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Solar panel cost in Thurrock (RM18)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for RM18 (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
£684
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,791
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 1033 kWh/kW — 24 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 1033 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)
1033 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: £855, 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 2066 kWh 826 kWh 1240 kWh £218 £124 £342 £3,654 10.7 yrs £3,186
3 kW 3099 kWh 1240 kWh 1859 kWh £327 £186 £513 £5,481 10.7 yrs £4,778
4 kW 4132 kWh 1653 kWh 2479 kWh £436 £248 £684 £7,307 10.7 yrs £6,371
5 kW 5165 kWh 2066 kWh 3099 kWh £545 £310 £855 £9,134 10.7 yrs £7,964
6 kW 6198 kWh 2479 kWh 3719 kWh £654 £372 £1,026 £10,961 10.7 yrs £9,557
7 kW 7231 kWh 2892 kWh 4339 kWh £763 £434 £1,197 £12,788 10.7 yrs £11,150
8 kW 8264 kWh 3306 kWh 4958 kWh £872 £496 £1,368 £14,615 10.7 yrs £12,742

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: £1,024, 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 2066 kWh 1240 kWh 826 kWh £327 £83 £410 £5,754 14.0 yrs £2,439
3 kW 3099 kWh 1859 kWh 1240 kWh £491 £124 £614 £7,581 12.3 yrs £4,709
4 kW 4132 kWh 2479 kWh 1653 kWh £654 £165 £819 £9,407 11.5 yrs £6,978
5 kW 5165 kWh 3099 kWh 2066 kWh £818 £207 £1,024 £11,234 11.0 yrs £9,248
6 kW 6198 kWh 3719 kWh 2479 kWh £981 £248 £1,229 £13,061 10.6 yrs £11,518
7 kW 7231 kWh 4339 kWh 2892 kWh £1,145 £289 £1,434 £14,888 10.4 yrs £13,787
8 kW 8264 kWh 4958 kWh 3306 kWh £1,308 £331 £1,639 £16,715 10.2 yrs £16,057

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: £1,109, 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 2066 kWh 1446 kWh 620 kWh £382 £62 £443 £7,154 16.1 yrs £1,716
3 kW 3099 kWh 2169 kWh 930 kWh £572 £93 £665 £8,981 13.5 yrs £4,324
4 kW 4132 kWh 2892 kWh 1240 kWh £763 £124 £887 £10,807 12.2 yrs £6,932
5 kW 5165 kWh 3615 kWh 1550 kWh £954 £155 £1,109 £12,634 11.4 yrs £9,540
6 kW 6198 kWh 4339 kWh 1859 kWh £1,145 £186 £1,330 £14,461 10.9 yrs £12,148
7 kW 7231 kWh 5062 kWh 2169 kWh £1,335 £217 £1,552 £16,288 10.5 yrs £14,756
8 kW 8264 kWh 5785 kWh 2479 kWh £1,526 £248 £1,774 £18,115 10.2 yrs £17,364

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: £1,134, 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 2066 kWh 1508 kWh 558 kWh £398 £56 £454 £8,904 19.6 yrs £169
3 kW 3099 kWh 2262 kWh 837 kWh £597 £84 £680 £10,731 15.8 yrs £2,879
4 kW 4132 kWh 3016 kWh 1116 kWh £796 £112 £907 £12,557 13.8 yrs £5,588
5 kW 5165 kWh 3770 kWh 1395 kWh £995 £139 £1,134 £14,384 12.7 yrs £8,298
6 kW 6198 kWh 4525 kWh 1673 kWh £1,194 £167 £1,361 £16,211 11.9 yrs £11,007
7 kW 7231 kWh 5279 kWh 1952 kWh £1,393 £195 £1,588 £18,038 11.4 yrs £13,717
8 kW 8264 kWh 6033 kWh 2231 kWh £1,591 £223 £1,815 £19,865 10.9 yrs £16,426

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: £1,151, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2066 kWh 1550 kWh 516 kWh £409 £52 £460 £10,654 23.1 yrs £-1,446
3 kW 3099 kWh 2324 kWh 775 kWh £613 £77 £691 £12,481 18.1 yrs £1,332
4 kW 4132 kWh 3099 kWh 1033 kWh £818 £103 £921 £14,307 15.5 yrs £4,109
5 kW 5165 kWh 3874 kWh 1291 kWh £1,022 £129 £1,151 £16,134 14.0 yrs £6,886
6 kW 6198 kWh 4648 kWh 1550 kWh £1,226 £155 £1,381 £17,961 13.0 yrs £9,663
7 kW 7231 kWh 5423 kWh 1808 kWh £1,431 £181 £1,611 £19,788 12.3 yrs £12,441
8 kW 8264 kWh 6198 kWh 2066 kWh £1,635 £207 £1,842 £21,615 11.7 yrs £15,218

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: £1,168, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2066 kWh 1591 kWh 475 kWh £420 £48 £467 £13,104 28.0 yrs £-3,760
3 kW 3099 kWh 2386 kWh 713 kWh £629 £71 £701 £14,931 21.3 yrs £-915
4 kW 4132 kWh 3182 kWh 950 kWh £839 £95 £934 £16,757 17.9 yrs £1,930
5 kW 5165 kWh 3977 kWh 1188 kWh £1,049 £119 £1,168 £18,584 15.9 yrs £4,775
6 kW 6198 kWh 4772 kWh 1426 kWh £1,259 £143 £1,402 £20,411 14.6 yrs £7,620
7 kW 7231 kWh 5568 kWh 1663 kWh £1,469 £166 £1,635 £22,238 13.6 yrs £10,464
8 kW 8264 kWh 6363 kWh 1901 kWh £1,679 £190 £1,869 £24,065 12.9 yrs £13,309

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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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for RM18

Figures below are tailored to RM18 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2020 of 2182
4.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1718 of 2996
10.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£684 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2039 of 2996
28.8% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£684 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.5% West −20.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in RM18

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 53 Feb 86 Mar 115 Apr 123 May 125 Jun 126 Jul 114 Aug 97 Sep 70 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.7% 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 344 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1033kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1033 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: 66% • Flats: 31% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 5,217 properties

Coverage

Thurrock (100%)

Areas Covered

Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park, Tilbury St Chads, East Tilbury, Grays Riverside

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

RM17 (Thurrock)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM18
RM16 (Thurrock)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM18
RM20 (Thurrock)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RM18
RM15 (Thurrock)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RM18
SS17 (Thurrock)
≈8.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,037 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RM18
RM19 (Thurrock)
≈8.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM18

Similar sunshine across the UK

CF33 (Bridgend)
~1,033 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM18
RH17 (Mid Sussex)
~1,033 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM18
TR6 (Cornwall)
~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RM18