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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in YO24 (York)

See if solar pays off for you in York — 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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£761
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,855
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 941 kWh/kW — 16 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 941 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)
941 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: £761, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1883 kWh 753 kWh 1130 kWh £191 £113 £304 £4,069 13.4 yrs £2,020
3 kW 2824 kWh 1130 kWh 1694 kWh £287 £169 £457 £6,104 13.4 yrs £3,030
4 kW 3765 kWh 1506 kWh 2259 kWh £383 £226 £609 £8,138 13.4 yrs £4,040
5 kW 4706 kWh 1883 kWh 2824 kWh £479 £282 £761 £10,173 13.4 yrs £5,050
6 kW 5648 kWh 2259 kWh 3389 kWh £574 £339 £913 £12,207 13.4 yrs £6,060
7 kW 6589 kWh 2636 kWh 3953 kWh £670 £395 £1,066 £14,242 13.4 yrs £7,070
8 kW 7530 kWh 3012 kWh 4518 kWh £766 £452 £1,218 £16,276 13.4 yrs £8,079

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: £906, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1883 kWh 1130 kWh 753 kWh £287 £75 £363 £6,169 17.0 yrs £1,082
3 kW 2824 kWh 1694 kWh 1130 kWh £431 £113 £544 £8,204 15.1 yrs £2,673
4 kW 3765 kWh 2259 kWh 1506 kWh £574 £151 £725 £10,238 14.1 yrs £4,264
5 kW 4706 kWh 2824 kWh 1883 kWh £718 £188 £906 £12,273 13.5 yrs £5,854
6 kW 5648 kWh 3389 kWh 2259 kWh £862 £226 £1,088 £14,307 13.2 yrs £7,445
7 kW 6589 kWh 3953 kWh 2636 kWh £1,005 £264 £1,269 £16,342 12.9 yrs £9,036
8 kW 7530 kWh 4518 kWh 3012 kWh £1,149 £301 £1,450 £18,376 12.7 yrs £10,627

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: £979, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1883 kWh 1318 kWh 565 kWh £335 £56 £392 £7,569 19.3 yrs £263
3 kW 2824 kWh 1977 kWh 847 kWh £503 £85 £587 £9,604 16.3 yrs £2,144
4 kW 3765 kWh 2636 kWh 1130 kWh £670 £113 £783 £11,638 14.9 yrs £4,025
5 kW 4706 kWh 3294 kWh 1412 kWh £838 £141 £979 £13,673 14.0 yrs £5,907
6 kW 5648 kWh 3953 kWh 1694 kWh £1,005 £169 £1,175 £15,707 13.4 yrs £7,788
7 kW 6589 kWh 4612 kWh 1977 kWh £1,173 £198 £1,371 £17,742 12.9 yrs £9,670
8 kW 7530 kWh 5271 kWh 2259 kWh £1,340 £226 £1,566 £19,776 12.6 yrs £11,551

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: £1,001, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1883 kWh 1374 kWh 508 kWh £349 £51 £400 £9,319 23.3 yrs £-1,313
3 kW 2824 kWh 2061 kWh 762 kWh £524 £76 £600 £11,354 18.9 yrs £656
4 kW 3765 kWh 2749 kWh 1017 kWh £699 £102 £801 £13,388 16.7 yrs £2,624
5 kW 4706 kWh 3436 kWh 1271 kWh £874 £127 £1,001 £15,423 15.4 yrs £4,593
6 kW 5648 kWh 4123 kWh 1525 kWh £1,048 £152 £1,201 £17,457 14.5 yrs £6,561
7 kW 6589 kWh 4810 kWh 1779 kWh £1,223 £178 £1,401 £19,492 13.9 yrs £8,530
8 kW 7530 kWh 5497 kWh 2033 kWh £1,398 £203 £1,601 £21,526 13.4 yrs £10,498

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: £1,015, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1883 kWh 1412 kWh 471 kWh £359 £47 £406 £11,069 27.3 yrs £-2,947
3 kW 2824 kWh 2118 kWh 706 kWh £539 £71 £609 £13,104 21.5 yrs £-920
4 kW 3765 kWh 2824 kWh 941 kWh £718 £94 £812 £15,138 18.6 yrs £1,106
5 kW 4706 kWh 3530 kWh 1177 kWh £898 £118 £1,015 £17,173 16.9 yrs £3,133
6 kW 5648 kWh 4236 kWh 1412 kWh £1,077 £141 £1,218 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,160
7 kW 6589 kWh 4942 kWh 1647 kWh £1,257 £165 £1,421 £21,242 14.9 yrs £7,186
8 kW 7530 kWh 5648 kWh 1883 kWh £1,436 £188 £1,624 £23,276 14.3 yrs £9,213

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: £1,030, 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 1883 kWh 1450 kWh 433 kWh £369 £43 £412 £13,519 32.8 yrs £-5,281
3 kW 2824 kWh 2174 kWh 649 kWh £553 £65 £618 £15,554 25.2 yrs £-3,196
4 kW 3765 kWh 2899 kWh 866 kWh £737 £87 £824 £17,588 21.3 yrs £-1,111
5 kW 4706 kWh 3624 kWh 1082 kWh £922 £108 £1,030 £19,623 19.1 yrs £973
6 kW 5648 kWh 4349 kWh 1299 kWh £1,106 £130 £1,236 £21,657 17.5 yrs £3,058
7 kW 6589 kWh 5073 kWh 1515 kWh £1,290 £152 £1,442 £23,692 16.4 yrs £5,143
8 kW 7530 kWh 5798 kWh 1732 kWh £1,474 £173 £1,648 £25,726 15.6 yrs £7,228

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 YO24

Figures below are tailored to YO24 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1732 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2067 of 2997
11.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£870 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2241 of 2997
25.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£870 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.43p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.86p/day
Local Sunshine
941kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~941 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: 25% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 7,040 properties

Coverage

York (100%)

Areas Covered

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, Westfield, Micklegate, Holgate, Acomb, Rural West York

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

YO2 (York)
≈0.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · -0% vs YO24
YO90 (York)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs YO24
YO26 (York)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs YO24
YO23 (York)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · -0% vs YO24
YO1 (York)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs YO24
YO10 (York)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · -0% vs YO24

Similar sunshine across the UK

WF6 (Wakefield)
~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs YO24
TF4 (Telford and Wrekin)
~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs YO24
ST14 (East Staffordshire)
~941 kWh/kWp · -0% vs YO24