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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in SO31 (Fareham)

See if solar pays off for you in Fareham — 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
11.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£893
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,143
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 1076 kWh/kW — 75 above the regional median (1001).

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 1076 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)
1076 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: £893, Upfront: £10,173, 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 2152 kWh 861 kWh 1291 kWh £228 £129 £357 £4,069 11.4 yrs £3,072
3 kW 3228 kWh 1291 kWh 1937 kWh £342 £194 £536 £6,104 11.4 yrs £4,608
4 kW 4304 kWh 1722 kWh 2582 kWh £456 £258 £714 £8,138 11.4 yrs £6,144
5 kW 5380 kWh 2152 kWh 3228 kWh £570 £323 £893 £10,173 11.4 yrs £7,680
6 kW 6456 kWh 2582 kWh 3873 kWh £684 £387 £1,071 £12,207 11.4 yrs £9,216
7 kW 7532 kWh 3013 kWh 4519 kWh £798 £452 £1,250 £14,242 11.4 yrs £10,751
8 kW 8608 kWh 3443 kWh 5165 kWh £912 £516 £1,428 £16,276 11.4 yrs £12,287

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: £1,070, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2152 kWh 1291 kWh 861 kWh £342 £86 £428 £6,169 14.4 yrs £2,390
3 kW 3228 kWh 1937 kWh 1291 kWh £513 £129 £642 £8,204 12.8 yrs £4,636
4 kW 4304 kWh 2582 kWh 1722 kWh £684 £172 £856 £10,238 12.0 yrs £6,881
5 kW 5380 kWh 3228 kWh 2152 kWh £855 £215 £1,070 £12,273 11.5 yrs £9,126
6 kW 6456 kWh 3873 kWh 2582 kWh £1,026 £258 £1,284 £14,307 11.1 yrs £11,371
7 kW 7532 kWh 4519 kWh 3013 kWh £1,197 £301 £1,498 £16,342 10.9 yrs £13,616
8 kW 8608 kWh 5165 kWh 3443 kWh £1,368 £344 £1,712 £18,376 10.7 yrs £15,862

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: £1,159, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2152 kWh 1506 kWh 646 kWh £399 £65 £463 £7,569 16.3 yrs £1,700
3 kW 3228 kWh 2259 kWh 968 kWh £598 £97 £695 £9,604 13.8 yrs £4,299
4 kW 4304 kWh 3013 kWh 1291 kWh £798 £129 £927 £11,638 12.6 yrs £6,899
5 kW 5380 kWh 3766 kWh 1614 kWh £997 £161 £1,159 £13,673 11.8 yrs £9,499
6 kW 6456 kWh 4519 kWh 1937 kWh £1,197 £194 £1,390 £15,707 11.3 yrs £12,099
7 kW 7532 kWh 5272 kWh 2259 kWh £1,396 £226 £1,622 £17,742 10.9 yrs £14,699
8 kW 8608 kWh 6025 kWh 2582 kWh £1,596 £258 £1,854 £19,776 10.7 yrs £17,299

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: £1,185, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2152 kWh 1571 kWh 581 kWh £416 £58 £474 £9,319 19.7 yrs £162
3 kW 3228 kWh 2356 kWh 872 kWh £624 £87 £711 £11,354 16.0 yrs £2,869
4 kW 4304 kWh 3142 kWh 1162 kWh £832 £116 £948 £13,388 14.1 yrs £5,575
5 kW 5380 kWh 3927 kWh 1453 kWh £1,040 £145 £1,185 £15,423 13.0 yrs £8,281
6 kW 6456 kWh 4713 kWh 1743 kWh £1,248 £174 £1,422 £17,457 12.3 yrs £10,987
7 kW 7532 kWh 5498 kWh 2034 kWh £1,456 £203 £1,659 £19,492 11.7 yrs £13,693
8 kW 8608 kWh 6284 kWh 2324 kWh £1,664 £232 £1,896 £21,526 11.4 yrs £16,400

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: £1,203, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2152 kWh 1614 kWh 538 kWh £427 £54 £481 £11,069 23.0 yrs £-1,446
3 kW 3228 kWh 2421 kWh 807 kWh £641 £81 £722 £13,104 18.2 yrs £1,331
4 kW 4304 kWh 3228 kWh 1076 kWh £855 £108 £962 £15,138 15.7 yrs £4,109
5 kW 5380 kWh 4035 kWh 1345 kWh £1,068 £134 £1,203 £17,173 14.3 yrs £6,886
6 kW 6456 kWh 4842 kWh 1614 kWh £1,282 £161 £1,443 £19,207 13.3 yrs £9,663
7 kW 7532 kWh 5649 kWh 1883 kWh £1,496 £188 £1,684 £21,242 12.6 yrs £12,440
8 kW 8608 kWh 6456 kWh 2152 kWh £1,709 £215 £1,925 £23,276 12.1 yrs £15,217

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: £1,221, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2152 kWh 1657 kWh 495 kWh £439 £49 £488 £13,519 27.7 yrs £-3,754
3 kW 3228 kWh 2485 kWh 742 kWh £658 £74 £732 £15,554 21.2 yrs £-906
4 kW 4304 kWh 3314 kWh 990 kWh £878 £99 £977 £17,588 18.0 yrs £1,942
5 kW 5380 kWh 4142 kWh 1237 kWh £1,097 £124 £1,221 £19,623 16.1 yrs £4,790
6 kW 6456 kWh 4971 kWh 1485 kWh £1,316 £148 £1,465 £21,657 14.8 yrs £7,638
7 kW 7532 kWh 5799 kWh 1732 kWh £1,536 £173 £1,709 £23,692 13.9 yrs £10,486
8 kW 8608 kWh 6628 kWh 1980 kWh £1,755 £198 £1,953 £25,726 13.2 yrs £13,335

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 SO31

Figures below are tailored to SO31 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #929 of 2182
5.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #167 of 2997
9.9 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,026 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #544 of 2997
15.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£1,026 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1076kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1076 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: 68% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 12,225 properties

Coverage

Fareham (67%)|Eastleigh (33%)

Areas Covered

Park Gate, Hamble & Netley, Bursledon & Hound North, Hook-with-Warsash, Locks Heath, Sarisbury & Whiteley, Titchfield Common, Southwick and Wickham + 1 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

SO3 (Eastleigh)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,032 kWh/kWp · -4% vs SO31
PO15 (Fareham)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO31
PO14 (Fareham)
≈6.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO31
SO30 (Eastleigh)
≈6.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,043 kWh/kWp · -3% vs SO31
SO19 (Southampton)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,063 kWh/kWp · -1% vs SO31
PO17 (Winchester)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO31

Similar sunshine across the UK

PL5 (Plymouth)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO31
TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO31
PL2 (Plymouth)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO31