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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in SS15 (Basildon)

See if solar pays off for you in Basildon — 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
11.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£860
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,329
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 1035 kWh/kW — 26 above 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 1035 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)
1035 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: £860, Upfront: £10,173, 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 2071 kWh 828 kWh 1243 kWh £220 £124 £344 £4,069 11.8 yrs £2,811
3 kW 3106 kWh 1243 kWh 1864 kWh £330 £186 £516 £6,104 11.8 yrs £4,217
4 kW 4142 kWh 1657 kWh 2485 kWh £440 £249 £688 £8,138 11.8 yrs £5,623
5 kW 5177 kWh 2071 kWh 3106 kWh £549 £311 £860 £10,173 11.8 yrs £7,028
6 kW 6213 kWh 2485 kWh 3728 kWh £659 £373 £1,032 £12,207 11.8 yrs £8,434
7 kW 7248 kWh 2899 kWh 4349 kWh £769 £435 £1,204 £14,242 11.8 yrs £9,840
8 kW 8284 kWh 3313 kWh 4970 kWh £879 £497 £1,376 £16,276 11.8 yrs £11,245

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: £1,031, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2071 kWh 1243 kWh 828 kWh £330 £83 £412 £6,169 15.0 yrs £2,081
3 kW 3106 kWh 1864 kWh 1243 kWh £494 £124 £619 £8,204 13.3 yrs £4,171
4 kW 4142 kWh 2485 kWh 1657 kWh £659 £166 £825 £10,238 12.4 yrs £6,261
5 kW 5177 kWh 3106 kWh 2071 kWh £824 £207 £1,031 £12,273 11.9 yrs £8,352
6 kW 6213 kWh 3728 kWh 2485 kWh £989 £249 £1,237 £14,307 11.6 yrs £10,442
7 kW 7248 kWh 4349 kWh 2899 kWh £1,154 £290 £1,444 £16,342 11.3 yrs £12,532
8 kW 8284 kWh 4970 kWh 3313 kWh £1,319 £331 £1,650 £18,376 11.1 yrs £14,622

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: £1,117, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2071 kWh 1450 kWh 621 kWh £385 £62 £447 £7,569 16.9 yrs £1,365
3 kW 3106 kWh 2174 kWh 932 kWh £577 £93 £670 £9,604 14.3 yrs £3,798
4 kW 4142 kWh 2899 kWh 1243 kWh £769 £124 £893 £11,638 13.0 yrs £6,231
5 kW 5177 kWh 3624 kWh 1553 kWh £961 £155 £1,117 £13,673 12.2 yrs £8,663
6 kW 6213 kWh 4349 kWh 1864 kWh £1,154 £186 £1,340 £15,707 11.7 yrs £11,096
7 kW 7248 kWh 5074 kWh 2174 kWh £1,346 £217 £1,563 £17,742 11.3 yrs £13,528
8 kW 8284 kWh 5799 kWh 2485 kWh £1,538 £249 £1,787 £19,776 11.1 yrs £15,961

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: £1,142, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2071 kWh 1512 kWh 559 kWh £401 £56 £457 £9,319 20.4 yrs £-179
3 kW 3106 kWh 2268 kWh 839 kWh £602 £84 £685 £11,354 16.6 yrs £2,356
4 kW 4142 kWh 3024 kWh 1118 kWh £802 £112 £914 £13,388 14.6 yrs £4,891
5 kW 5177 kWh 3779 kWh 1398 kWh £1,003 £140 £1,142 £15,423 13.5 yrs £7,427
6 kW 6213 kWh 4535 kWh 1677 kWh £1,203 £168 £1,371 £17,457 12.7 yrs £9,962
7 kW 7248 kWh 5291 kWh 1957 kWh £1,404 £196 £1,599 £19,492 12.2 yrs £12,497
8 kW 8284 kWh 6047 kWh 2237 kWh £1,604 £224 £1,828 £21,526 11.8 yrs £15,033

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: £1,160, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2071 kWh 1553 kWh 518 kWh £412 £52 £464 £11,069 23.9 yrs £-1,792
3 kW 3106 kWh 2330 kWh 777 kWh £618 £78 £696 £13,104 18.8 yrs £811
4 kW 4142 kWh 3106 kWh 1035 kWh £824 £104 £928 £15,138 16.3 yrs £3,415
5 kW 5177 kWh 3883 kWh 1294 kWh £1,030 £129 £1,160 £17,173 14.8 yrs £6,019
6 kW 6213 kWh 4660 kWh 1553 kWh £1,236 £155 £1,391 £19,207 13.8 yrs £8,623
7 kW 7248 kWh 5436 kWh 1812 kWh £1,442 £181 £1,623 £21,242 13.1 yrs £11,227
8 kW 8284 kWh 6213 kWh 2071 kWh £1,648 £207 £1,855 £23,276 12.5 yrs £13,830

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: £1,177, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2071 kWh 1595 kWh 476 kWh £423 £48 £471 £13,519 28.7 yrs £-4,105
3 kW 3106 kWh 2392 kWh 714 kWh £635 £71 £706 £15,554 22.0 yrs £-1,433
4 kW 4142 kWh 3189 kWh 953 kWh £846 £95 £941 £17,588 18.7 yrs £1,239
5 kW 5177 kWh 3986 kWh 1191 kWh £1,058 £119 £1,177 £19,623 16.7 yrs £3,911
6 kW 6213 kWh 4784 kWh 1429 kWh £1,269 £143 £1,412 £21,657 15.3 yrs £6,584
7 kW 7248 kWh 5581 kWh 1667 kWh £1,481 £167 £1,647 £23,692 14.4 yrs £9,256
8 kW 8284 kWh 6378 kWh 1905 kWh £1,692 £191 £1,883 £25,726 13.7 yrs £11,928

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 SS15

Figures below are tailored to SS15 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1474 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #359 of 2997
10.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£988 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #925 of 2997
17.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£988 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1035kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1035 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: 24% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 7,532 properties

Coverage

Basildon (100%)

Areas Covered

Laindon Park, Lee Chapel North, Castledon & Crouch, Burstead, St Martin's, Langdon Hills

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

SS14 (Basildon)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS15
SS16 (Basildon)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS15
CM11 (Basildon)
≈5.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,033 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS15
CM12 (Basildon)
≈5.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,033 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS15
SS13 (Basildon)
≈5.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,043 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SS15
SS17 (Thurrock)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,037 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS15

Similar sunshine across the UK

LN13 (East Lindsey)
~1,035 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS15
SO43 (New Forest)
~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS15
CF62 (Vale of Glamorgan)
~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS15