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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in M45 (Bury)

See if solar pays off for you in Bury — 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
14.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£581
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,387
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 862 kWh/kW — 8 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 862 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)
862 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: £726, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 690 kWh 1035 kWh £187 £103 £291 £4,069 14.0 yrs £1,741
3 kW 2587 kWh 1035 kWh 1552 kWh £281 £155 £436 £6,104 14.0 yrs £2,612
4 kW 3449 kWh 1380 kWh 2070 kWh £374 £207 £581 £8,138 14.0 yrs £3,482
5 kW 4312 kWh 1725 kWh 2587 kWh £468 £259 £726 £10,173 14.0 yrs £4,353
6 kW 5174 kWh 2070 kWh 3104 kWh £561 £310 £872 £12,207 14.0 yrs £5,223
7 kW 6036 kWh 2415 kWh 3622 kWh £655 £362 £1,017 £14,242 14.0 yrs £6,094
8 kW 6899 kWh 2759 kWh 4139 kWh £748 £414 £1,162 £16,276 14.0 yrs £6,964

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: £874, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 1035 kWh 690 kWh £281 £69 £350 £6,169 17.6 yrs £821
3 kW 2587 kWh 1552 kWh 1035 kWh £421 £103 £524 £8,204 15.6 yrs £2,282
4 kW 3449 kWh 2070 kWh 1380 kWh £561 £138 £699 £10,238 14.6 yrs £3,743
5 kW 4312 kWh 2587 kWh 1725 kWh £701 £172 £874 £12,273 14.0 yrs £5,204
6 kW 5174 kWh 3104 kWh 2070 kWh £842 £207 £1,049 £14,307 13.6 yrs £6,664
7 kW 6036 kWh 3622 kWh 2415 kWh £982 £241 £1,223 £16,342 13.4 yrs £8,125
8 kW 6899 kWh 4139 kWh 2759 kWh £1,122 £276 £1,398 £18,376 13.1 yrs £9,586

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: £948, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1725 kWh 1207 kWh 517 kWh £327 £52 £379 £7,569 20.0 yrs £12
3 kW 2587 kWh 1811 kWh 776 kWh £491 £78 £569 £9,604 16.9 yrs £1,767
4 kW 3449 kWh 2415 kWh 1035 kWh £655 £103 £758 £11,638 15.4 yrs £3,523
5 kW 4312 kWh 3018 kWh 1294 kWh £818 £129 £948 £13,673 14.4 yrs £5,279
6 kW 5174 kWh 3622 kWh 1552 kWh £982 £155 £1,137 £15,707 13.8 yrs £7,035
7 kW 6036 kWh 4225 kWh 1811 kWh £1,146 £181 £1,327 £17,742 13.4 yrs £8,791
8 kW 6899 kWh 4829 kWh 2070 kWh £1,309 £207 £1,516 £19,776 13.0 yrs £10,547

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: £970, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1725 kWh 1259 kWh 466 kWh £341 £47 £388 £9,319 24.0 yrs £-1,561
3 kW 2587 kWh 1889 kWh 698 kWh £512 £70 £582 £11,354 19.5 yrs £283
4 kW 3449 kWh 2518 kWh 931 kWh £683 £93 £776 £13,388 17.3 yrs £2,127
5 kW 4312 kWh 3148 kWh 1164 kWh £853 £116 £970 £15,423 15.9 yrs £3,972
6 kW 5174 kWh 3777 kWh 1397 kWh £1,024 £140 £1,164 £17,457 15.0 yrs £5,816
7 kW 6036 kWh 4407 kWh 1630 kWh £1,195 £163 £1,358 £19,492 14.4 yrs £7,660
8 kW 6899 kWh 5036 kWh 1863 kWh £1,365 £186 £1,552 £21,526 13.9 yrs £9,505

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: £984, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1725 kWh 1294 kWh 431 kWh £351 £43 £394 £11,069 28.1 yrs £-3,193
3 kW 2587 kWh 1940 kWh 647 kWh £526 £65 £591 £13,104 22.2 yrs £-1,290
4 kW 3449 kWh 2587 kWh 862 kWh £701 £86 £788 £15,138 19.2 yrs £613
5 kW 4312 kWh 3234 kWh 1078 kWh £877 £108 £984 £17,173 17.4 yrs £2,517
6 kW 5174 kWh 3881 kWh 1294 kWh £1,052 £129 £1,181 £19,207 16.3 yrs £4,420
7 kW 6036 kWh 4527 kWh 1509 kWh £1,227 £151 £1,378 £21,242 15.4 yrs £6,324
8 kW 6899 kWh 5174 kWh 1725 kWh £1,403 £172 £1,575 £23,276 14.8 yrs £8,227

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: £999, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 1328 kWh 397 kWh £360 £40 £400 £13,519 33.8 yrs £-5,525
3 kW 2587 kWh 1992 kWh 595 kWh £540 £60 £600 £15,554 25.9 yrs £-3,563
4 kW 3449 kWh 2656 kWh 793 kWh £720 £79 £799 £17,588 22.0 yrs £-1,600
5 kW 4312 kWh 3320 kWh 992 kWh £900 £99 £999 £19,623 19.6 yrs £362
6 kW 5174 kWh 3984 kWh 1190 kWh £1,080 £119 £1,199 £21,657 18.1 yrs £2,324
7 kW 6036 kWh 4648 kWh 1388 kWh £1,260 £139 £1,399 £23,692 16.9 yrs £4,287
8 kW 6899 kWh 5312 kWh 1587 kWh £1,440 £159 £1,599 £25,726 16.1 yrs £6,249

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 M45

Figures below are tailored to M45 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1486 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2511 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£670 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2533 of 2997
27.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£670 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
862kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~862 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: 72% • Flats: 18% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 5,717 properties

Coverage

Bury (100%)

Areas Covered

Pilkington Park, Besses, St. Mary's, Unsworth, Holyrood

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

M25 (Bury)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M45
M26 (Bury)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~865 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M45
M7 (Salford)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M45
M27 (Salford)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M45
M8 (Manchester)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~853 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M45
BL9 (Bury)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M45

Similar sunshine across the UK

KY8 (Fife)
~862 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M45
AB53 (Aberdeenshire)
~862 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M45
EH18 (Midlothian)
~862 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M45