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Plug-in solar panels can legally go on sale in the UK from today
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Plug-in solar panels can legally go on sale in the UK from today, 27 August, giving households a new way to generate electricity without paying thousands of pounds for a conventional rooftop solar installation.
The rule change allows compliant systems with an AC output of up to 800W to be connected directly to a suitable household socket. Unlike a traditional solar array, these smaller systems can be installed by the homeowner and positioned in a garden or, where the rules allow, on a wall or balcony. However, only products that meet the government’s new plug-in solar device interim product specification qualify under the new rules.
And, for the first time, there are now compliant products that you can actually order. UKSOL has secured compliant listings on the Energy Networks Association’s Connect Direct register for its plug-in solar pro range. Retailers such as City Plumbing have begun listing its first ground-mounted systems.
Other big-name retailers, including B&Q, Currys, Amazon and Lidl, have been working with the government on the introduction of plug-in solar, although they have yet to announce complete ranges of their own. Here’s where you can buy plug-in solar panels now, and which retailers could follow.
Read more: The best plug-in solar panels
The first compliant plug-in solar systems are beginning to appear online.
British solar manufacturer UKSOL has become the first company to secure “compliant” listings for products in its plug-in solar pro range on the Energy Networks Association’s Connect Direct register. Among them are its compact 460W single-panel ground-mount kit and duo 890W two-panel ground-mount kit. Both have a maximum AC output of 800W, despite the higher combined panel capacity of the duo system.
City Plumbing currently lists the UKSOL pro compact 460W ground-mount kit for £670.80, including VAT, while the UKSOL pro duo 890W ground-mount kit is listed for £951.60. The availability varies by location.
UKSOL is also selling the systems through its own website. Its direct prices are currently higher at £849 for the compact 460W kit and £1,199 for the duo 890W kit.
Other specialist retailers are beginning to list UKSOL systems too. Green2Go, for example, is taking orders for an 890W UKSOL system for £849 and quotes delivery in early September.
Before buying, you should check that the exact product and model number appears as compliant on the ENA Connect Direct register. A similar-looking solar panel, microinverter or European balcony solar kit is not automatically covered by the new rules.
Read more: Plug in vs installed solar panels
Now that plug-in solar panels are legal to buy and use in the UK, some of the country’s biggest retailers are preparing to stock them.
The government confirmed on 27 August that Amazon, Argos, Currys and Wickes have all committed to selling plug-in solar panels, while B&Q and Screwfix have also worked with the government on the rollout.
Argos managing director Graham Biggart said the retailer was “really pleased to now offer plug-in solar panels for Argos customers”, suggesting products are beginning to enter its range. However, at the time of writing, we could not find a plug-in solar kit available through the Argos website.
Currys says it plans to make plug-in solar products available through both its website and larger stores “as soon as possible”, while Wickes says its products will become available online in the “coming weeks.”
Amazon has also committed to stocking the technology, stating: “We’re looking forward to helping customers benefit from this technology.”
Lidl was one of the first retailers publicly linked to the rollout. In March, the government said Lidl and Iceland were working with ministers, alongside solar equipment manufacturer EcoFlow, to bring plug-in solar products to the UK.
The prospect immediately raised the possibility of solar panels appearing in Lidl’s famous middle aisle. Similar balcony solar kits are already available through Lidl in parts of Europe, where the technology is more established.
The Independent understands that Lidl is exploring the technology and has not confirmed a launch date. The supermarket has also yet to reveal which product it might stock or how much a system would cost. Early reports suggested that a Lidl system could cost around £400.
Yes. Argos has now confirmed that it is entering the plug-in solar market.
Graham Biggart, managing director for Argos, said on 27 August that the retailer was “really pleased to now offer plug-in solar panels for Argos customers”, describing the technology as a way to give customers more choice over how they manage energy use at home.
Yes. Currys has confirmed that it plans to sell plug-in solar systems both online and through some of its larger stores.
Michelle Gorringe-Smith, Currys’ director of new categories, said the retailer is working with the government and suppliers to make compliant products available to UK households “as soon as possible”.
No specific Currys plug-in solar products had been announced at the time of writing.
Read more: Best solar chargers, tested
Yes. Wickes has confirmed that plug-in solar products are coming to its website.
Chief executive David Wood said the retailer expects to make the products available online “in the coming weeks”, although it has not yet announced which manufacturers or systems it will stock.
B&Q chief executive Graham Bell said the retailer was working with the government and suppliers to ensure any products it offered were safe, compliant and straightforward to install.
“We look forward to making plug-in solar available to our customers as soon as possible,” he said following the government roundtable earlier this year.
The retailer has not yet announced a product, price or launch date.
Read more: How do plug-in solar panels work and how are they installed?
Yes. Amazon has committed to stocking plug-in solar panels following the introduction of the new rules.
“The government’s announcement on plug-in solar panels is a practical step that gives households a simple way to generate their own power, reduce bills, and contribute to the UK’s net zero goals,” said John Boumphrey, UK & Ireland country manager. “We’re looking forward to helping customers benefit from this technology.”
Amazon already lists products described as balcony solar kits, microinverters and portable solar panels. Buyers should be cautious, however, because products designed for other European countries will not automatically comply with the new British rules.
A device appearing in Amazon search results does not necessarily mean it is approved for connection to a UK mains socket. Shoppers should look for clear confirmation that the complete product meets the government’s UK plug-in solar specification rather than relying on an adaptor or buying individual components separately.
Iceland was named alongside Lidl in the government’s original March announcement. It has not yet confirmed whether plug-in solar panels will be sold in its supermarkets, through its website or through another retail arrangement.
Asda and Screwfix attended the government’s June roundtable but did not make individual public commitments to stock the products.
Screwfix and B&Q are both owned by Kingfisher, and the government announcement on 27 August confirms that both retailers will soon have them available to purchase in stores and online.
Yes. OVO has confirmed that it plans to launch a full plug-in solar offer for its customers in the coming months, although it has not yet revealed which systems it will sell or how much they will cost.
To mark the new plug-in solar rules coming into force, the energy supplier is also giving away five plug-in solar kits through a prize draw for members of its free Beyond rewards programme.
The competition opens on 27 August and runs until 11.59pm on 17 September 2026. Five winners will each receive a plug-in solar kit for free.
OVO says its wider plug-in solar offer will launch later this year. We’ll update this guide when prices and products are announced.
EcoFlow is a manufacturer rather than a high-street shop, but it could be one of the first recognisable brands to launch a compliant system.
The company already sells balcony solar products in Europe and was named by the government in March as one of the manufacturers helping to bring the technology to Britain.
EcoFlow’s UK communications representative said at the time that making the systems available in shops would improve access to solar for people living in flats and rented homes.
However, consumers should not assume that an existing European EcoFlow product can simply be connected to a British socket. Any system sold for that purpose will need to comply with the technical and electrical requirements introduced for the British market.
The legal changes allowing plug-in solar come into force in the UK on 27 August 2026, although the first compliant products have already begun appearing online ahead of the rule change. As The Independent previously reported, only products that comply with the government’s interim specification will be covered by the new exemption.
Only complete systems that comply with the government’s Interim Product Specification qualify for the new plug-in route. They must have a maximum AC output of 800W and meet specific requirements covering the inverter, plug, cable, electrical protection, labelling and instructions. Battery-integrated plug-in solar systems are not included under the new rules.
There is also a limit on how many systems can be connected. Although the government’s product specification allows one plug-in solar device per household electrical circuit, new G98 network rules approved by Ofgem restrict households to one plug-in solar device in total. The G98 amendment takes effect alongside the legislation on 27 August.
Households must also notify their Distribution Network Operator (DNO) when a plug-in solar system is connected. The revised G98 rules introduce a simplified route intended to make this possible for consumers without requiring a professional solar installer.
The new electrical rules apply in the UK – England, Scotland and Wales – but not Northern Ireland, which operates under a separate electricity safety regime.
The government’s final impact assessment estimated that a complete plug-in solar system could cost around £400 to £600, using £500 as its central assumption.
However, some of the first compliant products to appear on the British market cost more than that. Prices could fall as more manufacturers and major retailers enter the market, so these early listings may not be representative of what plug-in solar panels will cost once the market becomes more established.
Government modelling suggests that an 800W system could save a household around £70 to £110 a year. The higher figure assumes panels face south at an angle of around 30 degrees, while vertically mounted east- or west-facing panels are expected to produce smaller savings.
These figures, though, are illustrative rather than guaranteed. Actual savings will depend on shading, location, energy prices, panel orientation and, importantly, how much electricity the household uses while the panels are generating.
Read more: Are plug-in solar panels worth buying in the UK?
The most important thing is to check that the exact plug-in solar system you are buying is approved for the new British plug-in solar route.
Manufacturers must have their complete product assessed against the government’s Interim Product Specification and registered through the Energy Networks Association’s Connect Direct system. Shoppers should therefore check the exact manufacturer and model rather than assuming a product is compliant simply because it has a UK three-pin plug or is advertised as “G98 compatible.”
This is particularly important when shopping through online marketplaces. Balcony solar systems are already widely available elsewhere in Europe, but a European kit can’t be connected legally to a British household socket. Adding a travel adaptor or UK plug to an imported system does not make it compliant.
You should also check where the system can safely be positioned, whether your electrical installation and socket are suitable, and whether you need permission from a landlord, freeholder or managing agent. Extension leads, multi-way adaptors and plug-in RCD adaptors should not be used in place of the manufacturer-supplied connection.
The current G98 rules also limit households to one plug-in solar device, even if the property has several separate electrical circuits. Householders must notify their Distribution Network Operator after connecting a compliant system.
In England, planning rules are also changing from 27 August 2026 to expressly include plug-in solar within existing permitted development rights for domestic solar panels. This means many systems can be installed without making a full planning application, provided they meet the relevant conditions.
However, the rules are not unrestricted. Among the new conditions, plug-in solar cannot be attached to a wooden wall, balcony or other wooden enclosure, or to parts of a building clad in timber. Similar restrictions apply to wooden fences, gates and other boundaries where panels are positioned within a garden. The usual restrictions affecting listed buildings, conservation areas and other protected locations can also apply.
Planning rules differ in Scotland and Wales, so people outside England should check the requirements where they live. Renters and leaseholders should also obtain any permission required by their tenancy agreement, lease, landlord or freeholder before installing panels.
Read more: Best solar panel installers, compared
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