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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in RG30 (Reading)

See if solar pays off for you in Reading — 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
12.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£657
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,284
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 Southern, the current unit rate is 26.48p/kWh with a 44.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 990 kWh/kW — 12 below the regional median (1001).

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 990 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
44.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
990 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: £821, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 792 kWh 1188 kWh £210 £119 £328 £4,069 12.4 yrs £2,500
3 kW 2969 kWh 1188 kWh 1782 kWh £314 £178 £493 £6,104 12.4 yrs £3,750
4 kW 3959 kWh 1584 kWh 2375 kWh £419 £238 £657 £8,138 12.4 yrs £4,999
5 kW 4949 kWh 1979 kWh 2969 kWh £524 £297 £821 £10,173 12.4 yrs £6,249
6 kW 5938 kWh 2375 kWh 3563 kWh £629 £356 £985 £12,207 12.4 yrs £7,499
7 kW 6928 kWh 2771 kWh 4157 kWh £734 £416 £1,150 £14,242 12.4 yrs £8,749
8 kW 7918 kWh 3167 kWh 4751 kWh £839 £475 £1,314 £16,276 12.4 yrs £9,999

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: £984, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1188 kWh 792 kWh £314 £79 £394 £6,169 15.7 yrs £1,705
3 kW 2969 kWh 1782 kWh 1188 kWh £472 £119 £591 £8,204 13.9 yrs £3,607
4 kW 3959 kWh 2375 kWh 1584 kWh £629 £158 £787 £10,238 13.0 yrs £5,509
5 kW 4949 kWh 2969 kWh 1979 kWh £786 £198 £984 £12,273 12.5 yrs £7,411
6 kW 5938 kWh 3563 kWh 2375 kWh £943 £238 £1,181 £14,307 12.1 yrs £9,314
7 kW 6928 kWh 4157 kWh 2771 kWh £1,101 £277 £1,378 £16,342 11.9 yrs £11,216
8 kW 7918 kWh 4751 kWh 3167 kWh £1,258 £317 £1,575 £18,376 11.7 yrs £13,118

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: £1,066, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1386 kWh 594 kWh £367 £59 £426 £7,569 17.8 yrs £957
3 kW 2969 kWh 2078 kWh 891 kWh £550 £89 £639 £9,604 15.0 yrs £3,185
4 kW 3959 kWh 2771 kWh 1188 kWh £734 £119 £853 £11,638 13.7 yrs £5,414
5 kW 4949 kWh 3464 kWh 1485 kWh £917 £148 £1,066 £13,673 12.8 yrs £7,642
6 kW 5938 kWh 4157 kWh 1782 kWh £1,101 £178 £1,279 £15,707 12.3 yrs £9,871
7 kW 6928 kWh 4850 kWh 2078 kWh £1,284 £208 £1,492 £17,742 11.9 yrs £12,099
8 kW 7918 kWh 5543 kWh 2375 kWh £1,468 £238 £1,705 £19,776 11.6 yrs £14,328

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: £1,090, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1979 kWh 1445 kWh 534 kWh £383 £53 £436 £9,319 21.4 yrs £-597
3 kW 2969 kWh 2168 kWh 802 kWh £574 £80 £654 £11,354 17.4 yrs £1,729
4 kW 3959 kWh 2890 kWh 1069 kWh £765 £107 £872 £13,388 15.4 yrs £4,055
5 kW 4949 kWh 3613 kWh 1336 kWh £957 £134 £1,090 £15,423 14.1 yrs £6,382
6 kW 5938 kWh 4335 kWh 1603 kWh £1,148 £160 £1,308 £17,457 13.3 yrs £8,708
7 kW 6928 kWh 5058 kWh 1871 kWh £1,339 £187 £1,526 £19,492 12.8 yrs £11,035
8 kW 7918 kWh 5780 kWh 2138 kWh £1,531 £214 £1,744 £21,526 12.3 yrs £13,361

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: £1,107, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1979 kWh 1485 kWh 495 kWh £393 £49 £443 £11,069 25.0 yrs £-2,217
3 kW 2969 kWh 2227 kWh 742 kWh £590 £74 £664 £13,104 19.7 yrs £175
4 kW 3959 kWh 2969 kWh 990 kWh £786 £99 £885 £15,138 17.1 yrs £2,566
5 kW 4949 kWh 3712 kWh 1237 kWh £983 £124 £1,107 £17,173 15.5 yrs £4,958
6 kW 5938 kWh 4454 kWh 1485 kWh £1,179 £148 £1,328 £19,207 14.5 yrs £7,350
7 kW 6928 kWh 5196 kWh 1732 kWh £1,376 £173 £1,549 £21,242 13.7 yrs £9,741
8 kW 7918 kWh 5938 kWh 1979 kWh £1,572 £198 £1,770 £23,276 13.1 yrs £12,133

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: £1,123, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1524 kWh 455 kWh £404 £46 £449 £13,519 30.1 yrs £-4,536
3 kW 2969 kWh 2286 kWh 683 kWh £605 £68 £674 £15,554 23.1 yrs £-2,079
4 kW 3959 kWh 3048 kWh 911 kWh £807 £91 £898 £17,588 19.6 yrs £377
5 kW 4949 kWh 3810 kWh 1138 kWh £1,009 £114 £1,123 £19,623 17.5 yrs £2,834
6 kW 5938 kWh 4573 kWh 1366 kWh £1,211 £137 £1,347 £21,657 16.1 yrs £5,291
7 kW 6928 kWh 5335 kWh 1593 kWh £1,413 £159 £1,572 £23,692 15.1 yrs £7,748
8 kW 7918 kWh 6097 kWh 1821 kWh £1,614 £182 £1,797 £25,726 14.3 yrs £10,205

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 RG30

Figures below are tailored to RG30 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1967 of 2182
4.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1050 of 2997
10.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£755 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1723 of 2997
21.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£755 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
990kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~990 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: 56% • Flats: 37% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 12,502 properties

Coverage

Reading (92%)|West Berkshire (7%)

Areas Covered

Battle, Southcote, Norcot, Tilehurst, Kentwood, Burghfield & Mortimer, Tilehurst South & Holybrook, Tilehurst Birch Copse + 2 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 Southern

RG3 (Reading)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30
RG1 (Reading)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30
RG31 (West Berkshire)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~999 kWh/kWp · +1% vs RG30
RG4 (Reading)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30
RG2 (Reading)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30
RG6 (Wokingham)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30

Similar sunshine across the UK

PL30 (Cornwall)
~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30
N2 (Barnet)
~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG30
CR2 (Croydon)
~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG30