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Plug-in solar panels are now legal in the UK

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger
Written By
Published on 27 August 2026
  • Plug-in solar panels can now be bought in the UK as new legislation comes into effect
  • Law change comes after heavy testing to fit into UK wiring
  • Households can save £110 a year
Balcony Solar Panels for Flats

Households across the UK can now plug-in solar panels into their homes as the much-awaited legislation comes into effect.

According to the government, the now fully-legal solar panel kits could cover 20% of a household’s annual energy needs. They can run a typical fridge, TV, phone charger, and even Wi-Fi router and Xbox S.

Ministers estimate that the average household could save £110 a year, but some industry insiders have told The Eco Experts that this figure could be much higher.

Each plug-in solar kit produces a maximum of 800W of power, which is the 20% the government talks about, and they come with no installation cost and means you can generate energy without relying on the grid.

Plug-in solar panels’ new availability comes after “rigorous, independent safety testing, covering all electrical elements” to make them safe and compatible with UK wiring.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh described plug-in solar as “a simple, affordable way for households to take control of their energy bills and start saving straight away”.

“From this summer, we’re giving more families the ability power their homes with clean homegrown energy,” she said.

Major retailers, such as Currys, B&Q, Screwfix and Amazon have worked with government on the rollout of plug-in solar and will soon have them available to purchase in stores and online.

Written By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

He has represented The Eco Experts on national television several times, including the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live and ITV Tonight .

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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