Households can save hundreds on bills as plug-in solar panels become legal to use and buy across the country.
- Plug-in solar panels now legal to buy and use across the country
- Households could save up to £110 a year, with panels providing up to 20% of average home electricity use
- Savings follow government cuts to VAT on energy bills to offer breathing space this winter
More families are set to save money on bills as plug-in solar panels become legal across Great Britain.
From today (27 August), the easy-to-install panels can be plugged into homes across the country, saving households up to £110 a year on their bills through clean, homegrown power.
Each plug-in solar kit produces up to 800W of power, enough to provide up to 20% of an average home’s electricity use. This can run a typical fridge, television, Wi-Fi router, laptop, phone charger and an Xbox S operating at once when the sun is shining.
This all comes with no installation cost and without taking any electricity from the grid.
The legal changes follow rigorous, independent safety testing, covering all key electrical elements, which shows that compliant panels are safe and compatible with UK wiring.
The UK safety specification is more stringent than that of Germany, where the technology is already widely used and around half a million new devices were plugged in last year.
Homegrown power is the only way to deliver energy security for the country and financial security for families and businesses.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 'Plug-in solar is 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'.
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.
The low-cost panels can be put in any outdoor space or on some balconies. Before purchasing or installing plug-in solar devices, people should check whether any permissions are required for the property. This may include permission from a landlord and/or building owner or freeholder permission, planning permission or listed building consent.
Decisions on whether to approve requests are a matter for landlords, freeholders or councils, but we encourage them to consider each case on its individual merits.
Enabling these easy-to-install panels is just one of the ways the government is giving people breathing space to help tackle bills.
In July, the Prime Minister announced plans to cut VAT on energy bills to give families breathing space this winter. This builds on the £150 of costs taken off energy bills in the Budget last year and the expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount to around six million households.
Retailers including Amazon, Argos, Curry’s and Wickes have all committed to stocking plug-in solar panels.
Source: GOV.UK
