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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WN2 (Wigan)

See if solar pays off for you in Wigan — 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
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£596
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,770
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 North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 885 kWh/kW — 15 above the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 885 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
885 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: £745, 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 1770 kWh 708 kWh 1062 kWh £192 £106 £298 £4,069 13.6 yrs £1,894
3 kW 2655 kWh 1062 kWh 1593 kWh £288 £159 £447 £6,104 13.6 yrs £2,841
4 kW 3540 kWh 1416 kWh 2124 kWh £384 £212 £596 £8,138 13.6 yrs £3,788
5 kW 4425 kWh 1770 kWh 2655 kWh £480 £266 £745 £10,173 13.6 yrs £4,735
6 kW 5310 kWh 2124 kWh 3186 kWh £576 £319 £894 £12,207 13.6 yrs £5,682
7 kW 6195 kWh 2478 kWh 3717 kWh £672 £372 £1,044 £14,242 13.6 yrs £6,629
8 kW 7080 kWh 2832 kWh 4248 kWh £768 £425 £1,193 £16,276 13.6 yrs £7,576

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: £897, 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 1770 kWh 1062 kWh 708 kWh £288 £71 £359 £6,169 17.2 yrs £1,006
3 kW 2655 kWh 1593 kWh 1062 kWh £432 £106 £538 £8,204 15.2 yrs £2,558
4 kW 3540 kWh 2124 kWh 1416 kWh £576 £142 £717 £10,238 14.3 yrs £4,111
5 kW 4425 kWh 2655 kWh 1770 kWh £720 £177 £897 £12,273 13.7 yrs £5,664
6 kW 5310 kWh 3186 kWh 2124 kWh £864 £212 £1,076 £14,307 13.3 yrs £7,217
7 kW 6195 kWh 3717 kWh 2478 kWh £1,008 £248 £1,256 £16,342 13.0 yrs £8,769
8 kW 7080 kWh 4248 kWh 2832 kWh £1,152 £283 £1,435 £18,376 12.8 yrs £10,322

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: £973, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1770 kWh 1239 kWh 531 kWh £336 £53 £389 £7,569 19.5 yrs £211
3 kW 2655 kWh 1859 kWh 797 kWh £504 £80 £584 £9,604 16.5 yrs £2,067
4 kW 3540 kWh 2478 kWh 1062 kWh £672 £106 £778 £11,638 15.0 yrs £3,923
5 kW 4425 kWh 3098 kWh 1328 kWh £840 £133 £973 £13,673 14.1 yrs £5,778
6 kW 5310 kWh 3717 kWh 1593 kWh £1,008 £159 £1,167 £15,707 13.5 yrs £7,634
7 kW 6195 kWh 4337 kWh 1859 kWh £1,176 £186 £1,362 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,489
8 kW 7080 kWh 4956 kWh 2124 kWh £1,344 £212 £1,556 £19,776 12.7 yrs £11,345

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: £995, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1770 kWh 1292 kWh 478 kWh £350 £48 £398 £9,319 23.4 yrs £-1,357
3 kW 2655 kWh 1938 kWh 717 kWh £525 £72 £597 £11,354 19.0 yrs £589
4 kW 3540 kWh 2584 kWh 956 kWh £701 £96 £796 £13,388 16.8 yrs £2,536
5 kW 4425 kWh 3230 kWh 1195 kWh £876 £119 £995 £15,423 15.5 yrs £4,482
6 kW 5310 kWh 3877 kWh 1434 kWh £1,051 £143 £1,194 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,429
7 kW 6195 kWh 4523 kWh 1673 kWh £1,226 £167 £1,393 £19,492 14.0 yrs £8,375
8 kW 7080 kWh 5169 kWh 1912 kWh £1,401 £191 £1,592 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,322

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: £1,010, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1770 kWh 1328 kWh 443 kWh £360 £44 £404 £11,069 27.4 yrs £-2,986
3 kW 2655 kWh 1991 kWh 664 kWh £540 £66 £606 £13,104 21.6 yrs £-979
4 kW 3540 kWh 2655 kWh 885 kWh £720 £89 £808 £15,138 18.7 yrs £1,028
5 kW 4425 kWh 3319 kWh 1106 kWh £900 £111 £1,010 £17,173 17.0 yrs £3,035
6 kW 5310 kWh 3983 kWh 1328 kWh £1,080 £133 £1,212 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,042
7 kW 6195 kWh 4647 kWh 1549 kWh £1,260 £155 £1,415 £21,242 15.0 yrs £7,049
8 kW 7080 kWh 5310 kWh 1770 kWh £1,440 £177 £1,617 £23,276 14.4 yrs £9,057

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: £1,026, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1770 kWh 1363 kWh 407 kWh £370 £41 £410 £13,519 33.0 yrs £-5,315
3 kW 2655 kWh 2044 kWh 611 kWh £554 £61 £615 £15,554 25.3 yrs £-3,247
4 kW 3540 kWh 2726 kWh 814 kWh £739 £81 £820 £17,588 21.4 yrs £-1,179
5 kW 4425 kWh 3407 kWh 1018 kWh £924 £102 £1,026 £19,623 19.1 yrs £888
6 kW 5310 kWh 4089 kWh 1221 kWh £1,109 £122 £1,231 £21,657 17.6 yrs £2,956
7 kW 6195 kWh 4770 kWh 1425 kWh £1,293 £142 £1,436 £23,692 16.5 yrs £5,024
8 kW 7080 kWh 5452 kWh 1628 kWh £1,478 £163 £1,641 £25,726 15.7 yrs £7,091

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 WN2

Figures below are tailored to WN2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1520 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2170 of 2997
11.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£687 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2427 of 2997
27.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£687 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
885kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~885 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 76% • Flats: 12% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 12,345 properties

Coverage

Wigan (100%)

Areas Covered

Hindley, Abram, Aspull, New Springs & Whelley, Hindley Green, Ince, Wigan Central, Leigh West + 2 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 North West

WN1 (Wigan)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~901 kWh/kWp · +2% vs WN2
WN3 (Wigan)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~901 kWh/kWp · +2% vs WN2
BL5 (Bolton)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~876 kWh/kWp · -1% vs WN2
WN4 (Wigan)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~900 kWh/kWp · +2% vs WN2
WN7 (Wigan)
≈6.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~900 kWh/kWp · +2% vs WN2
M46 (Wigan)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~885 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WN2

Similar sunshine across the UK

KA7 (South Ayrshire)
~885 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WN2
BT1 (Belfast)
~885 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WN2
BT99 (Belfast)
~885 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WN2