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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in NE44 (Northumberland)

See if solar pays off for you in Northumberland — 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
13.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£877
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,718
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 Northern, the current unit rate is 25.43p/kWh with a 59.86p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 904 kWh/kW — 22 below the regional median (926).

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 904 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.4p/kWh
Standing charge
59.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
904 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: £731, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1808 kWh 723 kWh 1085 kWh £184 £108 £292 £4,069 13.9 yrs £1,778
3 kW 2711 kWh 1085 kWh 1627 kWh £276 £163 £439 £6,104 13.9 yrs £2,667
4 kW 3615 kWh 1446 kWh 2169 kWh £368 £217 £585 £8,138 13.9 yrs £3,555
5 kW 4519 kWh 1808 kWh 2711 kWh £460 £271 £731 £10,173 13.9 yrs £4,444
6 kW 5423 kWh 2169 kWh 3254 kWh £552 £325 £877 £12,207 13.9 yrs £5,333
7 kW 6327 kWh 2531 kWh 3796 kWh £644 £380 £1,023 £14,242 13.9 yrs £6,222
8 kW 7231 kWh 2892 kWh 4338 kWh £736 £434 £1,169 £16,276 13.9 yrs £7,111

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: £870, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1808 kWh 1085 kWh 723 kWh £276 £72 £348 £6,169 17.7 yrs £793
3 kW 2711 kWh 1627 kWh 1085 kWh £414 £108 £522 £8,204 15.7 yrs £2,240
4 kW 3615 kWh 2169 kWh 1446 kWh £552 £145 £696 £10,238 14.7 yrs £3,687
5 kW 4519 kWh 2711 kWh 1808 kWh £690 £181 £870 £12,273 14.1 yrs £5,133
6 kW 5423 kWh 3254 kWh 2169 kWh £827 £217 £1,044 £14,307 13.7 yrs £6,580
7 kW 6327 kWh 3796 kWh 2531 kWh £965 £253 £1,218 £16,342 13.4 yrs £8,027
8 kW 7231 kWh 4338 kWh 2892 kWh £1,103 £289 £1,392 £18,376 13.2 yrs £9,473

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: £940, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1808 kWh 1265 kWh 542 kWh £322 £54 £376 £7,569 20.1 yrs £-49
3 kW 2711 kWh 1898 kWh 813 kWh £483 £81 £564 £9,604 17.0 yrs £1,677
4 kW 3615 kWh 2531 kWh 1085 kWh £644 £108 £752 £11,638 15.5 yrs £3,402
5 kW 4519 kWh 3163 kWh 1356 kWh £804 £136 £940 £13,673 14.5 yrs £5,128
6 kW 5423 kWh 3796 kWh 1627 kWh £965 £163 £1,128 £15,707 13.9 yrs £6,854
7 kW 6327 kWh 4429 kWh 1898 kWh £1,126 £190 £1,316 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,579
8 kW 7231 kWh 5061 kWh 2169 kWh £1,287 £217 £1,504 £19,776 13.1 yrs £10,305

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: £961, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1808 kWh 1320 kWh 488 kWh £336 £49 £384 £9,319 24.2 yrs £-1,631
3 kW 2711 kWh 1979 kWh 732 kWh £503 £73 £577 £11,354 19.7 yrs £178
4 kW 3615 kWh 2639 kWh 976 kWh £671 £98 £769 £13,388 17.4 yrs £1,987
5 kW 4519 kWh 3299 kWh 1220 kWh £839 £122 £961 £15,423 16.0 yrs £3,796
6 kW 5423 kWh 3959 kWh 1464 kWh £1,007 £146 £1,153 £17,457 15.1 yrs £5,606
7 kW 6327 kWh 4619 kWh 1708 kWh £1,175 £171 £1,345 £19,492 14.5 yrs £7,415
8 kW 7231 kWh 5278 kWh 1952 kWh £1,342 £195 £1,538 £21,526 14.0 yrs £9,224

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: £975, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1808 kWh 1356 kWh 452 kWh £345 £45 £390 £11,069 28.4 yrs £-3,270
3 kW 2711 kWh 2034 kWh 678 kWh £517 £68 £585 £13,104 22.4 yrs £-1,405
4 kW 3615 kWh 2711 kWh 904 kWh £690 £90 £780 £15,138 19.4 yrs £460
5 kW 4519 kWh 3389 kWh 1130 kWh £862 £113 £975 £17,173 17.6 yrs £2,325
6 kW 5423 kWh 4067 kWh 1356 kWh £1,034 £136 £1,170 £19,207 16.4 yrs £4,190
7 kW 6327 kWh 4745 kWh 1582 kWh £1,207 £158 £1,365 £21,242 15.6 yrs £6,055
8 kW 7231 kWh 5423 kWh 1808 kWh £1,379 £181 £1,560 £23,276 14.9 yrs £7,921

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: £989, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1808 kWh 1392 kWh 416 kWh £354 £42 £396 £13,519 34.2 yrs £-5,608
3 kW 2711 kWh 2088 kWh 624 kWh £531 £62 £593 £15,554 26.2 yrs £-3,687
4 kW 3615 kWh 2784 kWh 832 kWh £708 £83 £791 £17,588 22.2 yrs £-1,767
5 kW 4519 kWh 3480 kWh 1039 kWh £885 £104 £989 £19,623 19.8 yrs £154
6 kW 5423 kWh 4176 kWh 1247 kWh £1,062 £125 £1,187 £21,657 18.3 yrs £2,075
7 kW 6327 kWh 4872 kWh 1455 kWh £1,239 £146 £1,384 £23,692 17.1 yrs £3,996
8 kW 7231 kWh 5568 kWh 1663 kWh £1,416 £166 £1,582 £25,726 16.3 yrs £5,917

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 NE44

Figures below are tailored to NE44 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1 of 2182
9.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~19 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2517 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,003 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1807 of 2997
21.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£1,003 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.43p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.86p/day
Local Sunshine
904kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~904 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: 68% • Flats: 5% • Bungalows: 26% Based on 266 properties

Coverage

Northumberland (100%)

Areas Covered

Corbridge, South Tynedale, Hexham North, Stocksfield & Bywell

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 Northern

NE45 (Northumberland)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~912 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NE44
NE43 (Northumberland)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~909 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NE44
NE42 (Northumberland)
≈8.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~907 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE44
NE46 (Northumberland)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · -1% vs NE44
NE41 (Northumberland)
≈10.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~911 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NE44
NE17 (Gateshead)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~911 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NE44

Similar sunshine across the UK

LS21 (Leeds)
~904 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE44
HX3 (Calderdale)
~903 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE44
BD2 (Bradford)
~904 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE44