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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in TN31 (Rother)

See if solar pays off for you in Rother — 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
11.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£926
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,966
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 1104 kWh/kW — 75 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 1104 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)
1104 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: £926, Upfront: £10,173, 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 2208 kWh 883 kWh 1325 kWh £238 £132 £370 £4,069 11.0 yrs £3,335
3 kW 3312 kWh 1325 kWh 1987 kWh £357 £199 £555 £6,104 11.0 yrs £5,003
4 kW 4416 kWh 1766 kWh 2649 kWh £475 £265 £740 £8,138 11.0 yrs £6,671
5 kW 5520 kWh 2208 kWh 3312 kWh £594 £331 £926 £10,173 11.0 yrs £8,338
6 kW 6624 kWh 2649 kWh 3974 kWh £713 £397 £1,111 £12,207 11.0 yrs £10,006
7 kW 7728 kWh 3091 kWh 4637 kWh £832 £464 £1,296 £14,242 11.0 yrs £11,673
8 kW 8831 kWh 3533 kWh 5299 kWh £951 £530 £1,481 £16,276 11.0 yrs £13,341

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: £1,112, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2208 kWh 1325 kWh 883 kWh £357 £88 £445 £6,169 13.9 yrs £2,730
3 kW 3312 kWh 1987 kWh 1325 kWh £535 £132 £667 £8,204 12.3 yrs £5,144
4 kW 4416 kWh 2649 kWh 1766 kWh £713 £177 £890 £10,238 11.5 yrs £7,559
5 kW 5520 kWh 3312 kWh 2208 kWh £892 £221 £1,112 £12,273 11.0 yrs £9,974
6 kW 6624 kWh 3974 kWh 2649 kWh £1,070 £265 £1,335 £14,307 10.7 yrs £12,389
7 kW 7728 kWh 4637 kWh 3091 kWh £1,248 £309 £1,557 £16,342 10.5 yrs £14,803
8 kW 8831 kWh 5299 kWh 3533 kWh £1,426 £353 £1,780 £18,376 10.3 yrs £17,218

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: £1,206, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2208 kWh 1546 kWh 662 kWh £416 £66 £482 £7,569 15.7 yrs £2,077
3 kW 3312 kWh 2318 kWh 994 kWh £624 £99 £723 £9,604 13.3 yrs £4,865
4 kW 4416 kWh 3091 kWh 1325 kWh £832 £132 £965 £11,638 12.1 yrs £7,653
5 kW 5520 kWh 3864 kWh 1656 kWh £1,040 £166 £1,206 £13,673 11.3 yrs £10,442
6 kW 6624 kWh 4637 kWh 1987 kWh £1,248 £199 £1,447 £15,707 10.9 yrs £13,230
7 kW 7728 kWh 5409 kWh 2318 kWh £1,456 £232 £1,688 £17,742 10.5 yrs £16,018
8 kW 8831 kWh 6182 kWh 2649 kWh £1,664 £265 £1,929 £19,776 10.3 yrs £18,807

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: £1,234, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2208 kWh 1612 kWh 596 kWh £434 £60 £493 £9,319 18.9 yrs £551
3 kW 3312 kWh 2418 kWh 894 kWh £651 £89 £740 £11,354 15.3 yrs £3,451
4 kW 4416 kWh 3223 kWh 1192 kWh £868 £119 £987 £13,388 13.6 yrs £6,352
5 kW 5520 kWh 4029 kWh 1490 kWh £1,085 £149 £1,234 £15,423 12.5 yrs £9,252
6 kW 6624 kWh 4835 kWh 1788 kWh £1,302 £179 £1,480 £17,457 11.8 yrs £12,152
7 kW 7728 kWh 5641 kWh 2086 kWh £1,519 £209 £1,727 £19,492 11.3 yrs £15,053
8 kW 8831 kWh 6447 kWh 2384 kWh £1,736 £238 £1,974 £21,526 10.9 yrs £17,953

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: £1,252, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2208 kWh 1656 kWh 552 kWh £446 £55 £501 £11,069 22.1 yrs £-1,050
3 kW 3312 kWh 2484 kWh 828 kWh £669 £83 £751 £13,104 17.4 yrs £1,925
4 kW 4416 kWh 3312 kWh 1104 kWh £892 £110 £1,002 £15,138 15.1 yrs £4,900
5 kW 5520 kWh 4140 kWh 1380 kWh £1,114 £138 £1,252 £17,173 13.7 yrs £7,876
6 kW 6624 kWh 4968 kWh 1656 kWh £1,337 £166 £1,503 £19,207 12.8 yrs £10,851
7 kW 7728 kWh 5796 kWh 1932 kWh £1,560 £193 £1,753 £21,242 12.1 yrs £13,826
8 kW 8831 kWh 6624 kWh 2208 kWh £1,783 £221 £2,004 £23,276 11.6 yrs £16,801

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: £1,271, Upfront: £19,623, 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 2208 kWh 1700 kWh 508 kWh £458 £51 £508 £13,519 26.6 yrs £-3,350
3 kW 3312 kWh 2550 kWh 762 kWh £686 £76 £763 £15,554 20.4 yrs £-300
4 kW 4416 kWh 3400 kWh 1016 kWh £915 £102 £1,017 £17,588 17.3 yrs £2,749
5 kW 5520 kWh 4250 kWh 1270 kWh £1,144 £127 £1,271 £19,623 15.4 yrs £5,799
6 kW 6624 kWh 5100 kWh 1523 kWh £1,373 £152 £1,525 £21,657 14.2 yrs £8,849
7 kW 7728 kWh 5950 kWh 1777 kWh £1,602 £178 £1,780 £23,692 13.3 yrs £11,899
8 kW 8831 kWh 6800 kWh 2031 kWh £1,831 £203 £2,034 £25,726 12.6 yrs £14,949

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 TN31

Figures below are tailored to TN31 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #661 of 2182
5.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #52 of 2997
9.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,066 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #592 of 2997
16.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,066 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1104kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1104 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: 66% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 19% Based on 4,942 properties

Coverage

Rother (99%)|Folkestone and Hythe (1%)

Areas Covered

Rye & Winchelsea, Eastern Rother, Northern Rother, Brede & Udimore, Walland & Denge Marsh

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

TN36 (Rother)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,103 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN31
TN35 (Hastings)
≈12.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,124 kWh/kWp · +2% vs TN31
TN30 (Ashford)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TN31
TN34 (Hastings)
≈15.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,125 kWh/kWp · +2% vs TN31
TN29 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈15.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,123 kWh/kWp · +2% vs TN31
TN37 (Hastings)
≈15.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,125 kWh/kWp · +2% vs TN31

Similar sunshine across the UK

BH20 (Dorset)
~1,103 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN31
BN18 (Arun)
~1,106 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN31
SO41 (New Forest)
~1,106 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN31