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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in TS26 (Hartlepool)

See if solar pays off for you in Hartlepool — 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
13.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£751
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,595
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 Northern, the current unit rate is 25.43p/kWh with a 59.86p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 928 kWh/kW — 3 above the regional median (926).

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 928 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.4p/kWh
Standing charge
59.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
928 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: £751, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1857 kWh 743 kWh 1114 kWh £189 £111 £300 £4,069 13.6 yrs £1,937
3 kW 2785 kWh 1114 kWh 1671 kWh £283 £167 £450 £6,104 13.6 yrs £2,905
4 kW 3714 kWh 1485 kWh 2228 kWh £378 £223 £601 £8,138 13.6 yrs £3,873
5 kW 4642 kWh 1857 kWh 2785 kWh £472 £279 £751 £10,173 13.6 yrs £4,841
6 kW 5570 kWh 2228 kWh 3342 kWh £567 £334 £901 £12,207 13.6 yrs £5,810
7 kW 6499 kWh 2599 kWh 3899 kWh £661 £390 £1,051 £14,242 13.6 yrs £6,778
8 kW 7427 kWh 2971 kWh 4456 kWh £755 £446 £1,201 £16,276 13.6 yrs £7,746

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: £894, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1857 kWh 1114 kWh 743 kWh £283 £74 £358 £6,169 17.3 yrs £983
3 kW 2785 kWh 1671 kWh 1114 kWh £425 £111 £536 £8,204 15.3 yrs £2,524
4 kW 3714 kWh 2228 kWh 1485 kWh £567 £149 £715 £10,238 14.3 yrs £4,065
5 kW 4642 kWh 2785 kWh 1857 kWh £708 £186 £894 £12,273 13.7 yrs £5,606
6 kW 5570 kWh 3342 kWh 2228 kWh £850 £223 £1,073 £14,307 13.3 yrs £7,148
7 kW 6499 kWh 3899 kWh 2599 kWh £992 £260 £1,252 £16,342 13.1 yrs £8,689
8 kW 7427 kWh 4456 kWh 2971 kWh £1,133 £297 £1,430 £18,376 12.8 yrs £10,230

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: £966, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1857 kWh 1300 kWh 557 kWh £331 £56 £386 £7,569 19.6 yrs £156
3 kW 2785 kWh 1950 kWh 836 kWh £496 £84 £579 £9,604 16.6 yrs £1,983
4 kW 3714 kWh 2599 kWh 1114 kWh £661 £111 £772 £11,638 15.1 yrs £3,811
5 kW 4642 kWh 3249 kWh 1393 kWh £826 £139 £966 £13,673 14.2 yrs £5,639
6 kW 5570 kWh 3899 kWh 1671 kWh £992 £167 £1,159 £15,707 13.6 yrs £7,467
7 kW 6499 kWh 4549 kWh 1950 kWh £1,157 £195 £1,352 £17,742 13.1 yrs £9,294
8 kW 7427 kWh 5199 kWh 2228 kWh £1,322 £223 £1,545 £19,776 12.8 yrs £11,122

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: £987, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1857 kWh 1355 kWh 501 kWh £345 £50 £395 £9,319 23.6 yrs £-1,423
3 kW 2785 kWh 2033 kWh 752 kWh £517 £75 £592 £11,354 19.2 yrs £491
4 kW 3714 kWh 2711 kWh 1003 kWh £689 £100 £790 £13,388 17.0 yrs £2,405
5 kW 4642 kWh 3389 kWh 1253 kWh £862 £125 £987 £15,423 15.6 yrs £4,319
6 kW 5570 kWh 4066 kWh 1504 kWh £1,034 £150 £1,184 £17,457 14.7 yrs £6,232
7 kW 6499 kWh 4744 kWh 1755 kWh £1,206 £175 £1,382 £19,492 14.1 yrs £8,146
8 kW 7427 kWh 5422 kWh 2005 kWh £1,379 £201 £1,579 £21,526 13.6 yrs £10,060

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: £1,001, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1857 kWh 1393 kWh 464 kWh £354 £46 £401 £11,069 27.6 yrs £-3,058
3 kW 2785 kWh 2089 kWh 696 kWh £531 £70 £601 £13,104 21.8 yrs £-1,087
4 kW 3714 kWh 2785 kWh 928 kWh £708 £93 £801 £15,138 18.9 yrs £884
5 kW 4642 kWh 3481 kWh 1160 kWh £885 £116 £1,001 £17,173 17.1 yrs £2,855
6 kW 5570 kWh 4178 kWh 1393 kWh £1,062 £139 £1,202 £19,207 16.0 yrs £4,826
7 kW 6499 kWh 4874 kWh 1625 kWh £1,239 £162 £1,402 £21,242 15.2 yrs £6,797
8 kW 7427 kWh 5570 kWh 1857 kWh £1,417 £186 £1,602 £23,276 14.5 yrs £8,768

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: £1,016, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1857 kWh 1430 kWh 427 kWh £364 £43 £406 £13,519 33.3 yrs £-5,393
3 kW 2785 kWh 2145 kWh 641 kWh £545 £64 £609 £15,554 25.5 yrs £-3,365
4 kW 3714 kWh 2859 kWh 854 kWh £727 £85 £813 £17,588 21.6 yrs £-1,337
5 kW 4642 kWh 3574 kWh 1068 kWh £909 £107 £1,016 £19,623 19.3 yrs £692
6 kW 5570 kWh 4289 kWh 1281 kWh £1,091 £128 £1,219 £21,657 17.8 yrs £2,720
7 kW 6499 kWh 5004 kWh 1495 kWh £1,273 £149 £1,422 £23,692 16.7 yrs £4,748
8 kW 7427 kWh 5719 kWh 1708 kWh £1,454 £171 £1,625 £25,726 15.8 yrs £6,777

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 TS26

Figures below are tailored to TS26 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #812 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2275 of 2997
11.9 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£858 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2308 of 2997
25.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£858 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.43p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.86p/day
Local Sunshine
928kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~928 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: 77% • Flats: 17% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 8,075 properties

Coverage

Hartlepool (100%)

Areas Covered

Victoria, Burn Valley, Rural West, Throston, Hart

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 Northern

TS24 (Hartlepool)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~904 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TS26
TS25 (Hartlepool)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~905 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TS26
TS27 (County Durham)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~930 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TS26
TS22 (Stockton-on-Tees)
≈9.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TS26
TS23 (Stockton-on-Tees)
≈9.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~926 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TS26
SR88 (County Durham)
≈10.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TS26

Similar sunshine across the UK

S60 (Rotherham)
~928 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TS26
LS26 (Leeds)
~928 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TS26
NG15 (Ashfield)
~928 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TS26