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Solar panel cost in Thurrock (RM17)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for RM17 (Thurrock) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

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
10.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£682
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,741
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: 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.

Your area in context

In Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.38p/kWh with a 53.94p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1030 kWh/kW — 21 above the regional median (1009).

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 1030 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
53.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1030 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: £852, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2060 kWh 824 kWh 1236 kWh £217 £124 £341 £3,654 10.7 yrs £3,166
3 kW 3090 kWh 1236 kWh 1854 kWh £326 £185 £511 £5,481 10.7 yrs £4,749
4 kW 4120 kWh 1648 kWh 2472 kWh £435 £247 £682 £7,307 10.7 yrs £6,331
5 kW 5150 kWh 2060 kWh 3090 kWh £543 £309 £852 £9,134 10.7 yrs £7,914
6 kW 6180 kWh 2472 kWh 3708 kWh £652 £371 £1,023 £10,961 10.7 yrs £9,497
7 kW 7210 kWh 2884 kWh 4326 kWh £761 £433 £1,193 £12,788 10.7 yrs £11,080
8 kW 8240 kWh 3296 kWh 4944 kWh £869 £494 £1,364 £14,615 10.7 yrs £12,663

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,021, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2060 kWh 1236 kWh 824 kWh £326 £82 £408 £5,754 14.1 yrs £2,415
3 kW 3090 kWh 1854 kWh 1236 kWh £489 £124 £613 £7,581 12.4 yrs £4,673
4 kW 4120 kWh 2472 kWh 1648 kWh £652 £165 £817 £9,407 11.5 yrs £6,931
5 kW 5150 kWh 3090 kWh 2060 kWh £815 £206 £1,021 £11,234 11.0 yrs £9,188
6 kW 6180 kWh 3708 kWh 2472 kWh £978 £247 £1,225 £13,061 10.7 yrs £11,446
7 kW 7210 kWh 4326 kWh 2884 kWh £1,141 £288 £1,430 £14,888 10.4 yrs £13,704
8 kW 8240 kWh 4944 kWh 3296 kWh £1,304 £330 £1,634 £16,715 10.2 yrs £15,962

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,105, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2060 kWh 1442 kWh 618 kWh £380 £62 £442 £7,154 16.2 yrs £1,690
3 kW 3090 kWh 2163 kWh 927 kWh £571 £93 £663 £8,981 13.5 yrs £4,285
4 kW 4120 kWh 2884 kWh 1236 kWh £761 £124 £884 £10,807 12.2 yrs £6,880
5 kW 5150 kWh 3605 kWh 1545 kWh £951 £154 £1,105 £12,634 11.4 yrs £9,476
6 kW 6180 kWh 4326 kWh 1854 kWh £1,141 £185 £1,327 £14,461 10.9 yrs £12,071
7 kW 7210 kWh 5047 kWh 2163 kWh £1,331 £216 £1,548 £16,288 10.5 yrs £14,666
8 kW 8240 kWh 5768 kWh 2472 kWh £1,522 £247 £1,769 £18,115 10.2 yrs £17,261

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,131, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2060 kWh 1504 kWh 556 kWh £397 £56 £452 £8,904 19.7 yrs £143
3 kW 3090 kWh 2256 kWh 834 kWh £595 £83 £678 £10,731 15.8 yrs £2,839
4 kW 4120 kWh 3008 kWh 1112 kWh £793 £111 £905 £12,557 13.9 yrs £5,535
5 kW 5150 kWh 3759 kWh 1390 kWh £992 £139 £1,131 £14,384 12.7 yrs £8,232
6 kW 6180 kWh 4511 kWh 1669 kWh £1,190 £167 £1,357 £16,211 11.9 yrs £10,928
7 kW 7210 kWh 5263 kWh 1947 kWh £1,388 £195 £1,583 £18,038 11.4 yrs £13,624
8 kW 8240 kWh 6015 kWh 2225 kWh £1,587 £222 £1,809 £19,865 11.0 yrs £16,321

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,148, Upfront: £16,134, 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 2060 kWh 1545 kWh 515 kWh £408 £51 £459 £10,654 23.2 yrs £-1,472
3 kW 3090 kWh 2317 kWh 772 kWh £611 £77 £689 £12,481 18.1 yrs £1,291
4 kW 4120 kWh 3090 kWh 1030 kWh £815 £103 £918 £14,307 15.6 yrs £4,055
5 kW 5150 kWh 3862 kWh 1287 kWh £1,019 £129 £1,148 £16,134 14.1 yrs £6,819
6 kW 6180 kWh 4635 kWh 1545 kWh £1,223 £154 £1,377 £17,961 13.0 yrs £9,583
7 kW 7210 kWh 5407 kWh 1802 kWh £1,426 £180 £1,607 £19,788 12.3 yrs £12,347
8 kW 8240 kWh 6180 kWh 2060 kWh £1,630 £206 £1,836 £21,615 11.8 yrs £15,111

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,165, Upfront: £18,584, 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 2060 kWh 1586 kWh 474 kWh £418 £47 £466 £13,104 28.1 yrs £-3,787
3 kW 3090 kWh 2379 kWh 711 kWh £628 £71 £699 £14,931 21.4 yrs £-956
4 kW 4120 kWh 3172 kWh 948 kWh £837 £95 £932 £16,757 18.0 yrs £1,875
5 kW 5150 kWh 3965 kWh 1184 kWh £1,046 £118 £1,165 £18,584 16.0 yrs £4,707
6 kW 6180 kWh 4759 kWh 1421 kWh £1,255 £142 £1,397 £20,411 14.6 yrs £7,538
7 kW 7210 kWh 5552 kWh 1658 kWh £1,465 £166 £1,630 £22,238 13.6 yrs £10,369
8 kW 8240 kWh 6345 kWh 1895 kWh £1,674 £190 £1,863 £24,065 12.9 yrs £13,200

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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.

Before you request quotes in Thurrock

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for RM17

Figures below are tailored to RM17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2083 of 2182
4.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1717 of 2996
10.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£682 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2056 of 2996
28.9% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£682 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.7% West −20.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in RM17

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 53 Feb 86 Mar 115 Apr 122 May 124 Jun 125 Jul 114 Aug 97 Sep 70 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.9% 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 43 kWh per month; the average month produces around 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 171 kWh in winter, or 343 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1030kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1030 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: 50% • Flats: 44% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 7,782 properties

Coverage

Thurrock (100%)

Areas Covered

Grays Riverside, Grays Thurrock, Little Thurrock Rectory, Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park, Chafford and North Stifford, Chadwell St Mary, Little Thurrock Blackshots, West Thurrock and South Stifford

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.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Eastern

RM16 (Thurrock)
≈0.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM17
RM20 (Thurrock)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RM17
RM18 (Thurrock)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,033 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RM17
RM15 (Thurrock)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RM17
RM19 (Thurrock)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM17
RM14 (Havering)
≈9.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,027 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM17

Similar sunshine across the UK

BH31 (Dorset)
~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM17
TR7 (Cornwall)
~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM17
ME20 (Tonbridge and Malling)
~1,030 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RM17