Solar panels in Ofgem’s South Eastern England region: payback by town
In Ofgem’s South Eastern England price cap region, the unit rate for single-rate electricity paid by Direct Debit is 26.88p per kWh for October to December 2026, 0.56p above the Great Britain average of 26.32p.
Panels in the 8 towns and cities we cover here generate an average of 1,069 kWh per kW a year, 11% more than the average of the 100 towns and cities in our data (960 kWh).
Towns and cities in the South Eastern England region
| Place | kWh per kW a year | System size | First-year savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton and Hove | 1,072 | 2.5 kW | £726 | 5.8 years |
Each row is a home using Ofgem’s typical 2,700 kWh a year, with a system sized to cover it, at 26.88p per kWh. Installed cost is the government’s median for the system’s size band.
Sources
Unit rate: www.ofgem.gov.uk (checked 2026-11-10). South Eastern England: electricity unit rate, single rate, Direct Debit, October to December 2026. Published as 26.88 pence per kWh.
Solar output: PVGIS 5.3 for each place; each place’s page links its own request. Methodology