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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in TN23 (Ashford)

See if solar pays off for you in Ashford — 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
11.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£912
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,632
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1088 kWh/kW — 59 above the regional median (1029).

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 1088 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1088 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: £912, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2176 kWh 870 kWh 1306 kWh £234 £131 £365 £4,069 11.2 yrs £3,228
3 kW 3264 kWh 1306 kWh 1958 kWh £351 £196 £547 £6,104 11.2 yrs £4,843
4 kW 4352 kWh 1741 kWh 2611 kWh £469 £261 £730 £8,138 11.2 yrs £6,457
5 kW 5440 kWh 2176 kWh 3264 kWh £586 £326 £912 £10,173 11.2 yrs £8,071
6 kW 6528 kWh 2611 kWh 3917 kWh £703 £392 £1,095 £12,207 11.2 yrs £9,685
7 kW 7616 kWh 3046 kWh 4570 kWh £820 £457 £1,277 £14,242 11.2 yrs £11,299
8 kW 8704 kWh 3482 kWh 5222 kWh £937 £522 £1,459 £16,276 11.2 yrs £12,913

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: £1,096, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2176 kWh 1306 kWh 870 kWh £351 £87 £439 £6,169 14.1 yrs £2,601
3 kW 3264 kWh 1958 kWh 1306 kWh £527 £131 £658 £8,204 12.5 yrs £4,952
4 kW 4352 kWh 2611 kWh 1741 kWh £703 £174 £877 £10,238 11.7 yrs £7,302
5 kW 5440 kWh 3264 kWh 2176 kWh £879 £218 £1,096 £12,273 11.2 yrs £9,653
6 kW 6528 kWh 3917 kWh 2611 kWh £1,054 £261 £1,316 £14,307 10.9 yrs £12,003
7 kW 7616 kWh 4570 kWh 3046 kWh £1,230 £305 £1,535 £16,342 10.6 yrs £14,354
8 kW 8704 kWh 5222 kWh 3482 kWh £1,406 £348 £1,754 £18,376 10.5 yrs £16,704

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: £1,188, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2176 kWh 1523 kWh 653 kWh £410 £65 £475 £7,569 15.9 yrs £1,937
3 kW 3264 kWh 2285 kWh 979 kWh £615 £98 £713 £9,604 13.5 yrs £4,656
4 kW 4352 kWh 3046 kWh 1306 kWh £820 £131 £951 £11,638 12.2 yrs £7,375
5 kW 5440 kWh 3808 kWh 1632 kWh £1,025 £163 £1,188 £13,673 11.5 yrs £10,094
6 kW 6528 kWh 4570 kWh 1958 kWh £1,230 £196 £1,426 £15,707 11.0 yrs £12,812
7 kW 7616 kWh 5331 kWh 2285 kWh £1,435 £228 £1,664 £17,742 10.7 yrs £15,531
8 kW 8704 kWh 6093 kWh 2611 kWh £1,640 £261 £1,901 £19,776 10.4 yrs £18,250

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: £1,216, Upfront: £15,423, 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 2176 kWh 1588 kWh 588 kWh £428 £59 £486 £9,319 19.2 yrs £408
3 kW 3264 kWh 2383 kWh 881 kWh £641 £88 £730 £11,354 15.6 yrs £3,237
4 kW 4352 kWh 3177 kWh 1175 kWh £855 £118 £973 £13,388 13.8 yrs £6,067
5 kW 5440 kWh 3971 kWh 1469 kWh £1,069 £147 £1,216 £15,423 12.7 yrs £8,896
6 kW 6528 kWh 4765 kWh 1763 kWh £1,283 £176 £1,459 £17,457 12.0 yrs £11,725
7 kW 7616 kWh 5560 kWh 2056 kWh £1,497 £206 £1,702 £19,492 11.5 yrs £14,554
8 kW 8704 kWh 6354 kWh 2350 kWh £1,710 £235 £1,945 £21,526 11.1 yrs £17,383

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: £1,234, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2176 kWh 1632 kWh 544 kWh £439 £54 £494 £11,069 22.4 yrs £-1,194
3 kW 3264 kWh 2448 kWh 816 kWh £659 £82 £741 £13,104 17.7 yrs £1,708
4 kW 4352 kWh 3264 kWh 1088 kWh £879 £109 £987 £15,138 15.3 yrs £4,611
5 kW 5440 kWh 4080 kWh 1360 kWh £1,098 £136 £1,234 £17,173 13.9 yrs £7,514
6 kW 6528 kWh 4896 kWh 1632 kWh £1,318 £163 £1,481 £19,207 13.0 yrs £10,417
7 kW 7616 kWh 5712 kWh 1904 kWh £1,538 £190 £1,728 £21,242 12.3 yrs £13,320
8 kW 8704 kWh 6528 kWh 2176 kWh £1,757 £218 £1,975 £23,276 11.8 yrs £16,222

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: £1,253, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2176 kWh 1676 kWh 500 kWh £451 £50 £501 £13,519 27.0 yrs £-3,497
3 kW 3264 kWh 2513 kWh 751 kWh £677 £75 £752 £15,554 20.7 yrs £-521
4 kW 4352 kWh 3351 kWh 1001 kWh £902 £100 £1,002 £17,588 17.5 yrs £2,456
5 kW 5440 kWh 4189 kWh 1251 kWh £1,128 £125 £1,253 £19,623 15.7 yrs £5,432
6 kW 6528 kWh 5027 kWh 1501 kWh £1,353 £150 £1,503 £21,657 14.4 yrs £8,409
7 kW 7616 kWh 5864 kWh 1752 kWh £1,579 £175 £1,754 £23,692 13.5 yrs £11,385
8 kW 8704 kWh 6702 kWh 2002 kWh £1,804 £200 £2,004 £25,726 12.8 yrs £14,361

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 TN23

Figures below are tailored to TN23 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1670 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #105 of 2997
9.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,050 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #637 of 2997
16.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,050 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1088kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1088 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: 27% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 12,626 properties

Coverage

Ashford (100%)

Areas Covered

Victoria, Beaver, Norman, Singleton East, Stanhope, Weald Central, Washford, Repton + 4 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 South East

TN24 (Ashford)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,093 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN23
TN25 (Ashford)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TN23
TN26 (Ashford)
≈5.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,088 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN23
TN27 (Ashford)
≈12.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -4% vs TN23
TN30 (Ashford)
≈14.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN23
TN29 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈16.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,123 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TN23

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO33 (Isle of Wight)
~1,088 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN23
CO14 (Tendring)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN23
PO34 (Isle of Wight)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN23