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Postcode solar briefing

Solar panel cost in Tonbridge and Malling (ME19)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for ME19 (Tonbridge and Malling) using official UK data. Start with the local verdict, then adjust the calculator for your roof, usage and export assumptions.

Local model Calculator unchanged Quote assumptions checked
Local solar briefing

Solar in ME19: roof size may be the main upside, so compare proposed system sizes carefully.

This is a modelled local view, not a promise of savings. Use it as a quick sense-check before comparing installer quotes for ME19.

Typical system
6.0 kW
starting point
Annual benefit
£1,032
before battery costs
Payback estimate
9.5 years
panel-only baseline
Postcode verdict
Roof-size upside
local model
Local context

Why ME19 differs

South-facing yield is close to the South East median, so roof size, usage and tariff assumptions do most of the work.

The starting system size is close to the regional typical size at 6.0 kW.

Local housing mix looks suitable for a postcode-level estimate, but your actual roof still matters more than the area average.

Battery payback depends heavily on evening use, export tariff and whether the installer has assumed optimistic self-consumption.

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
9.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,032
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£16,030
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.

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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.

Before you sign

What to challenge in solar quotes for ME19

Use the calculator above as a baseline, then ask installers to explain where their quote differs from the local assumptions.

If the proposed system is much larger than 6.0 kW, ask why it fits your roof and usage.

Compare payback with and without a battery before accepting a bundled quote.

Check which Smart Export Guarantee tariff is assumed. The calculator baseline uses 10p/kWh.

Confirm who handles MCS certification and DNO/G98/G99 paperwork before comparing finance or warranties.

Compare quotes Check MCS DNO, G98 and G99
New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for ME19?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

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.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for ME19

Figures below are tailored to ME19 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #678 of 2182
5.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #299 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,032 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #358 of 2996
19.3% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,032 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.6% West −20.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)
Compare areas

Compare ME19 with nearby and similar areas

Nearby postcode areas in South East

ME20 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME19
ME6 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ME19
ME18 (Maidstone)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME19
ME16 (Maidstone)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,027 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME19
ME99 (Maidstone)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,017 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ME19
ME14 (Maidstone)
≈8.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ME19

Similar solar-yield areas

SO3 (Eastleigh)
~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME19
SO32 (Winchester)
~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME19
BS23 (North Somerset)
~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME19

Your area in context

In South East, the current unit rate is 26.67p/kWh with a 54.45p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1032 kWh/kW — 3 above the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1032 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.7p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.7p/kWh
Standing charge
54.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1032 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: £860, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2064 kWh 825 kWh 1238 kWh £220 £124 £344 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,624
3 kW 3095 kWh 1238 kWh 1857 kWh £330 £186 £516 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,435
4 kW 4127 kWh 1651 kWh 2476 kWh £440 £248 £688 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,247
5 kW 5159 kWh 2064 kWh 3095 kWh £550 £310 £860 £8,139 9.5 yrs £9,059
6 kW 6191 kWh 2476 kWh 3714 kWh £660 £371 £1,032 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,871
7 kW 7222 kWh 2889 kWh 4333 kWh £770 £433 £1,204 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,682
8 kW 8254 kWh 3302 kWh 4953 kWh £881 £495 £1,376 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,494

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,032, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2064 kWh 1238 kWh 825 kWh £330 £83 £413 £5,356 13.0 yrs £2,900
3 kW 3095 kWh 1857 kWh 1238 kWh £495 £124 £619 £6,983 11.3 yrs £5,399
4 kW 4127 kWh 2476 kWh 1651 kWh £660 £165 £826 £8,611 10.4 yrs £7,899
5 kW 5159 kWh 3095 kWh 2064 kWh £826 £206 £1,032 £10,239 9.9 yrs £10,399
6 kW 6191 kWh 3714 kWh 2476 kWh £991 £248 £1,238 £11,867 9.6 yrs £12,899
7 kW 7222 kWh 4333 kWh 2889 kWh £1,156 £289 £1,445 £13,494 9.3 yrs £15,398
8 kW 8254 kWh 4953 kWh 3302 kWh £1,321 £330 £1,651 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,898

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,118, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2064 kWh 1444 kWh 619 kWh £385 £62 £447 £6,756 15.1 yrs £2,188
3 kW 3095 kWh 2167 kWh 929 kWh £578 £93 £671 £8,383 12.5 yrs £5,031
4 kW 4127 kWh 2889 kWh 1238 kWh £770 £124 £894 £10,011 11.2 yrs £7,875
5 kW 5159 kWh 3611 kWh 1548 kWh £963 £155 £1,118 £11,639 10.4 yrs £10,719
6 kW 6191 kWh 4333 kWh 1857 kWh £1,156 £186 £1,341 £13,267 9.9 yrs £13,563
7 kW 7222 kWh 5056 kWh 2167 kWh £1,348 £217 £1,565 £14,894 9.5 yrs £16,406
8 kW 8254 kWh 5778 kWh 2476 kWh £1,541 £248 £1,789 £16,522 9.2 yrs £19,250

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,144, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2064 kWh 1506 kWh 557 kWh £402 £56 £457 £8,506 18.6 yrs £644
3 kW 3095 kWh 2260 kWh 836 kWh £603 £84 £686 £10,133 14.8 yrs £3,591
4 kW 4127 kWh 3013 kWh 1114 kWh £804 £111 £915 £11,761 12.9 yrs £6,538
5 kW 5159 kWh 3766 kWh 1393 kWh £1,004 £139 £1,144 £13,389 11.7 yrs £9,485
6 kW 6191 kWh 4519 kWh 1671 kWh £1,205 £167 £1,372 £15,017 10.9 yrs £12,432
7 kW 7222 kWh 5272 kWh 1950 kWh £1,406 £195 £1,601 £16,644 10.4 yrs £15,379
8 kW 8254 kWh 6026 kWh 2229 kWh £1,607 £223 £1,830 £18,272 10.0 yrs £18,326

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,161, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2064 kWh 1548 kWh 516 kWh £413 £52 £464 £10,256 22.1 yrs £-968
3 kW 3095 kWh 2322 kWh 774 kWh £619 £77 £697 £11,883 17.1 yrs £2,047
4 kW 4127 kWh 3095 kWh 1032 kWh £826 £103 £929 £13,511 14.5 yrs £5,063
5 kW 5159 kWh 3869 kWh 1290 kWh £1,032 £129 £1,161 £15,139 13.0 yrs £8,079
6 kW 6191 kWh 4643 kWh 1548 kWh £1,238 £155 £1,393 £16,767 12.0 yrs £11,095
7 kW 7222 kWh 5417 kWh 1806 kWh £1,445 £181 £1,625 £18,394 11.3 yrs £14,110
8 kW 8254 kWh 6191 kWh 2064 kWh £1,651 £206 £1,857 £20,022 10.8 yrs £17,126

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,178, Upfront: £17,589, 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 2064 kWh 1589 kWh 475 kWh £424 £47 £471 £12,706 27.0 yrs £-3,281
3 kW 3095 kWh 2383 kWh 712 kWh £636 £71 £707 £14,333 20.3 yrs £-196
4 kW 4127 kWh 3178 kWh 949 kWh £848 £95 £942 £15,961 16.9 yrs £2,888
5 kW 5159 kWh 3972 kWh 1187 kWh £1,059 £119 £1,178 £17,589 14.9 yrs £5,973
6 kW 6191 kWh 4767 kWh 1424 kWh £1,271 £142 £1,414 £19,217 13.6 yrs £9,057
7 kW 7222 kWh 5561 kWh 1661 kWh £1,483 £166 £1,649 £20,844 12.6 yrs £12,142
8 kW 8254 kWh 6356 kWh 1898 kWh £1,695 £190 £1,885 £22,472 11.9 yrs £15,227

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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.

Seasonal solar output in ME19

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 52 Feb 87 Mar 115 Apr 123 May 125 Jun 126 Jul 114 Aug 97 Sep 69 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.2% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 42 kWh per month; the average month produces around 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 169 kWh in winter, or 344 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1032kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1032 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 75% • Flats: 19% • Bungalows: 5% Based on 6,606 properties

Coverage

Tonbridge and Malling (100%)

Areas Covered

Kings Hill, East Malling, West Malling & Offham, Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh, Snodland East & Ham Hill, Pilgrims with Ightham, Aylesford South & Ditton + 1 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.