kWh £641 £101 £743 £11,638 15.7 yrs £3,213
5 kW 4224 kWh 2956 kWh 1267 kWh £802 £127 £928 £13,673 14.7 yrs £4,892
6 kW 5068 kWh 3548 kWh 1520 kWh £962 £152 £1,114 £15,707 14.1 yrs £6,570
7 kW 5913 kWh 4139 kWh 1774 kWh £1,122 £177 £1,299 £17,742 13.7 yrs £8,248
8 kW 6758 kWh 4730 kWh 2027 kWh £1,282 £203 £1,485 £19,776 13.3 yrs £9,927

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: £950, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1233 kWh 456 kWh £334 £46 £380 £9,319 24.5 yrs £-1,720
3 kW 2534 kWh 1850 kWh 684 kWh £502 £68 £570 £11,354 19.9 yrs £45
4 kW 3379 kWh 2467 kWh 912 kWh £669 £91 £760 £13,388 17.6 yrs £1,810
5 kW 4224 kWh 3083 kWh 1140 kWh £836 £114 £950 £15,423 16.2 yrs £3,575
6 kW 5068 kWh 3700 kWh 1368 kWh £1,003 £137 £1,140 £17,457 15.3 yrs £5,340
7 kW 5913 kWh 4316 kWh 1597 kWh £1,170 £160 £1,330 £19,492 14.7 yrs £7,105
8 kW 6758 kWh 4933 kWh 1825 kWh £1,337 £182 £1,520 £21,526 14.2 yrs £8,870

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: £964, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1267 kWh 422 kWh £344 £42 £386 £11,069 28.7 yrs £-3,354
3 kW 2534 kWh 1901 kWh 634 kWh £515 £63 £579 £13,104 22.6 yrs £-1,531
4 kW 3379 kWh 2534 kWh 845 kWh £687 £84 £771 £15,138 19.6 yrs £291
5 kW 4224 kWh 3168 kWh 1056 kWh £859 £106 £964 £17,173 17.8 yrs £2,114
6 kW 5068 kWh 3801 kWh 1267 kWh £1,031 £127 £1,157 £19,207 16.6 yrs £3,937
7 kW 5913 kWh 4435 kWh 1478 kWh £1,202 £148 £1,350 £21,242 15.7 yrs £5,760
8 kW 6758 kWh 5068 kWh 1689 kWh £1,374 £169 £1,543 £23,276 15.1 yrs £7,583

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: £979, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1301 kWh 389 kWh £353 £39 £392 £13,519 34.5 yrs £-5,689
3 kW 2534 kWh 1951 kWh 583 kWh £529 £58 £587 £15,554 26.5 yrs £-3,808
4 kW 3379 kWh 2602 kWh 777 kWh £705 £78 £783 £17,588 22.5 yrs £-1,927
5 kW 4224 kWh 3252 kWh 971 kWh £882 £97 £979 £19,623 20.0 yrs £-47
6 kW 5068 kWh 3903 kWh 1166 kWh £1,058 £117 £1,175 £21,657 18.4 yrs £1,834
7 kW 5913 kWh 4553 kWh 1360 kWh £1,234 £136 £1,370 £23,692 17.3 yrs £3,715
8 kW 6758 kWh 5203 kWh 1554 kWh £1,411 £155 £1,566 £25,726 16.4 yrs £5,595

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 M34

Figures below are tailored to M34 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1808 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2617 of 2997
12.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£656 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2595 of 2997
28.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£656 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
845kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~845 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: 70% • Flats: 18% • Bungalows: 10% Based on 11,757 properties

Coverage

Tameside (100%)

Areas Covered

Denton North East, Denton South, Denton West, Audenshaw, St Peter's

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 North West

SK16 (Tameside)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~842 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M34
SK14 (Tameside)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~841 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M34
OL7 (Tameside)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M34
SK5 (Stockport)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · +2% vs M34
M43 (Tameside)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M34
M18 (Manchester)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~856 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M34

Similar sunshine across the UK

FK11 (Clackmannanshire)
~845 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M34
KA29 (North Ayrshire)
~845 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M34
PA7 (Renfrewshire)
~845 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M34