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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WR1 (Worcester)

See if solar pays off for you in Worcester — 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
12.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£473
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,730
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.64p/kWh with a 53.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 971 kWh/kW — 29 above the regional median (942).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 971 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.6p/kWh
Standing charge
53.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
971 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: £789, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1941 kWh 776 kWh 1165 kWh £199 £116 £316 £4,069 12.9 yrs £2,242
3 kW 2912 kWh 1165 kWh 1747 kWh £299 £175 £473 £6,104 12.9 yrs £3,363
4 kW 3882 kWh 1553 kWh 2329 kWh £398 £233 £631 £8,138 12.9 yrs £4,484
5 kW 4853 kWh 1941 kWh 2912 kWh £498 £291 £789 £10,173 12.9 yrs £5,605
6 kW 5823 kWh 2329 kWh 3494 kWh £597 £349 £947 £12,207 12.9 yrs £6,726
7 kW 6794 kWh 2718 kWh 4076 kWh £697 £408 £1,104 £14,242 12.9 yrs £7,847
8 kW 7765 kWh 3106 kWh 4659 kWh £796 £466 £1,262 £16,276 12.9 yrs £8,968

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: £941, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1941 kWh 1165 kWh 776 kWh £299 £78 £376 £6,169 16.4 yrs £1,356
3 kW 2912 kWh 1747 kWh 1165 kWh £448 £116 £564 £8,204 14.5 yrs £3,085
4 kW 3882 kWh 2329 kWh 1553 kWh £597 £155 £753 £10,238 13.6 yrs £4,813
5 kW 4853 kWh 2912 kWh 1941 kWh £747 £194 £941 £12,273 13.0 yrs £6,541
6 kW 5823 kWh 3494 kWh 2329 kWh £896 £233 £1,129 £14,307 12.7 yrs £8,269
7 kW 6794 kWh 4076 kWh 2718 kWh £1,045 £272 £1,317 £16,342 12.4 yrs £9,998
8 kW 7765 kWh 4659 kWh 3106 kWh £1,195 £311 £1,505 £18,376 12.2 yrs £11,726

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: £1,017, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1941 kWh 1359 kWh 582 kWh £348 £58 £407 £7,569 18.6 yrs £564
3 kW 2912 kWh 2038 kWh 874 kWh £523 £87 £610 £9,604 15.7 yrs £2,595
4 kW 3882 kWh 2718 kWh 1165 kWh £697 £116 £813 £11,638 14.3 yrs £4,627
5 kW 4853 kWh 3397 kWh 1456 kWh £871 £146 £1,017 £13,673 13.4 yrs £6,659
6 kW 5823 kWh 4076 kWh 1747 kWh £1,045 £175 £1,220 £15,707 12.9 yrs £8,691
7 kW 6794 kWh 4756 kWh 2038 kWh £1,219 £204 £1,423 £17,742 12.5 yrs £10,723
8 kW 7765 kWh 5435 kWh 2329 kWh £1,394 £233 £1,627 £19,776 12.2 yrs £12,755

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: £1,039, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1941 kWh 1417 kWh 524 kWh £363 £52 £416 £9,319 22.4 yrs £-1,004
3 kW 2912 kWh 2126 kWh 786 kWh £545 £79 £624 £11,354 18.2 yrs £1,119
4 kW 3882 kWh 2834 kWh 1048 kWh £727 £105 £831 £13,388 16.1 yrs £3,242
5 kW 4853 kWh 3543 kWh 1310 kWh £908 £131 £1,039 £15,423 14.8 yrs £5,365
6 kW 5823 kWh 4251 kWh 1572 kWh £1,090 £157 £1,247 £17,457 14.0 yrs £7,487
7 kW 6794 kWh 4960 kWh 1834 kWh £1,272 £183 £1,455 £19,492 13.4 yrs £9,610
8 kW 7765 kWh 5668 kWh 2096 kWh £1,453 £210 £1,663 £21,526 12.9 yrs £11,733

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: £1,055, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1941 kWh 1456 kWh 485 kWh £373 £49 £422 £11,069 26.2 yrs £-2,633
3 kW 2912 kWh 2184 kWh 728 kWh £560 £73 £633 £13,104 20.7 yrs £-449
4 kW 3882 kWh 2912 kWh 971 kWh £747 £97 £844 £15,138 17.9 yrs £1,735
5 kW 4853 kWh 3640 kWh 1213 kWh £933 £121 £1,055 £17,173 16.3 yrs £3,918
6 kW 5823 kWh 4368 kWh 1456 kWh £1,120 £146 £1,265 £19,207 15.2 yrs £6,102
7 kW 6794 kWh 5096 kWh 1699 kWh £1,306 £170 £1,476 £21,242 14.4 yrs £8,285
8 kW 7765 kWh 5823 kWh 1941 kWh £1,493 £194 £1,687 £23,276 13.8 yrs £10,469

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: £1,070, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1941 kWh 1495 kWh 446 kWh £383 £45 £428 £13,519 31.6 yrs £-4,961
3 kW 2912 kWh 2242 kWh 670 kWh £575 £67 £642 £15,554 24.2 yrs £-2,717
4 kW 3882 kWh 2989 kWh 893 kWh £766 £89 £856 £17,588 20.6 yrs £-473
5 kW 4853 kWh 3737 kWh 1116 kWh £958 £112 £1,070 £19,623 18.3 yrs £1,772
6 kW 5823 kWh 4484 kWh 1339 kWh £1,150 £134 £1,284 £21,657 16.9 yrs £4,016
7 kW 6794 kWh 5231 kWh 1563 kWh £1,341 £156 £1,498 £23,692 15.8 yrs £6,260
8 kW 7765 kWh 5979 kWh 1786 kWh £1,533 £179 £1,712 £25,726 15.0 yrs £8,505

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 WR1

Figures below are tailored to WR1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2174 of 2182
3.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~7 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1632 of 2997
11.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£903 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1685 of 2997
21.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£903 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
971kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~971 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 30% • Flats: 66% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 4,878 properties

Coverage

Worcester (100%)

Areas Covered

Cathedral, Arboretum, Fort Royal, St Nicholas, St Stephen, St John's

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 Midlands

WR78 (Worcester)
≈0.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~971 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WR1
WR99 (Worcester)
≈0.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~972 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WR1
WR2 (Worcester)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~970 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WR1
WR5 (Worcester)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~968 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WR1
WR3 (Worcester)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~966 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WR1
WR4 (Worcester)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~967 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WR1

Similar sunshine across the UK

HP17 (Buckinghamshire)
~971 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WR1
HP27 (Buckinghamshire)
~971 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WR1
CR8 (Croydon)
~971 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WR1