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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in PH18 (Perth and Kinross)

See if solar pays off for you in Perth and Kinross — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
15.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£675
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,702
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 Scotland, the current unit rate is 27.06p/kWh with a 61.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 802 kWh/kW — 13 below the regional median (815).

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 802 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
61.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
802 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: £675, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1605 kWh 642 kWh 963 kWh £174 £96 £270 £4,069 15.1 yrs £1,331
3 kW 2407 kWh 963 kWh 1444 kWh £261 £144 £405 £6,104 15.1 yrs £1,996
4 kW 3210 kWh 1284 kWh 1926 kWh £347 £193 £540 £8,138 15.1 yrs £2,661
5 kW 4012 kWh 1605 kWh 2407 kWh £434 £241 £675 £10,173 15.1 yrs £3,327
6 kW 4814 kWh 1926 kWh 2889 kWh £521 £289 £810 £12,207 15.1 yrs £3,992
7 kW 5617 kWh 2247 kWh 3370 kWh £608 £337 £945 £14,242 15.1 yrs £4,658
8 kW 6419 kWh 2568 kWh 3851 kWh £695 £385 £1,080 £16,276 15.1 yrs £5,323

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: £812, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1605 kWh 963 kWh 642 kWh £261 £64 £325 £6,169 19.0 yrs £326
3 kW 2407 kWh 1444 kWh 963 kWh £391 £96 £487 £8,204 16.8 yrs £1,539
4 kW 3210 kWh 1926 kWh 1284 kWh £521 £128 £649 £10,238 15.8 yrs £2,752
5 kW 4012 kWh 2407 kWh 1605 kWh £651 £160 £812 £12,273 15.1 yrs £3,965
6 kW 4814 kWh 2889 kWh 1926 kWh £782 £193 £974 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,178
7 kW 5617 kWh 3370 kWh 2247 kWh £912 £225 £1,137 £16,342 14.4 yrs £6,390
8 kW 6419 kWh 3851 kWh 2568 kWh £1,042 £257 £1,299 £18,376 14.1 yrs £7,603

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: £880, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1605 kWh 1123 kWh 481 kWh £304 £48 £352 £7,569 21.5 yrs £-527
3 kW 2407 kWh 1685 kWh 722 kWh £456 £72 £528 £9,604 18.2 yrs £960
4 kW 3210 kWh 2247 kWh 963 kWh £608 £96 £704 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,447
5 kW 4012 kWh 2808 kWh 1204 kWh £760 £120 £880 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,933
6 kW 4814 kWh 3370 kWh 1444 kWh £912 £144 £1,056 £15,707 14.9 yrs £5,420
7 kW 5617 kWh 3932 kWh 1685 kWh £1,064 £169 £1,232 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,907
8 kW 6419 kWh 4493 kWh 1926 kWh £1,216 £193 £1,408 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,394

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: £901, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1605 kWh 1171 kWh 433 kWh £317 £43 £360 £9,319 25.9 yrs £-2,112
3 kW 2407 kWh 1757 kWh 650 kWh £476 £65 £541 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-544
4 kW 3210 kWh 2343 kWh 867 kWh £634 £87 £721 £13,388 18.6 yrs £1,025
5 kW 4012 kWh 2929 kWh 1083 kWh £793 £108 £901 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,594
6 kW 4814 kWh 3514 kWh 1300 kWh £951 £130 £1,081 £17,457 16.1 yrs £4,163
7 kW 5617 kWh 4100 kWh 1517 kWh £1,110 £152 £1,261 £19,492 15.5 yrs £5,732
8 kW 6419 kWh 4686 kWh 1733 kWh £1,268 £173 £1,441 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,301

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: £915, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1605 kWh 1204 kWh 401 kWh £326 £40 £366 £11,069 30.3 yrs £-3,753
3 kW 2407 kWh 1805 kWh 602 kWh £489 £60 £549 £13,104 23.9 yrs £-2,129
4 kW 3210 kWh 2407 kWh 802 kWh £651 £80 £732 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-506
5 kW 4012 kWh 3009 kWh 1003 kWh £814 £100 £915 £17,173 18.8 yrs £1,118
6 kW 4814 kWh 3611 kWh 1204 kWh £977 £120 £1,097 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,742
7 kW 5617 kWh 4213 kWh 1404 kWh £1,140 £140 £1,280 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,365
8 kW 6419 kWh 4814 kWh 1605 kWh £1,303 £160 £1,463 £23,276 15.9 yrs £5,989

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: £928, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1605 kWh 1236 kWh 369 kWh £334 £37 £371 £13,519 36.4 yrs £-6,093
3 kW 2407 kWh 1854 kWh 554 kWh £502 £55 £557 £15,554 27.9 yrs £-4,415
4 kW 3210 kWh 2471 kWh 738 kWh £669 £74 £743 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,737
5 kW 4012 kWh 3089 kWh 923 kWh £836 £92 £928 £19,623 21.1 yrs £-1,058
6 kW 4814 kWh 3707 kWh 1107 kWh £1,003 £111 £1,114 £21,657 19.4 yrs £620
7 kW 5617 kWh 4325 kWh 1292 kWh £1,170 £129 £1,299 £23,692 18.2 yrs £2,298
8 kW 6419 kWh 4943 kWh 1476 kWh £1,338 £148 £1,485 £25,726 17.3 yrs £3,977

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 PH18

Figures below are tailored to PH18 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2863 of 2997
13.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£622 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2890 of 2997
35.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£622 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
802kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~802 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Perth and Kinross (100%)

Areas Covered

Highland

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 Scotland

PH16 (Perth and Kinross)
≈9.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~825 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PH18
PH9 (Perth and Kinross)
≈15.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~824 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PH18
PH15 (Perth and Kinross)
≈16.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~804 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH18
PH8 (Perth and Kinross)
≈28.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PH18
PH19 (Highland)
≈30.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~754 kWh/kWp · -6% vs PH18
PH17 (Perth and Kinross)
≈33.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~751 kWh/kWp · -6% vs PH18

Similar sunshine across the UK

KA16 (East Ayrshire)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH18
OL5 (Tameside)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH18
CA9 (Westmorland and Furness)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH18