Solar savings & payback in South East England
High irradiance across Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire; among the best UK yields.
Enter your bill for a payback estimate tuned to South East England's sun, with 0% VAT already in the price, your bill savings, and Smart Export Guarantee earnings all counted. For a typical £90/month bill, we estimate around 8.1 years.
- Solar generation
- ~2.9 kWh/kW/day
- Annual yield
- ~1059 kWh/kW/yr
- Typical import rate
- ~27p/kWh
- VAT on install
- 0% (until 2027)
Your export earnings depend on the SEG tariff you pick, not your region. Compare SEG rates
Where your money goes
Your 25-year money curve
What the planet gets
There's no net metering in the UK. You save the retail rate on power you use as it's generated, and earn the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) rate on what you export.
Enter a valid monthly bill and tariff greater than zero to see your results.
How South East England compares to the UK average
UK electricity prices are broadly uniform under the price cap, so sun is the regional variable that moves your payback.
Solar generation
~2.9 kWh/kW/day
UK average: ~2.6 kWh/kW/day
Sunnier than the UK average
Annual yield per kW
~1059 kWh
UK average: ~949 kWh
What one installed kW produces across a typical year
Typical payback
8.1 years
UK average: 9.1 years
Faster than the UK average on a £90 bill
Solar cost & savings by system size in South East England
Computed with South East England's generation (~2.9 kWh/kW/day), a ~27p/kWh import rate, ~50% self-consumption, and an average SEG export rate, 0% VAT included.
| System size | Installed cost (0% VAT) | Generation/yr | Annual savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | ~£5,100 | ~3,132 kWh | ~£626 | ~8.1 yrs |
| 4kW | ~£6,800 | ~4,176 kWh | ~£835 | ~8.1 yrs |
| 5kW | ~£8,500 | ~5,220 kWh | ~£1,044 | ~8.1 yrs |
| 6kW | ~£10,200 | ~6,264 kWh | ~£1,253 | ~8.1 yrs |
Savings assume a home large enough to use this output. Figures last reviewed July 2026,size a system from your actual bill instead.
How solar pays in South East England
There's no net metering in the UK, so your system pays you two ways: you save your import rate (~27p/kWh) on every unit you use as it's generated, and you earn your Smart Export Guarantee rate on everything you send back to the grid. Using more of your own power, daytime appliance use, or a battery, is worth more than exporting it, especially on lower SEG tariffs.
Generation figures are regional averages; your roof's pitch, orientation, and shading will move them.
South East England solar FAQs
Are solar panels worth it in South East England?
For a typical £90/month bill, we estimate a system in South East England pays for itself in about 8.1 years, then generates largely free power for another 15+ years. High irradiance across Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire; among the best UK yields.
How much do solar panels cost in South East England?
Prices don't vary much by region, expect roughly £1,700 per kW installed with 0% VAT already applied, so a 4kW system runs about £6,800. What varies regionally is generation: in South East England each kW produces around 1059 kWh a year.
How much electricity will solar generate in South East England?
Around 2.9 kWh per kW per day averaged across the year, so a 4kW system produces roughly 4,234 kWh annually. Summer output is several times winter output, and orientation and shading move the total.
Do I get paid for exported power?
Yes, through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Rates vary hugely by supplier, from about 6p to 25p/kWh, and the tariff you pick matters as much as your region's sun. There's no net metering in the UK: you save ~27p on each unit you use yourself but earn only your SEG rate on exports.
Does South East England get enough sun for solar?
Yes. High irradiance across Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire; among the best UK yields. Even the cloudiest UK regions generate enough for a workable return because grid electricity is expensive, the maths runs on the ~27p/kWh you avoid buying, not on wall-to-wall sunshine.