If like us you've been looking into solar energy as a way to bring down your energy bills, you'll know that traditional rooftop solar panels are really expensive to install – and of course they're not an option if you're renting or if you live somewhere that doesn't have its own roof, such as a flat or apartment.
That's why we're extremely excited about plug-in solar panels, which will be legal to install from 27 August 2026.
Plug-in panels can go almost anywhere – on a balcony, on a shed roof, in the garden or anywhere else you get the sun – and they're cheap to buy, easy to install and can go with you if you move home.
This is the beginning of a renewables revolution that's going to reach millions of people and create a whole new residential solar market – but there are a few things that need to happen before we're all enjoying the benefits of unlimited free energy.
In this guide we'll explain where the UK is right now, and where we'll be going next.
What's so great about plug-in solar?
Ask the Germans. In Germany, Balkonkraftwerks (balcony power plants} are everywhere, and not just on balconies. All kinds of people use them to generate electricity safely and effectively by placing them on walls, in gardens, on garage roofs and anywhere else there's room for a panel or two.
Germany is a mature market where you can pick up plug-in solar panels and batteries as you do the big shop in Lidl, and there are an estimated 4 million plug-in systems in use in Germany today*.
There are three big benefits to plug-in solar. The first two are financial: the energy they generate is effectively free so they can lower your energy bills, and they cost a fraction of what you'd pay for a rooftop installation. And the other big benefit is that they bring solar energy to many more people, such as apartment dwellers and people who rent their homes.
Plug-in solar isn't a replacement for rooftop solar. Rooftop solar is still the ideal if you have the right property and the money to pay for it. But plug-in solar invites millions more people to a plug-in party. And its approval coincides with a rise in UK and European demand for summertime air conditioning, which can be really expensive to run; plug-in solar can reduce the cost and energy footprint of those aircon units as they keep the daytime heat at bay.
What plug-in solar options are available in the UK?
To begin with, the UK government has only legalised plug-in solar panels that connect directly to your home's normal electricity supply. That's good, because it reduces the energy you need to pay for during the day – but when the sun goes down, solar generation stops and you're back on the power grid.
The next stage is to pair plug-in solar with home battery systems. That means you can harvest free energy during the day and use it at night.
Anker SOLIX is the world's number one brand in plug-and-play solar battery storage, with over 15 years experience in consumer energy products including the acclaimed Solarbank 4 Pro. As their spokesperson explains, the next big step is to bring batteries on board. "We believe battery storage will be the next step for UK households," they told us. "It is an important part of that journey because it allows people to keep more of the energy they generate and use it when they need it most."
Batteries solve a simple problem: we use more energy at night than we do during the day, when many of us tend to be at work, in education or just out and about. With home batteries you can generate energy in the daytime and then use it when you're watching Netflix, running the dishwasher or cooking dinner.
Batteries are already common with solar setups, and the best ones are modular – so for example the Solarbank 4 Pro is expandable from its 5kWh capacity to up to 30kWh simply by adding more units. And Anker SOLIX's option is smart, with an AI system that schedules charging based on real-time energy prices and even weather data. It launched in Germany earlier this year and is coming to the UK imminently.
What's involved in plug-in solar?
Plug-in solar consists of two key components: the solar panel or panels, which usually come with mounting brackets, and a micro-inverter. The micro-inverter takes the direct current (DC) generated by the panel and turns it into the same alternating current (AC) that your home electricity uses. That means you can simply plug the kit into a standard mains plug socket and it'll deliver electricity to your home.
In the UK, approved plug-in solar kits are allowed to deliver up to 800W of electricity and you can install them yourself, although if you're not a DIYer then it's a simple job for your local electrician.
How much does plug-in solar cost, and what will I save?
We're writing this before the first plug-in kits go on sale in the UK, so detailed pricing isn't yet available. But you can expect to pay around £400 for a decent plug-in solar kit, and over its 15-year lifespan the UK government estimates that you'll save around £70 to £110 a year on your energy bills. That's at today's energy prices, so the actual savings are likely to be a lot higher. So that's a return on your investment in four years and more than a decade of free energy after that.
What stands in the way of everyone embracing plug-in solar?
Not being able to use batteries just yet is a big obstacle if you're not at home in the daytime, because there's no way to store the energy you're generating. However, that will hopefully be addressed by the government very soon: in places like Germany plug-in solar generally includes a battery as well as the panels because the German government have been very pro-solar.
The UK government can help drive adoption here by creating clear legislation and technical standards for solar generation and storage, and by ensuring that there's solid consumer protection in place.
The government, retailers and the energy industry can also help drive adoption with education: there's still a bit of confusion over what is and isn't allowed and what plug-in solar can and can't deliver. Many of the energy companies are already running campaigns to help with that, and some are developing new tariffs specifically for plug-in solar users.
One of the most important issues is going to be trust. Now that plug-in solar has been given the green light by the UK government we're likely to see an influx of products from various manufacturers, some of which will be excellent and some of which... won't.
Consumer trust is as important as price: we need to be sure that if we invest in plug-in solar we're getting products that are effective, reliable, safe, and backed with good customer service and warranties. As with other electrical products, smart shoppers are likely to stick with brands and retailers that they trust rather than simply looking for the cheapest options.
To find out more visit our website where you'll find everything you need to know about this renewables revolution.
* Source: Bundesnetzagentur MaStR and Solarwirtschaft trade body 2026 estimates.