Labour has vowed to ensure that ‘plug-in’ solar panels are available in supermarkets and other retailers across Britain ‘within months’.
As war in the Middle East threatens to push up energy bills, energy secretary Ed Miliband wants to encourage more households to wean themselves off fossil fuel power.
The devices haven’t been widely available in Britain before, and households may be unsure how they work and whether their home could benefit.
This is Money examines what plug-in solar panels are, how they work, who can buy them, whether they could save consumers money and how long it might take to get the initial outlay back.
We also look at whether people living in shaded properties should bother with solar, and what obstacles people in rented or leasehold homes could face.
On a mission: Labour’s energy tsar Ed Miliband wants to ramp up renewable energy use
What are plug-in solar panels?
These are solar panels which can be plugged into a home’s mains electricity system using a standard three-pin plug, without needing to be fitted by a qualified electrician.
To work, the solar panels would be plugged into household sockets and installed in outdoor areas such as balconies, rooftops, gardens and external walls. They should help more people living in small houses or flats with balconies to use solar-powered energy.
Once the solar panels are plugged in, households will be able to start generating their own electricity to help power their homes. In theory, this should mean households do not need to buy or use so much electricity from the grid.
Dr Phil Wu, chief executive of solar panel company Absolar, said: ‘They typically include one or two panels and a small inverter. The panels generate DC electricity from sunlight, and the inverter converts it into AC electricity that matches the home’s power supply.
‘In simple terms, it works like a small power station feeding your home directly, reducing how much electricity you need to import from the grid.’
Daroon Ramadani, a senior policy analyst at Solar Energy UK, told This is Money: ‘They capture energy from the sun, it’s converted to electricity which you can use to instantly power the home – so you don’t need to take as much power from the grid.’
Plug-in solar panels are already widely used in parts of Europe. Approximately half a million plug-in devices are installed in Germany each year.
Households can already install traditional solar panels, which are usually permanently fixed to a roof. But these are larger and can be expensive to install. According to the Energy Saving Trust, conventional solar panels typically cost around £6,000 for an average-sized home, without a battery system.
The new plug-in solar panels will be limited to a capacity of 800 watts. This is less than the capacity of conventional rooftop solar panel systems, which is about four kilowatts.
What’s Labour’s plan?
British households could see their energy bills rise by £288 a year in July, largely as a result of the Iran war, according to the latest forecasts by analytics firm Cornwall Insight.
In a statement on 24 March 2026, Government energy tsar Ed Miliband, said: ‘The Iran War has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.
‘Whether through solar panels fitted as standard on new homes or making it possible for people to purchase plug-in solar in shops, we are determined to roll out clean power so we can give our country energy sovereignty.’
The Government said plug-in solar panels would be ‘in shops within months, offering households chance to significantly cut energy bills.’
The future? Labour wants plug-in solar panels used in flats and houses across Britain
Are households able to use plug-in solar panels now?
Plug-in solar panels can already be purchased in Britain. But, regulations prohibit them from being plugged into a circuit connected to the grid, including household plug sockets.
Certain retailers are working with the Government to update the rules and enable households to connect the plug-in solar panels to residential plug sockets in people’s homes.
Dr Wu, said: ‘Standard household plug sockets are not designed for electricity to flow “backwards” into the system. Because of this, directly plugging generation into a socket is generally not compliant with existing electrical safety standards.
‘Current rules, including those under Engineering Recommendation G98, require small-scale generation to be connected safely and, in most cases, installed or signed off by a qualified electrician.
‘So while the technology itself is straightforward, the regulatory framework has not fully caught up with plug-and-play use.’
Ramadani, of Solar Energy UK, said: ‘Current regulations have meant that plug-in systems haven’t been permitted in the same way as they are in some European countries. Our understanding is that unlike a larger rooftop array, plug-in systems would not be able to export to the grid. The rules are in the process of being updated.
‘The Government launched a consultation in 2025 on plug-in solar, after publishing its UK Solar Roadmap. The new changes to wiring regulations mean that systems under 800 watts can plug into sockets without needing an electrician.
‘The Government commissioned a study into the safety and feasibility of this at the end of last year, which we expect will be finished soon and be key to safely delivering the technology.’
Where can households buy plug-in solar panels?
The Government said it was working with retailers like Lidl, famous for its ‘middle-aisle’ offerings, and Iceland, alongside manufacturers such as EcoFlow, to enable plug-in solar panels to be brought to the UK market.
A source at Sainsbury’s, which owns Argos, also indicated that the retailer was examining options for plug-in solar panel suppliers and was open to offering such products to shoppers. It already sells an Anker portable power station, currently on sale for £1,099.
Georgina Hall, of Lidl GB, said: ‘At Lidl GB, we are committed to making sustainable living affordable for everyone and we welcome the Government’s move to modernise regulations in the UK.
‘Updating the regulatory landscape for this “plug-and-play technology is a positive step towards empowering British households to manage their energy costs and support the nation’s net-zero ambitions.’
Supermarket solar: Lidl is working to get plug-in solar panels available in its shops
At present, John Lewis has no plans to start stocking plug-in solar panels.
A John Lewis spokesperson told This is Money: ‘We are constantly reviewing our ranges to make sure we stock what our customers want to buy – but no plans at the present time.’
Amazon UK has a selection of plug-in solar panels available on its website, with some costing about £450 upwards.
British Gas said it was ‘already building the compatible tariffs and smart services that make this effortless.’
How much will plug-in solar panels cost?
It is not yet clear what the typical price of plug-in solar panels will be once they become more commonplace across Britain’s retail market. They are expected to be more widely available from this summer.
In Germany, families can expect to shell out anywhere from €449 to €2,761 for one of the balcony plug-in kits from Ikea. A small panel, however, costs around €200.
Ramadani of Solar Energy UK said he expected retailers in Britain to charge about £400 per plug-in solar panel.
Discussing units available now in Britain, Dr Wu said: ‘Typical costs range from around £300 to £1,000 depending on system size, number of panels, and whether mounting kits are included.’
How much money will households save on bills?
According to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, a household could save up to £70 to £110 a year on their energy bills by installing plug-in solar.
How long will plug-in solar panels take to pay their way?
With panels currently available from £400, a household could start making their money back in around four years, according to the Government’s analysis.
But, Dr Wu, of Absolar, believes that on the basis of current electricity prices, ‘payback periods’ could be longer, ranging from anything from six to 10 years.
Will leasehold flat owners or renters face problems?
While Labour has grand plans to get swathes of Britons plugging in solar panels at home, complexities could crop up for people owning leasehold flats or those currently renting a property.
Manjinder Atwal, a director of housing and property litigation at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said: ‘In most cases, flat owners or tenants cannot simply install plug-in solar panels on a balcony without permission.
‘Leasehold flats are usually subject to strict terms which often prohibit alterations to the exterior of the building, and a balcony will almost always fall within that definition. That means a lease can prevent installation altogether, even for small or “plug-in” systems.”
Got enough sun? Oner expert told This is Money people with north-facing homes shouldn’t bother with plug-in solar panels
She added: ‘Tenants face an additional hurdle, as they will usually need both the landlord’s consent and to ensure the lease allows it in the first place.
‘There are also practical risks to consider, including safety, potential damage, and whether the installation could affect the building’s structure or appearance.
‘It is vital to check the lease thoroughly and seek written permission before doing anything. Installing without consent could put the leaseholder in breach and, in serious cases, lead to enforcement action.’
Should people with shaded homes and gardens bother?
Typically, solar panels need decent levels of strong direct sunlight to be fully effective.
Adrian Arbib, owner of solar installer Evolve Electric, spoke to This is Money from the roof of City Hall in London where he was working on solar panels.
He said plug-in solar panels would be most useful for people with south-facing, south-east or south-west facing properties.
‘If you live in a north-facing property, forget it. There’s no point buying plug-in solar panels if you live in a north-facing home’, Arbib said.
Dr Wu added: ‘Heavy, consistent shading will significantly reduce the power output, and therefore the financial return.
‘Solar panels are designed to perform best under unblocked, direct sunlight. That said, modern systems can still generate electricity from diffuse daylight, which is common in the UK.
‘However, in cases of heavy shading, such as from nearby buildings, trees, or enclosed spaces, generation can drop to very low levels, and in some situations, close to none.’
Arbib said he ‘knows that green tech is the future’ and said solar panels he is working on now have long life-span and can last for around 40 years.