Solar payback in every county: the 2026 league table
The same 12-panel, 6.36 kWp LONGi Hi-MO X10 system, at the same £6,360 installed (£1,000 per kWp), ranked across all 85 historic counties of Great Britain by how fast it pays for itself. Fastest: Sussex, 6.33 years. Slowest: Inverness-shire, 9.43 years. A Clearline Home Energy analysis, free for editorial use with attribution.
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Fastest and slowest ten counties
Simple payback in years, same system, same price. Both charts share one scale, so the gap is the real gap.
Fastest ten
Slowest ten
National averages: England 7.12 years across 39 counties, Wales 7.66 years across 13, Scotland 8.23 years across 33. Great Britain mean: 7.63 years across all 85.
The full league table
Ranked fastest to slowest payback. See England, Wales and Scotland on their own below, or download the whole dataset.
| Rank | County | Simple payback | Year-one benefit | January, illustrative* | Nation | Yield (kWh/kWp/yr) | Generates a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sussex | 6.33 yrs | £1,005 | 5.98-6.01 yrs* | England | 1,141 | 7,257 kWh |
| 2 | Dorset | 6.60 yrs | £963 | 6.22-6.25 yrs* | England | 1,086 | 6,907 kWh |
| 3 | Kent | 6.66 yrs | £955 | 6.27-6.31 yrs* | England | 1,075 | 6,837 kWh |
| 4 | Essex | 6.73 yrs | £945 | 6.34-6.37 yrs* | England | 1,062 | 6,754 kWh |
| 5 | Suffolk | 6.78 yrs | £938 | 6.38-6.41 yrs* | England | 1,053 | 6,697 kWh |
| 6 | Hampshire | 6.84 yrs | £930 | 6.43-6.46 yrs* | England | 1,043 | 6,633 kWh |
| 7 | Somerset | 6.86 yrs | £927 | 6.45-6.48 yrs* | England | 1,039 | 6,608 kWh |
| 8 | Wiltshire | 6.86 yrs | £927 | 6.45-6.48 yrs* | England | 1,039 | 6,608 kWh |
| 9 | Huntingdonshire | 6.87 yrs | £926 | 6.45-6.49 yrs* | England | 1,038 | 6,602 kWh |
| 10 | Cambridgeshire | 6.88 yrs | £925 | 6.46-6.50 yrs* | England | 1,036 | 6,589 kWh |
| 11 | Bedfordshire | 6.92 yrs | £919 | 6.50-6.54 yrs* | England | 1,028 | 6,538 kWh |
| 12 | Norfolk | 6.92 yrs | £919 | 6.50-6.54 yrs* | England | 1,028 | 6,538 kWh |
| 13 | Middlesex | 6.95 yrs | £916 | 6.53-6.56 yrs* | England | 1,024 | 6,513 kWh |
| 14 | Surrey | 6.95 yrs | £915 | 6.53-6.57 yrs* | England | 1,023 | 6,506 kWh |
| 15 | Berkshire | 6.96 yrs | £913 | 6.54-6.58 yrs* | England | 1,021 | 6,494 kWh |
| 16 | Hertfordshire | 6.97 yrs | £912 | 6.55-6.59 yrs* | England | 1,019 | 6,481 kWh |
| 17 | Northamptonshire | 6.98 yrs | £911 | 6.56-6.59 yrs* | England | 1,018 | 6,474 kWh |
| 18 | Cornwall | 6.99 yrs | £910 | 6.56-6.60 yrs* | England | 1,017 | 6,468 kWh |
| 19 | Oxfordshire | 7.00 yrs | £909 | 6.57-6.61 yrs* | England | 1,015 | 6,455 kWh |
| 20 | Rutland | 7.01 yrs | £907 | 6.58-6.62 yrs* | England | 1,013 | 6,443 kWh |
| 21 | Lincolnshire | 7.04 yrs | £903 | 6.61-6.64 yrs* | England | 1,008 | 6,411 kWh |
| 22 | Anglesey | 7.05 yrs | £903 | 6.61-6.65 yrs* | Wales | 1,007 | 6,405 kWh |
| 23 | Gloucestershire | 7.08 yrs | £898 | 6.64-6.68 yrs* | England | 1,001 | 6,366 kWh |
| 24 | Monmouthshire | 7.08 yrs | £899 | 6.64-6.68 yrs* | Wales | 1,002 | 6,373 kWh |
| 25 | Buckinghamshire | 7.09 yrs | £897 | 6.66-6.69 yrs* | England | 999 | 6,354 kWh |
| 26 | Worcestershire | 7.09 yrs | £897 | 6.66-6.69 yrs* | England | 999 | 6,354 kWh |
| 27 | Pembrokeshire | 7.09 yrs | £897 | 6.66-6.69 yrs* | Wales | 999 | 6,354 kWh |
| 28 | Warwickshire | 7.11 yrs | £895 | 6.67-6.70 yrs* | England | 997 | 6,341 kWh |
| 29 | Herefordshire | 7.14 yrs | £891 | 6.69-6.73 yrs* | England | 992 | 6,309 kWh |
| 30 | Nottinghamshire | 7.15 yrs | £890 | 6.70-6.74 yrs* | England | 990 | 6,296 kWh |
| 31 | Devon | 7.20 yrs | £883 | 6.75-6.79 yrs* | England | 981 | 6,239 kWh |
| 32 | Leicestershire | 7.20 yrs | £883 | 6.75-6.79 yrs* | England | 981 | 6,239 kWh |
| 33 | Wigtownshire | 7.29 yrs | £872 | 6.83-6.87 yrs* | Scotland | 967 | 6,150 kWh |
| 34 | Yorkshire | 7.32 yrs | £869 | 6.85-6.89 yrs* | England | 963 | 6,125 kWh |
| 35 | Shropshire | 7.36 yrs | £865 | 6.89-6.93 yrs* | England | 957 | 6,087 kWh |
| 36 | Staffordshire | 7.40 yrs | £860 | 6.92-6.96 yrs* | England | 951 | 6,048 kWh |
| 37 | Cheshire | 7.44 yrs | £855 | 6.96-7.00 yrs* | England | 944 | 6,004 kWh |
| 38 | Derbyshire | 7.44 yrs | £855 | 6.96-7.00 yrs* | England | 945 | 6,010 kWh |
| 39 | Kincardineshire | 7.44 yrs | £855 | 6.96-7.00 yrs* | Scotland | 944 | 6,004 kWh |
| 40 | Glamorgan | 7.47 yrs | £852 | 6.98-7.02 yrs* | Wales | 940 | 5,978 kWh |
| 41 | Berwickshire | 7.48 yrs | £851 | 6.99-7.03 yrs* | Scotland | 939 | 5,972 kWh |
| 42 | Carmarthenshire | 7.49 yrs | £849 | 7.00-7.04 yrs* | Wales | 937 | 5,959 kWh |
| 43 | Durham | 7.50 yrs | £848 | 7.01-7.05 yrs* | England | 935 | 5,947 kWh |
| 44 | Montgomeryshire | 7.50 yrs | £848 | 7.01-7.05 yrs* | Wales | 935 | 5,947 kWh |
| 45 | Angus | 7.58 yrs | £839 | 7.08-7.12 yrs* | Scotland | 924 | 5,877 kWh |
| 46 | Fife | 7.58 yrs | £839 | 7.08-7.12 yrs* | Scotland | 924 | 5,877 kWh |
| 47 | Cardiganshire | 7.63 yrs | £833 | 7.13-7.17 yrs* | Wales | 916 | 5,826 kWh |
| 48 | Denbighshire | 7.63 yrs | £834 | 7.12-7.16 yrs* | Wales | 917 | 5,832 kWh |
| 49 | Flintshire | 7.63 yrs | £834 | 7.12-7.16 yrs* | Wales | 917 | 5,832 kWh |
| 50 | Radnorshire | 7.63 yrs | £834 | 7.12-7.16 yrs* | Wales | 917 | 5,832 kWh |
| 51 | Brecknockshire | 7.67 yrs | £829 | 7.16-7.20 yrs* | Wales | 911 | 5,794 kWh |
| 52 | Northumberland | 7.75 yrs | £820 | 7.23-7.28 yrs* | England | 899 | 5,718 kWh |
| 53 | Kirkcudbrightshire | 7.75 yrs | £820 | 7.23-7.28 yrs* | Scotland | 899 | 5,718 kWh |
| 54 | Kinross-shire | 7.81 yrs | £814 | 7.28-7.33 yrs* | Scotland | 891 | 5,667 kWh |
| 55 | Clackmannanshire | 7.92 yrs | £803 | 7.37-7.42 yrs* | Scotland | 877 | 5,578 kWh |
| 56 | Cumberland | 7.95 yrs | £800 | 7.40-7.45 yrs* | England | 873 | 5,552 kWh |
| 57 | East Lothian | 7.95 yrs | £800 | 7.41-7.45 yrs* | Scotland | 872 | 5,546 kWh |
| 58 | Lancashire | 8.00 yrs | £795 | 7.45-7.49 yrs* | England | 866 | 5,508 kWh |
| 59 | Dumfriesshire | 8.08 yrs | £787 | 7.52-7.57 yrs* | Scotland | 855 | 5,438 kWh |
| 60 | Ayrshire | 8.12 yrs | £783 | 7.55-7.60 yrs* | Scotland | 850 | 5,406 kWh |
| 61 | Renfrewshire | 8.12 yrs | £784 | 7.55-7.59 yrs* | Scotland | 851 | 5,412 kWh |
| 62 | Roxburghshire | 8.13 yrs | £782 | 7.56-7.61 yrs* | Scotland | 849 | 5,400 kWh |
| 63 | Caithness | 8.14 yrs | £781 | 7.57-7.62 yrs* | Scotland | 848 | 5,393 kWh |
| 64 | Aberdeenshire | 8.15 yrs | £781 | 7.58-7.62 yrs* | Scotland | 847 | 5,387 kWh |
| 65 | Nairnshire | 8.16 yrs | £780 | 7.58-7.63 yrs* | Scotland | 846 | 5,381 kWh |
| 66 | West Lothian | 8.16 yrs | £780 | 7.58-7.63 yrs* | Scotland | 846 | 5,381 kWh |
| 67 | Lanarkshire | 8.17 yrs | £778 | 7.60-7.64 yrs* | Scotland | 844 | 5,368 kWh |
| 68 | Morayshire | 8.20 yrs | £776 | 7.62-7.66 yrs* | Scotland | 841 | 5,349 kWh |
| 69 | Midlothian | 8.21 yrs | £774 | 7.63-7.68 yrs* | Scotland | 839 | 5,336 kWh |
| 70 | Selkirkshire | 8.22 yrs | £774 | 7.64-7.69 yrs* | Scotland | 838 | 5,330 kWh |
| 71 | Westmorland | 8.25 yrs | £771 | 7.67-7.71 yrs* | England | 834 | 5,304 kWh |
| 72 | Buteshire | 8.35 yrs | £761 | 7.75-7.80 yrs* | Scotland | 822 | 5,228 kWh |
| 73 | Dunbartonshire | 8.35 yrs | £761 | 7.75-7.80 yrs* | Scotland | 822 | 5,228 kWh |
| 74 | Banffshire | 8.36 yrs | £761 | 7.76-7.81 yrs* | Scotland | 821 | 5,222 kWh |
| 75 | Stirlingshire | 8.39 yrs | £758 | 7.78-7.83 yrs* | Scotland | 818 | 5,202 kWh |
| 76 | Merioneth | 8.42 yrs | £755 | 7.81-7.86 yrs* | Wales | 814 | 5,177 kWh |
| 77 | Orkney | 8.45 yrs | £752 | 7.84-7.89 yrs* | Scotland | 810 | 5,152 kWh |
| 78 | Peeblesshire | 8.67 yrs | £733 | 8.03-8.08 yrs* | Scotland | 785 | 4,993 kWh |
| 79 | Shetland | 8.78 yrs | £724 | 8.12-8.18 yrs* | Scotland | 773 | 4,916 kWh |
| 80 | Argyllshire | 8.84 yrs | £720 | 8.17-8.22 yrs* | Scotland | 767 | 4,878 kWh |
| 81 | Perthshire | 8.91 yrs | £714 | 8.23-8.28 yrs* | Scotland | 760 | 4,834 kWh |
| 82 | Sutherland | 9.12 yrs | £697 | 8.41-8.47 yrs* | Scotland | 738 | 4,694 kWh |
| 83 | Ross and Cromarty | 9.24 yrs | £688 | 8.51-8.57 yrs* | Scotland | 726 | 4,617 kWh |
| 84 | Caernarfonshire | 9.25 yrs | £687 | 8.52-8.58 yrs* | Wales | 725 | 4,611 kWh |
| 85 | Inverness-shire | 9.43 yrs | £674 | 8.67-8.73 yrs* | Scotland | 708 | 4,503 kWh |
*Illustrative January payback: see what this column shows before quoting it. It is a sensitivity, not a forecast.
Free for editorial and journalistic use with attribution to Clearline Home Energy and a link back to this page. For the figures in another format, call 07782 219224.
England, Wales and Scotland
Each county keeps its overall rank out of 85. Open a nation to see its own table.
England: 39 counties, mean payback 7.12 years
| Rank | County | Simple payback | Year-one benefit | January, illustrative* | Nation | Yield (kWh/kWp/yr) | Generates a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sussex | 6.33 yrs | £1,005 | 5.98-6.01 yrs* | England | 1,141 | 7,257 kWh |
| 2 | Dorset | 6.60 yrs | £963 | 6.22-6.25 yrs* | England | 1,086 | 6,907 kWh |
| 3 | Kent | 6.66 yrs | £955 | 6.27-6.31 yrs* | England | 1,075 | 6,837 kWh |
| 4 | Essex | 6.73 yrs | £945 | 6.34-6.37 yrs* | England | 1,062 | 6,754 kWh |
| 5 | Suffolk | 6.78 yrs | £938 | 6.38-6.41 yrs* | England | 1,053 | 6,697 kWh |
| 6 | Hampshire | 6.84 yrs | £930 | 6.43-6.46 yrs* | England | 1,043 | 6,633 kWh |
| 7 | Somerset | 6.86 yrs | £927 | 6.45-6.48 yrs* | England | 1,039 | 6,608 kWh |
| 8 | Wiltshire | 6.86 yrs | £927 | 6.45-6.48 yrs* | England | 1,039 | 6,608 kWh |
| 9 | Huntingdonshire | 6.87 yrs | £926 | 6.45-6.49 yrs* | England | 1,038 | 6,602 kWh |
| 10 | Cambridgeshire | 6.88 yrs | £925 | 6.46-6.50 yrs* | England | 1,036 | 6,589 kWh |
| 11 | Bedfordshire | 6.92 yrs | £919 | 6.50-6.54 yrs* | England | 1,028 | 6,538 kWh |
| 12 | Norfolk | 6.92 yrs | £919 | 6.50-6.54 yrs* | England | 1,028 | 6,538 kWh |
| 13 | Middlesex | 6.95 yrs | £916 | 6.53-6.56 yrs* | England | 1,024 | 6,513 kWh |
| 14 | Surrey | 6.95 yrs | £915 | 6.53-6.57 yrs* | England | 1,023 | 6,506 kWh |
| 15 | Berkshire | 6.96 yrs | £913 | 6.54-6.58 yrs* | England | 1,021 | 6,494 kWh |
| 16 | Hertfordshire | 6.97 yrs | £912 | 6.55-6.59 yrs* | England | 1,019 | 6,481 kWh |
| 17 | Northamptonshire | 6.98 yrs | £911 | 6.56-6.59 yrs* | England | 1,018 | 6,474 kWh |
| 18 | Cornwall | 6.99 yrs | £910 | 6.56-6.60 yrs* | England | 1,017 | 6,468 kWh |
| 19 | Oxfordshire | 7.00 yrs | £909 | 6.57-6.61 yrs* | England | 1,015 | 6,455 kWh |
| 20 | Rutland | 7.01 yrs | £907 | 6.58-6.62 yrs* | England | 1,013 | 6,443 kWh |
| 21 | Lincolnshire | 7.04 yrs | £903 | 6.61-6.64 yrs* | England | 1,008 | 6,411 kWh |
| 23 | Gloucestershire | 7.08 yrs | £898 | 6.64-6.68 yrs* | England | 1,001 | 6,366 kWh |
| 25 | Buckinghamshire | 7.09 yrs | £897 | 6.66-6.69 yrs* | England | 999 | 6,354 kWh |
| 26 | Worcestershire | 7.09 yrs | £897 | 6.66-6.69 yrs* | England | 999 | 6,354 kWh |
| 28 | Warwickshire | 7.11 yrs | £895 | 6.67-6.70 yrs* | England | 997 | 6,341 kWh |
| 29 | Herefordshire | 7.14 yrs | £891 | 6.69-6.73 yrs* | England | 992 | 6,309 kWh |
| 30 | Nottinghamshire | 7.15 yrs | £890 | 6.70-6.74 yrs* | England | 990 | 6,296 kWh |
| 31 | Devon | 7.20 yrs | £883 | 6.75-6.79 yrs* | England | 981 | 6,239 kWh |
| 32 | Leicestershire | 7.20 yrs | £883 | 6.75-6.79 yrs* | England | 981 | 6,239 kWh |
| 34 | Yorkshire | 7.32 yrs | £869 | 6.85-6.89 yrs* | England | 963 | 6,125 kWh |
| 35 | Shropshire | 7.36 yrs | £865 | 6.89-6.93 yrs* | England | 957 | 6,087 kWh |
| 36 | Staffordshire | 7.40 yrs | £860 | 6.92-6.96 yrs* | England | 951 | 6,048 kWh |
| 37 | Cheshire | 7.44 yrs | £855 | 6.96-7.00 yrs* | England | 944 | 6,004 kWh |
| 38 | Derbyshire | 7.44 yrs | £855 | 6.96-7.00 yrs* | England | 945 | 6,010 kWh |
| 43 | Durham | 7.50 yrs | £848 | 7.01-7.05 yrs* | England | 935 | 5,947 kWh |
| 52 | Northumberland | 7.75 yrs | £820 | 7.23-7.28 yrs* | England | 899 | 5,718 kWh |
| 56 | Cumberland | 7.95 yrs | £800 | 7.40-7.45 yrs* | England | 873 | 5,552 kWh |
| 58 | Lancashire | 8.00 yrs | £795 | 7.45-7.49 yrs* | England | 866 | 5,508 kWh |
| 71 | Westmorland | 8.25 yrs | £771 | 7.67-7.71 yrs* | England | 834 | 5,304 kWh |
Wales: 13 counties, mean payback 7.66 years
| Rank | County | Simple payback | Year-one benefit | January, illustrative* | Nation | Yield (kWh/kWp/yr) | Generates a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Anglesey | 7.05 yrs | £903 | 6.61-6.65 yrs* | Wales | 1,007 | 6,405 kWh |
| 24 | Monmouthshire | 7.08 yrs | £899 | 6.64-6.68 yrs* | Wales | 1,002 | 6,373 kWh |
| 27 | Pembrokeshire | 7.09 yrs | £897 | 6.66-6.69 yrs* | Wales | 999 | 6,354 kWh |
| 40 | Glamorgan | 7.47 yrs | £852 | 6.98-7.02 yrs* | Wales | 940 | 5,978 kWh |
| 42 | Carmarthenshire | 7.49 yrs | £849 | 7.00-7.04 yrs* | Wales | 937 | 5,959 kWh |
| 44 | Montgomeryshire | 7.50 yrs | £848 | 7.01-7.05 yrs* | Wales | 935 | 5,947 kWh |
| 47 | Cardiganshire | 7.63 yrs | £833 | 7.13-7.17 yrs* | Wales | 916 | 5,826 kWh |
| 48 | Denbighshire | 7.63 yrs | £834 | 7.12-7.16 yrs* | Wales | 917 | 5,832 kWh |
| 49 | Flintshire | 7.63 yrs | £834 | 7.12-7.16 yrs* | Wales | 917 | 5,832 kWh |
| 50 | Radnorshire | 7.63 yrs | £834 | 7.12-7.16 yrs* | Wales | 917 | 5,832 kWh |
| 51 | Brecknockshire | 7.67 yrs | £829 | 7.16-7.20 yrs* | Wales | 911 | 5,794 kWh |
| 76 | Merioneth | 8.42 yrs | £755 | 7.81-7.86 yrs* | Wales | 814 | 5,177 kWh |
| 84 | Caernarfonshire | 9.25 yrs | £687 | 8.52-8.58 yrs* | Wales | 725 | 4,611 kWh |
Scotland: 33 counties, mean payback 8.23 years
| Rank | County | Simple payback | Year-one benefit | January, illustrative* | Nation | Yield (kWh/kWp/yr) | Generates a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Wigtownshire | 7.29 yrs | £872 | 6.83-6.87 yrs* | Scotland | 967 | 6,150 kWh |
| 39 | Kincardineshire | 7.44 yrs | £855 | 6.96-7.00 yrs* | Scotland | 944 | 6,004 kWh |
| 41 | Berwickshire | 7.48 yrs | £851 | 6.99-7.03 yrs* | Scotland | 939 | 5,972 kWh |
| 45 | Angus | 7.58 yrs | £839 | 7.08-7.12 yrs* | Scotland | 924 | 5,877 kWh |
| 46 | Fife | 7.58 yrs | £839 | 7.08-7.12 yrs* | Scotland | 924 | 5,877 kWh |
| 53 | Kirkcudbrightshire | 7.75 yrs | £820 | 7.23-7.28 yrs* | Scotland | 899 | 5,718 kWh |
| 54 | Kinross-shire | 7.81 yrs | £814 | 7.28-7.33 yrs* | Scotland | 891 | 5,667 kWh |
| 55 | Clackmannanshire | 7.92 yrs | £803 | 7.37-7.42 yrs* | Scotland | 877 | 5,578 kWh |
| 57 | East Lothian | 7.95 yrs | £800 | 7.41-7.45 yrs* | Scotland | 872 | 5,546 kWh |
| 59 | Dumfriesshire | 8.08 yrs | £787 | 7.52-7.57 yrs* | Scotland | 855 | 5,438 kWh |
| 60 | Ayrshire | 8.12 yrs | £783 | 7.55-7.60 yrs* | Scotland | 850 | 5,406 kWh |
| 61 | Renfrewshire | 8.12 yrs | £784 | 7.55-7.59 yrs* | Scotland | 851 | 5,412 kWh |
| 62 | Roxburghshire | 8.13 yrs | £782 | 7.56-7.61 yrs* | Scotland | 849 | 5,400 kWh |
| 63 | Caithness | 8.14 yrs | £781 | 7.57-7.62 yrs* | Scotland | 848 | 5,393 kWh |
| 64 | Aberdeenshire | 8.15 yrs | £781 | 7.58-7.62 yrs* | Scotland | 847 | 5,387 kWh |
| 65 | Nairnshire | 8.16 yrs | £780 | 7.58-7.63 yrs* | Scotland | 846 | 5,381 kWh |
| 66 | West Lothian | 8.16 yrs | £780 | 7.58-7.63 yrs* | Scotland | 846 | 5,381 kWh |
| 67 | Lanarkshire | 8.17 yrs | £778 | 7.60-7.64 yrs* | Scotland | 844 | 5,368 kWh |
| 68 | Morayshire | 8.20 yrs | £776 | 7.62-7.66 yrs* | Scotland | 841 | 5,349 kWh |
| 69 | Midlothian | 8.21 yrs | £774 | 7.63-7.68 yrs* | Scotland | 839 | 5,336 kWh |
| 70 | Selkirkshire | 8.22 yrs | £774 | 7.64-7.69 yrs* | Scotland | 838 | 5,330 kWh |
| 72 | Buteshire | 8.35 yrs | £761 | 7.75-7.80 yrs* | Scotland | 822 | 5,228 kWh |
| 73 | Dunbartonshire | 8.35 yrs | £761 | 7.75-7.80 yrs* | Scotland | 822 | 5,228 kWh |
| 74 | Banffshire | 8.36 yrs | £761 | 7.76-7.81 yrs* | Scotland | 821 | 5,222 kWh |
| 75 | Stirlingshire | 8.39 yrs | £758 | 7.78-7.83 yrs* | Scotland | 818 | 5,202 kWh |
| 77 | Orkney | 8.45 yrs | £752 | 7.84-7.89 yrs* | Scotland | 810 | 5,152 kWh |
| 78 | Peeblesshire | 8.67 yrs | £733 | 8.03-8.08 yrs* | Scotland | 785 | 4,993 kWh |
| 79 | Shetland | 8.78 yrs | £724 | 8.12-8.18 yrs* | Scotland | 773 | 4,916 kWh |
| 80 | Argyllshire | 8.84 yrs | £720 | 8.17-8.22 yrs* | Scotland | 767 | 4,878 kWh |
| 81 | Perthshire | 8.91 yrs | £714 | 8.23-8.28 yrs* | Scotland | 760 | 4,834 kWh |
| 82 | Sutherland | 9.12 yrs | £697 | 8.41-8.47 yrs* | Scotland | 738 | 4,694 kWh |
| 83 | Ross and Cromarty | 9.24 yrs | £688 | 8.51-8.57 yrs* | Scotland | 726 | 4,617 kWh |
| 85 | Inverness-shire | 9.43 yrs | £674 | 8.67-8.73 yrs* | Scotland | 708 | 4,503 kWh |
Every installation is carried out by our teams, who hold:
What the illustrative January column shows
Ofgem has not announced the January to March 2027 price cap. The table above adds one illustrative column, clearly marked with an asterisk, and it means exactly this and nothing more:
What it is
A sensitivity, not a forecast of the January 2027 electricity rate. No supplier publishes an electricity-only figure for January. The 21.8% to 23.9% range is EDF, British Gas and E.ON Next's own forecasts for the whole dual-fuel bill (low 21.8% from EDF, high 23.9% from British Gas). Cornwall Insight's lower, gas-led 9% figure sits outside this range, as it does on our energy price cap tracker. The column asks one question: if the electricity unit rate itself rose by that percentage, what would payback look like? Only the self-use share of the benefit (the kWh a household avoids importing) is repriced. Export earnings stay at the unchanged 12p export scenario, because none of the forecasts say anything about export rates.
What it is not
- Not a prediction of the January 2027 electricity unit rate. No supplier has published one.
- Not the whole-bill forecast itself: EDF (21.8%) to British Gas (23.9%) is the range for the whole dual-fuel bill, which is gas-led (gas is just over half of a typical bill).
- Not applied to export income, which stays at the site's unchanged 12p export scenario throughout.
Outside this range: Cornwall Insight's lower, gas-led 9% figure, which our energy price cap tracker also shows separately from the three supplier forecasts. If the electricity unit rate rose by 21.8% to 23.9%, the Great Britain mean payback across all 85 counties would move from 7.63 years to 7.12-7.16 years, illustratively. Checked 25 September 2026; see the live, dated forecast table on the energy price cap tracker.
Talk through your own county on a free call
We confirm your postcode's actual numbers and run your real payback, not an illustrative example.
Assumptions, in full
Every figure on this page traces to one of these assumptions or to a source below. The model is the same calculator every county page on this site runs.
| Assumption | Detail |
|---|---|
System | 12 LONGi Hi-MO X10 530 W panels, 6.36 kWp: the panel our packages are built on, and the system our county calculators open on |
Installed price | £1,000 per kWp installed, 6.36 kWp = £6,360 |
Household use | 2,700 kWh a year (Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Value, medium band) |
Daytime occupancy | 35% of use in daylight hours (the calculator's default "Sometimes / mixed" setting) |
Import rate | 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem price cap average, electricity, direct debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026) |
Export rate | 12p/kWh ("12p supplier rate", the calculator's default export scenario; the site also publishes a 4p standard-SEG floor and a 20p best-bundled ceiling, not used here) |
Payback definition | Simple payback: installed cost divided by undiscounted year-one benefit. No electricity-price inflation modelled in the current-cap columns. Matches the site's own on-page convention. |
Generation data | PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, 1 kWp reference, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south, one representative point per historic county |
Mean yield, all 85 counties | 925 kWh/kWp/yr |
Illustrative modelling for editorial use, not a quote for any individual property. A real roof is priced on a free design call.
Sources
- Generation: PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, re.jrc.ec.europa.eu, one representative point per historic county, retrieved August 2026.
- Price cap: Ofgem, 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem price cap average, electricity, direct debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026), ofgem.gov.uk.
- January whole-bill forecasts: EDF, British Gas, E.ON Next and Cornwall Insight's own published prediction pages, checked 25 September 2026 (full dated table on the energy price cap tracker).
- Installed pricing: our own published price, £1,000 per kWp installed, 6.36 kWp = £6,360, unchanged across every county.
Solar payback league questions, answered
How is solar payback calculated in this league table?
Simple payback: the installed cost of a standard 12-panel, 6.36 kWp LONGi Hi-MO X10 system, £6,360 installed (£1,000 per kWp), divided by the undiscounted year-one benefit (self-use savings plus export income). No electricity-price inflation is modelled in the current-cap figures. It is the same convention every county page on this site uses.
Why does payback vary so much between counties?
The system and the price are identical everywhere on this page: £1,000 per kWp installed, 6.36 kWp = £6,360. Only the generation figure changes, county by county, from PVGIS satellite irradiance data. More usable sunlight means more exported and self-used electricity for the same outlay, so payback is faster.
Which county has the fastest solar payback?
Sussex, England, at 6.33 years on a 1,141 kWh/kWp/yr PVGIS yield, the highest of the 85 counties in this dataset.
Which county has the slowest solar payback?
Inverness-shire, Scotland, at 9.43 years on a 708 kWh/kWp/yr PVGIS yield, a gap of 3.10 years against Sussex on the identical system and price.
What does the illustrative January payback column show?
It is not a forecast of the January 2027 electricity rate. EDF, British Gas and E.ON Next's own forecasts for the whole dual-fuel bill currently range 21.8% to 23.9% (checked 25 September 2026); no supplier publishes an electricity-only figure. This column applies that percentage range only to the self-use share of the benefit, as a sensitivity: if the unit rate itself rose by the same percentage, this is what payback would look like on the same system.
Can I reuse this data?
Yes, free for editorial use with attribution to Clearline Home Energy and a link back to this page. Download the full 85-county dataset as a CSV below, or call 07782 219224 for the underlying figures in another format.
Is this a quote for my home?
No. Every figure is a modelled estimate for a standard 12-panel, 6.36 kWp LONGi Hi-MO X10 system, not a quote for any individual roof. Your free design call prices your actual system.
Where does the generation data come from?
PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, 1 kWp reference, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south, one representative point per historic county. Every county's figure was retrieved from PVGIS (re.jrc.ec.europa.eu) in August 2026.
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