Generation and savings
Plug-in Solar Savings
A plug-in solar saving is avoided grid electricity, not a guaranteed annual return. The useful question is how much generation your position is likely to produce and how much your home can use as it happens.
Illustrative benchmark
About 700 kWh and £70-£100 a year in published examples.
Published examples are a reference point, not a personalised result. Your sunlight, orientation, shade and daytime use decide whether an estimate should be higher, lower or withheld.
Generation is not the same as savings
Generation describes electricity produced by the panels. Savings depend on self-use: electricity your home uses at the same time rather than importing from the grid. Export arrangements, tariffs and behaviour can change the result.
Sun, direction and shade set the ceiling
A clear south, south-east or south-west position is generally the best starting point. East and west can remain useful, while frequent shade can reduce generation enough that a headline annual estimate stops being decision-useful.
Daytime demand makes the difference
Steady daytime use, such as home working or appliances running during daylight, can increase self-use. If most electricity use happens after dark, a smaller share of generation is likely to offset imported electricity directly.
Treat payback as a decision after exact checks
Payback needs a current verified complete-kit cost, realistic property-specific generation, a tariff context and an installation plan. We do not publish a universal payback period because it would imply precision the site cannot support yet.
Which system should you buy?
Product recommendations are evidence-gated.
We do not list a product until its exact complete kit, Great Britain compliance evidence, current availability and active affiliate tracking have all been verified.
Sources
Related guidance
Reviewed: 10 September 2026