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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in ME7 (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
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£683
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,936
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 4.0 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: £854, 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 2037 kWh 815 kWh 1222 kWh £219 £122 £341 £4,069 11.9 yrs £2,761
3 kW 3055 kWh 1222 kWh 1833 kWh £329 £183 £512 £6,104 11.9 yrs £4,141
4 kW 4073 kWh 1629 kWh 2444 kWh £439 £244 £683 £8,138 11.9 yrs £5,521
5 kW 5091 kWh 2037 kWh 3055 kWh £548 £305 £854 £10,173 11.9 yrs £6,902
6 kW 6110 kWh 2444 kWh 3666 kWh £658 £367 £1,024 £12,207 11.9 yrs £8,282
7 kW 7128 kWh 2851 kWh 4277 kWh £768 £428 £1,195 £14,242 11.9 yrs £9,663
8 kW 8146 kWh 3258 kWh 4888 kWh £877 £489 £1,366 £16,276 11.9 yrs £11,043

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 2037 kWh 1222 kWh 815 kWh £329 £81 £410 £6,169 15.0 yrs £2,039
3 kW 3055 kWh 1833 kWh 1222 kWh £493 £122 £616 £8,204 13.3 yrs £4,109
4 kW 4073 kWh 2444 kWh 1629 kWh £658 £163 £821 £10,238 12.5 yrs £6,178
5 kW 5091 kWh 3055 kWh 2037 kWh £822 £204 £1,026 £12,273 12.0 yrs £8,248
6 kW 6110 kWh 3666 kWh 2444 kWh £987 £244 £1,231 £14,307 11.6 yrs £10,317
7 kW 7128 kWh 4277 kWh 2851 kWh £1,151 £285 £1,436 £16,342 11.4 yrs £12,387
8 kW 8146 kWh 4888 kWh 3258 kWh £1,316 £326 £1,642 £18,376 11.2 yrs £14,456

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 2037 kWh 1426 kWh 611 kWh £384 £61 £445 £7,569 17.0 yrs £1,328
3 kW 3055 kWh 2138 kWh 916 kWh £576 £92 £667 £9,604 14.4 yrs £3,742
4 kW 4073 kWh 2851 kWh 1222 kWh £768 £122 £890 £11,638 13.1 yrs £6,156
5 kW 5091 kWh 3564 kWh 1527 kWh £959 £153 £1,112 £13,673 12.3 yrs £8,571
6 kW 6110 kWh 4277 kWh 1833 kWh £1,151 £183 £1,335 £15,707 11.8 yrs £10,985
7 kW 7128 kWh 4990 kWh 2138 kWh £1,343 £214 £1,557 £17,742 11.4 yrs £13,399
8 kW 8146 kWh 5702 kWh 2444 kWh £1,535 £244 £1,779 £19,776 11.1 yrs £15,813

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 2037 kWh 1487 kWh 550 kWh £400 £55 £455 £9,319 20.5 yrs £-215
3 kW 3055 kWh 2230 kWh 825 kWh £600 £82 £683 £11,354 16.6 yrs £2,302
4 kW 4073 kWh 2973 kWh 1100 kWh £800 £110 £910 £13,388 14.7 yrs £4,820
5 kW 5091 kWh 3717 kWh 1375 kWh £1,001 £137 £1,138 £15,423 13.6 yrs £7,337
6 kW 6110 kWh 4460 kWh 1650 kWh £1,201 £165 £1,366 £17,457 12.8 yrs £9,855
7 kW 7128 kWh 5203 kWh 1925 kWh £1,401 £192 £1,593 £19,492 12.2 yrs £12,372
8 kW 8146 kWh 5947 kWh 2199 kWh £1,601 £220 £1,821 £21,526 11.8 yrs £14,890

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 2037 kWh 1527 kWh 509 kWh £411 £51 £462 £11,069 24.0 yrs £-1,827
3 kW 3055 kWh 2291 kWh 764 kWh £617 £76 £693 £13,104 18.9 yrs £759
4 kW 4073 kWh 3055 kWh 1018 kWh £822 £102 £924 £15,138 16.4 yrs £3,346
5 kW 5091 kWh 3819 kWh 1273 kWh £1,028 £127 £1,155 £17,173 14.9 yrs £5,932
6 kW 6110 kWh 4582 kWh 1527 kWh £1,234 £153 £1,386 £19,207 13.9 yrs £8,518
7 kW 7128 kWh 5346 kWh 1782 kWh £1,439 £178 £1,617 £21,242 13.1 yrs £11,105
8 kW 8146 kWh 6110 kWh 2037 kWh £1,645 £204 £1,848 £23,276 12.6 yrs £13,691

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 2037 kWh 1568 kWh 468 kWh £422 £47 £469 £13,519 28.8 yrs £-4,139
3 kW 3055 kWh 2352 kWh 703 kWh £633 £70 £703 £15,554 22.1 yrs £-1,484
4 kW 4073 kWh 3136 kWh 937 kWh £844 £94 £938 £17,588 18.8 yrs £1,171
5 kW 5091 kWh 3920 kWh 1171 kWh £1,055 £117 £1,172 £19,623 16.7 yrs £3,827
6 kW 6110 kWh 4704 kWh 1405 kWh £1,266 £141 £1,407 £21,657 15.4 yrs £6,482
7 kW 7128 kWh 5488 kWh 1639 kWh £1,477 £164 £1,641 £23,692 14.4 yrs £9,137
8 kW 8146 kWh 6273 kWh 1874 kWh £1,689 £187 £1,876 £25,726 13.7 yrs £11,793

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 ME7

Figures below are tailored to ME7 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1885 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #335 of 2997
10.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£786 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1878 of 2997
22.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£786 /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
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 65% • Flats: 29% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 15,385 properties

Coverage

Medway (98%)|Maidstone (2%)

Areas Covered

Gillingham South, Gillingham North, Watling, Hempstead & Wigmore, Chatham Central & Brompton, Boxley Downs, Rainham North, Lordswood & Walderslade + 1 more

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)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,040 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ME7
ME1 (Medway)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,018 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME7
ME8 (Medway)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ME7
ME5 (Medway)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,017 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME7
ME2 (Medway)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,016 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME7
ME3 (Medway)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,058 kWh/kWp · +4% vs ME7

Similar sunshine across the UK

TA14 (Somerset)
~1,018 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ME7
SP4 (Wiltshire)
~1,018 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ME7
TA15 (Somerset)
~1,018 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME7