The Cut: Are plug-in solar panels more popular than rooftop?

• Plug-in panels are booming in popularity and may even surpass rooftop solar, according to Uswitch
• More than 25% of households hope to have them within five years
• Drilling in the North Sea would barely cut £10 off energy bills

Households and billpayers are overwhelmingly in favour of plug-in solar. How do we know this? Because Octopus is struggling to keep up with demand and because data from Uswitch has found that more than a quarter of households are planning to get plug-in solar panels in the next five years.

The popularity of plug-in solar panels is also interesting because according to Uswitch’s data more people are planning to install them in the next five years than rooftop panels.

There are a number of reasons for this, mainly that plug-in solar panels are a lot cheaper than rooftop ones. They’re also easier to buy and install, with there being no need for scaffolding or professional installation.

This doesn’t mean to say that you should dismiss rooftop solar panels – you can cut your energy bills by about 70% by combining them with a battery – but if you’re starting on your clean energy journey, plug-ins might be a better option.

Regardless of which is more popular, it’s really encouraging that solar is booming in popularity. More retailers have started stocking plug-in solar panels, with Wilko, Currys, Homebase and others joining Argos and Screwfix in selling them.

We expect plug-in solar to become a massive part of the UK domestic energy mix, possibly matching, maybe bettering, Germany.

The UK has huge renewable and clean energy potential. That’s why it’s critically important that government steps up to support the industry and households. Plug-in solar is popular, but ministers need to think about how they can keep up the momentum.

That includes:

• Cut VAT from plug-in solar costs
• Fully legalise plug-in batteries to make it easier for people to store their energy
• Include plug-in solar (panels and batteries) in the Warm Homes Plan

What ministers should NOT do is waste time, resources and money allowing drilling in the North Sea. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of Conservative Party, has said she would approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw sites. The PM Andy Burnham is apparently finding it hard to make up his mind. Should Number 10 look at the numbers, it’s clear where the UK’s energy future lies.

Written By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger Deputy editor

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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Will Georgiadis

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