Programmatic UK solar hub

Solar panel payback by UK city

Year-1 saving, payback years and 25-year net benefit for a 4 kWp solar system across 53 UK cities. Same install cost (£7,200), same tariff (27p import, 15p SEG), same household use (3,500 kWh) — only the local irradiance varies.

Best 25-yr return

Brighton

£25903 over 25 years

UK average

£22563

Mean 25-year net across all cities

Hardest climate

Inverness

£19187 — still net positive

East Midlands

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Derby	DE1	925	£710	8.7 yrs	£22385
Leicester	LE1	930	£714	8.6 yrs	£22545
Nottingham	NG1	925	£710	8.7 yrs	£22385

East of England

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Cambridge	CB1	995	£764	8.2 yrs	£24624
Ipswich	IP1	995	£764	8.2 yrs	£24624
Luton	LU1	960	£737	8.4 yrs	£23505
Norwich	NR1	985	£756	8.2 yrs	£24304
Peterborough	PE1	970	£745	8.3 yrs	£23825

Greater London

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
London	SW1A	975	£749	8.3 yrs	£23984

North East England

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Middlesbrough	TS1	880	£676	9.0 yrs	£20946
Newcastle	NE1	880	£676	9.0 yrs	£20946
Sunderland	SR1	875	£672	9.1 yrs	£20786

North West England

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Blackpool	FY1	905	£695	8.8 yrs	£21746
Bolton	BL1	885	£680	9.0 yrs	£21106
Carlisle	CA1	860	£660	9.2 yrs	£20306
Chester	CH1	905	£695	8.8 yrs	£21746
Lancaster	LA1	875	£672	9.1 yrs	£20786
Liverpool	L1	900	£691	8.9 yrs	£21586
Manchester	M1	890	£684	9.0 yrs	£21266
Preston	PR1	895	£687	8.9 yrs	£21426
Warrington	WA1	900	£691	8.9 yrs	£21586

Northern Ireland

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Belfast	BT1	880	£676	9.0 yrs	£20946

Scotland

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Aberdeen	AB10	830	£637	9.5 yrs	£19347
Dundee	DD1	855	£657	9.3 yrs	£20146
Edinburgh	EH1	870	£668	9.1 yrs	£20626
Glasgow	G1	850	£653	9.3 yrs	£19986
Inverness	IV1	825	£634	9.5 yrs	£19187
Stirling	FK8	860	£660	9.2 yrs	£20306

South East England

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Brighton	BN1	1035	£795	7.9 yrs	£25903
Milton Keynes	MK9	970	£745	8.3 yrs	£23825
Oxford	OX1	985	£756	8.2 yrs	£24304
Portsmouth	PO1	1025	£787	7.9 yrs	£25584
Reading	RG1	990	£760	8.2 yrs	£24464
Slough	SL1	985	£756	8.2 yrs	£24304
Southampton	SO14	1020	£783	8.0 yrs	£25424

South West England

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Bath	BA1	985	£756	8.2 yrs	£24304
Bournemouth	BH1	1030	£791	7.9 yrs	£25744
Bristol	BS1	990	£760	8.2 yrs	£24464
Exeter	EX1	1000	£768	8.1 yrs	£24784
Gloucester	GL1	975	£749	8.3 yrs	£23984
Plymouth	PL1	1005	£772	8.1 yrs	£24944

Wales

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Cardiff	CF10	970	£745	8.3 yrs	£23825
Swansea	SA1	980	£753	8.3 yrs	£24144
Wrexham	LL11	900	£691	8.9 yrs	£21586

West Midlands

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Birmingham	B1	930	£714	8.6 yrs	£22545
Coventry	CV1	925	£710	8.7 yrs	£22385
Stoke-on-Trent	ST1	910	£699	8.8 yrs	£21905
Wolverhampton	WV1	920	£707	8.7 yrs	£22225

Yorkshire

City	Outcode	kWh/kWp/yr	Year-1 £	Payback	25-yr net
Huddersfield	HD1	890	£684	9.0 yrs	£21266
Hull	HU1	920	£707	8.7 yrs	£22225
Leeds	LS1	900	£691	8.9 yrs	£21586
Sheffield	S1	905	£695	8.8 yrs	£21746
York	YO1	895	£687	8.9 yrs	£21426

Your exact postcode, not just the city

The tables above use one representative outcode per city. Your exact postcode will shift irradiance by 1–3%, and your real payback also depends on roof orientation, panel tilt, shading and install cost. Open our full solar calculator for a postcode-exact answer.