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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in SG15 (Central Bedfordshire)

See if solar pays off for you in Central Bedfordshire — 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
12.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£826
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,467
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 Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.53p/kWh with a 48.25p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 994 kWh/kW — 15 below the regional median (1009).

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 994 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
48.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
994 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: £826, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 795 kWh 1193 kWh £211 £119 £330 £4,069 12.3 yrs £2,536
3 kW 2982 kWh 1193 kWh 1789 kWh £316 £179 £495 £6,104 12.3 yrs £3,803
4 kW 3976 kWh 1590 kWh 2386 kWh £422 £239 £660 £8,138 12.3 yrs £5,071
5 kW 4970 kWh 1988 kWh 2982 kWh £527 £298 £826 £10,173 12.3 yrs £6,339
6 kW 5964 kWh 2386 kWh 3578 kWh £633 £358 £991 £12,207 12.3 yrs £7,607
7 kW 6958 kWh 2783 kWh 4175 kWh £738 £417 £1,156 £14,242 12.3 yrs £8,875
8 kW 7952 kWh 3181 kWh 4771 kWh £844 £477 £1,321 £16,276 12.3 yrs £10,143

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: £990, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1988 kWh 1193 kWh 795 kWh £316 £80 £396 £6,169 15.6 yrs £1,750
3 kW 2982 kWh 1789 kWh 1193 kWh £475 £119 £594 £8,204 13.8 yrs £3,675
4 kW 3976 kWh 2386 kWh 1590 kWh £633 £159 £792 £10,238 12.9 yrs £5,600
5 kW 4970 kWh 2982 kWh 1988 kWh £791 £199 £990 £12,273 12.4 yrs £7,525
6 kW 5964 kWh 3578 kWh 2386 kWh £949 £239 £1,188 £14,307 12.0 yrs £9,450
7 kW 6958 kWh 4175 kWh 2783 kWh £1,108 £278 £1,386 £16,342 11.8 yrs £11,375
8 kW 7952 kWh 4771 kWh 3181 kWh £1,266 £318 £1,584 £18,376 11.6 yrs £13,300

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: £1,072, 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 1988 kWh 1392 kWh 596 kWh £369 £60 £429 £7,569 17.7 yrs £1,007
3 kW 2982 kWh 2087 kWh 895 kWh £554 £89 £643 £9,604 14.9 yrs £3,261
4 kW 3976 kWh 2783 kWh 1193 kWh £738 £119 £858 £11,638 13.6 yrs £5,515
5 kW 4970 kWh 3479 kWh 1491 kWh £923 £149 £1,072 £13,673 12.8 yrs £7,768
6 kW 5964 kWh 4175 kWh 1789 kWh £1,108 £179 £1,286 £15,707 12.2 yrs £10,022
7 kW 6958 kWh 4870 kWh 2087 kWh £1,292 £209 £1,501 £17,742 11.8 yrs £12,275
8 kW 7952 kWh 5566 kWh 2386 kWh £1,477 £239 £1,715 £19,776 11.5 yrs £14,529

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: £1,097, 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 1988 kWh 1451 kWh 537 kWh £385 £54 £439 £9,319 21.2 yrs £-546
3 kW 2982 kWh 2177 kWh 805 kWh £577 £81 £658 £11,354 17.3 yrs £1,807
4 kW 3976 kWh 2902 kWh 1073 kWh £770 £107 £877 £13,388 15.3 yrs £4,159
5 kW 4970 kWh 3628 kWh 1342 kWh £962 £134 £1,097 £15,423 14.1 yrs £6,511
6 kW 5964 kWh 4354 kWh 1610 kWh £1,155 £161 £1,316 £17,457 13.3 yrs £8,863
7 kW 6958 kWh 5079 kWh 1879 kWh £1,347 £188 £1,535 £19,492 12.7 yrs £11,215
8 kW 7952 kWh 5805 kWh 2147 kWh £1,540 £215 £1,755 £21,526 12.3 yrs £13,568

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: £1,113, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 1491 kWh 497 kWh £396 £50 £445 £11,069 24.9 yrs £-2,164
3 kW 2982 kWh 2236 kWh 745 kWh £593 £75 £668 £13,104 19.6 yrs £254
4 kW 3976 kWh 2982 kWh 994 kWh £791 £99 £890 £15,138 17.0 yrs £2,672
5 kW 4970 kWh 3727 kWh 1242 kWh £989 £124 £1,113 £17,173 15.4 yrs £5,090
6 kW 5964 kWh 4473 kWh 1491 kWh £1,187 £149 £1,336 £19,207 14.4 yrs £7,508
7 kW 6958 kWh 5218 kWh 1739 kWh £1,384 £174 £1,558 £21,242 13.6 yrs £9,926
8 kW 7952 kWh 5964 kWh 1988 kWh £1,582 £199 £1,781 £23,276 13.1 yrs £12,343

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: £1,130, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 1531 kWh 457 kWh £406 £46 £452 £13,519 29.9 yrs £-4,483
3 kW 2982 kWh 2296 kWh 686 kWh £609 £69 £678 £15,554 22.9 yrs £-1,999
4 kW 3976 kWh 3061 kWh 914 kWh £812 £91 £904 £17,588 19.5 yrs £485
5 kW 4970 kWh 3827 kWh 1143 kWh £1,015 £114 £1,130 £19,623 17.4 yrs £2,968
6 kW 5964 kWh 4592 kWh 1372 kWh £1,218 £137 £1,355 £21,657 16.0 yrs £5,452
7 kW 6958 kWh 5357 kWh 1600 kWh £1,421 £160 £1,581 £23,692 15.0 yrs £7,936
8 kW 7952 kWh 6123 kWh 1829 kWh £1,624 £183 £1,807 £25,726 14.2 yrs £10,419

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 SG15

Figures below are tailored to SG15 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1819 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #864 of 2997
10.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£949 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1180 of 2997
18.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£949 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
994kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~994 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

Houses: 72% • Flats: 18% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 1,731 properties

Coverage

Central Bedfordshire (97%)|North Hertfordshire (3%)

Areas Covered

Arlesey & Fairfield, Letchworth South East

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 Eastern

SG16 (Central Bedfordshire)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SG15
SG6 (North Hertfordshire)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SG15
SG17 (Central Bedfordshire)
≈5.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,000 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SG15
SG7 (North Hertfordshire)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~998 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SG15
SG5 (North Hertfordshire)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SG15
SG4 (North Hertfordshire)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SG15

Similar sunshine across the UK

SE14 (Lewisham)
~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SG15
BS3 (Bristol, City of)
~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SG15
RG6 (Wokingham)
~994 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SG15