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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in ME1 (Medway)

See if solar pays off for you in Medway — 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
11.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£853
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,164
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1018 kWh/kW — 11 below the regional median (1029).

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 1018 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1018 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: £853, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2036 kWh 814 kWh 1222 kWh £219 £122 £341 £4,069 11.9 yrs £2,759
3 kW 3054 kWh 1222 kWh 1832 kWh £329 £183 £512 £6,104 11.9 yrs £4,138
4 kW 4072 kWh 1629 kWh 2443 kWh £438 £244 £683 £8,138 11.9 yrs £5,518
5 kW 5090 kWh 2036 kWh 3054 kWh £548 £305 £853 £10,173 11.9 yrs £6,897
6 kW 6108 kWh 2443 kWh 3665 kWh £658 £366 £1,024 £12,207 11.9 yrs £8,276
7 kW 7126 kWh 2850 kWh 4276 kWh £767 £428 £1,195 £14,242 11.9 yrs £9,656
8 kW 8144 kWh 3258 kWh 4886 kWh £877 £489 £1,366 £16,276 11.9 yrs £11,035

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: £1,026, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2036 kWh 1222 kWh 814 kWh £329 £81 £410 £6,169 15.0 yrs £2,037
3 kW 3054 kWh 1832 kWh 1222 kWh £493 £122 £615 £8,204 13.3 yrs £4,105
4 kW 4072 kWh 2443 kWh 1629 kWh £658 £163 £821 £10,238 12.5 yrs £6,173
5 kW 5090 kWh 3054 kWh 2036 kWh £822 £204 £1,026 £12,273 12.0 yrs £8,242
6 kW 6108 kWh 3665 kWh 2443 kWh £987 £244 £1,231 £14,307 11.6 yrs £10,310
7 kW 7126 kWh 4276 kWh 2850 kWh £1,151 £285 £1,436 £16,342 11.4 yrs £12,378
8 kW 8144 kWh 4886 kWh 3258 kWh £1,315 £326 £1,641 £18,376 11.2 yrs £14,447

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: £1,112, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2036 kWh 1425 kWh 611 kWh £384 £61 £445 £7,569 17.0 yrs £1,326
3 kW 3054 kWh 2138 kWh 916 kWh £575 £92 £667 £9,604 14.4 yrs £3,739
4 kW 4072 kWh 2850 kWh 1222 kWh £767 £122 £889 £11,638 13.1 yrs £6,151
5 kW 5090 kWh 3563 kWh 1527 kWh £959 £153 £1,112 £13,673 12.3 yrs £8,564
6 kW 6108 kWh 4276 kWh 1832 kWh £1,151 £183 £1,334 £15,707 11.8 yrs £10,977
7 kW 7126 kWh 4988 kWh 2138 kWh £1,343 £214 £1,557 £17,742 11.4 yrs £13,390
8 kW 8144 kWh 5701 kWh 2443 kWh £1,535 £244 £1,779 £19,776 11.1 yrs £15,803

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: £1,138, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2036 kWh 1486 kWh 550 kWh £400 £55 £455 £9,319 20.5 yrs £-218
3 kW 3054 kWh 2229 kWh 825 kWh £600 £82 £683 £11,354 16.6 yrs £2,299
4 kW 4072 kWh 2973 kWh 1099 kWh £800 £110 £910 £13,388 14.7 yrs £4,815
5 kW 5090 kWh 3716 kWh 1374 kWh £1,000 £137 £1,138 £15,423 13.6 yrs £7,331
6 kW 6108 kWh 4459 kWh 1649 kWh £1,200 £165 £1,365 £17,457 12.8 yrs £9,847
7 kW 7126 kWh 5202 kWh 1924 kWh £1,400 £192 £1,593 £19,492 12.2 yrs £12,363
8 kW 8144 kWh 5945 kWh 2199 kWh £1,600 £220 £1,820 £21,526 11.8 yrs £14,879

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: £1,155, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2036 kWh 1527 kWh 509 kWh £411 £51 £462 £11,069 24.0 yrs £-1,830
3 kW 3054 kWh 2290 kWh 763 kWh £617 £76 £693 £13,104 18.9 yrs £755
4 kW 4072 kWh 3054 kWh 1018 kWh £822 £102 £924 £15,138 16.4 yrs £3,340
5 kW 5090 kWh 3817 kWh 1272 kWh £1,028 £127 £1,155 £17,173 14.9 yrs £5,925
6 kW 6108 kWh 4581 kWh 1527 kWh £1,233 £153 £1,386 £19,207 13.9 yrs £8,510
7 kW 7126 kWh 5344 kWh 1781 kWh £1,439 £178 £1,617 £21,242 13.1 yrs £11,096
8 kW 8144 kWh 6108 kWh 2036 kWh £1,644 £204 £1,848 £23,276 12.6 yrs £13,681

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: £1,172, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2036 kWh 1568 kWh 468 kWh £422 £47 £469 £13,519 28.8 yrs £-4,142
3 kW 3054 kWh 2352 kWh 702 kWh £633 £70 £703 £15,554 22.1 yrs £-1,488
4 kW 4072 kWh 3135 kWh 937 kWh £844 £94 £938 £17,588 18.8 yrs £1,166
5 kW 5090 kWh 3919 kWh 1171 kWh £1,055 £117 £1,172 £19,623 16.7 yrs £3,820
6 kW 6108 kWh 4703 kWh 1405 kWh £1,266 £140 £1,407 £21,657 15.4 yrs £6,474
7 kW 7126 kWh 5487 kWh 1639 kWh £1,477 £164 £1,641 £23,692 14.4 yrs £9,128
8 kW 8144 kWh 6271 kWh 1873 kWh £1,688 £187 £1,875 £25,726 13.7 yrs £11,782

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 ME1

Figures below are tailored to ME1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1890 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #413 of 2997
10.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£983 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #915 of 2997
17.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£983 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1018kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1018 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: 58% • Flats: 36% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 10,041 properties

Coverage

Medway (88%)|Tonbridge and Malling (12%)

Areas Covered

Rochester West & Borstal, Rochester East & Warren Wood, Aylesford North & North Downs, Fort Pitt, Strood North & Frindsbury, Fort Horsted

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 South East

ME4 (Medway)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,040 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ME1
ME2 (Medway)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,016 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME1
ME7 (Medway)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,018 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ME1
ME5 (Medway)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,017 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME1
ME3 (Medway)
≈5.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,058 kWh/kWp · +4% vs ME1
ME8 (Medway)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ME1

Similar sunshine across the UK

TA15 (Somerset)
~1,018 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ME1
NR24 (North Norfolk)
~1,018 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME1
TA14 (Somerset)
~1,018 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ME1