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- Mainstream media outlets say plug-in panels are going to be available soon
- Ministers still working on final details of rollout plan
- Electricians are still worried about safety, especially in older homes
Plug-in solar panels could be available by the end of the summer as productive talks between the government and retailers, according to reports.
This means a month from now British consumers could be buying plug-in solar panels from the shelves at Lidl, B&Q, Wicks and others, including Amazon.
The i Paper and The Sun both claim to have been told by either industry or government sources that plug-in solar panels will be on shelves by August this year.
This would follow months of talks between ministers and retailers about how best to make plug-in solar panels accessible. They currently retail for £399.99, but the government is hoping to convince retailers to offer discounts. There is even the possibility of plug-in solar panels being included in the Warm Homes Plan, but we don’t know the details of that yet.
A spokesperson for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero told The Sun they expect plug-in solar panels to be “available to buy this summer”.
“This technology, already widely used by households throughout Europe, is easy to install and could save many households significant amounts on their energy bills,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
In March the government said it was planning to get plug-in solar panels on supermarket shelves by the end of 2026. This is in response to the need for consumers to be able to access clean energy amid the US-Iran war, which has caused gas prices to balloon and pushed the energy price cap to £1,862.
What is different about plug-in solar panels?
Plug-in solar panels are different to traditional rooftop solar panels because you can simply plug them into the mains socket in your wall. They require no installation and you can start running your home using solar energy straight away.
Government data suggests that on average you could save between £100 to £200 a year because they reduce the amount of energy you need to take from the grid.
Will plug-in solar panels be ready by August?
It’s hard to say, partly because the move to make plug-in solar more accessible involves changing safety laws around domestic electricity.
As of June 2026, the government is still looking into ways to ensure the “safe and legal use of plug-in solar products”.
Because household ring mains (a household wiring method used predominantly in the UK) to deliver power to appliances, not the other way around. Essentially, the big safety concern is that sockets could overheat with energy flowing in the opposite direction.
Updates were made to the law in April 2026 to allow plug-in solar panel systems of up to 800W, so plug-in solar is technically legal as of now, but there are still regulatory issues to think about.
- You still need to notify your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) when you plug in
- For the time being, you also need to get a qualified electrician, one registered under the Competent Person Scheme (CPS)
In June 2026, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), Electrical Safety First (ESF), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) released a joint statement saying it was “unclear how plug-in solar panels will interact with millions of existing electrical installations in UK homes”.
They warned that particularly older properties where wiring might have deteriorated are at greater risk of “fire and danger to life” due to the “inability of the circuit to deal with the importation of power”.
