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Plug-in solar: the 800 W balcony and garden kits

Plug-in solar became legal in Great Britain on 27 August 2026. The rules, costs, savings, registration, VAT, and what it can't do.

Checked 9 October 2026 · Sources

Two solar panels fixed to the railing of a first-floor balcony
A plug-in balcony solar kit in northern Germany · Photo: Michael32710, CC BY-SA 4.0

What changed

Since 27 August 2026, plug-in (balcony or garden) solar has been legal in England, Scotland and Wales. It isn't yet legal in Northern Ireland, where separate regulations need updating.

A plug-in kit is a small set of panels with a microinverter that plugs into an ordinary wall socket, so you use the electricity in your home without an electrician wiring it in.

The rules

  • The microinverter's output is capped at 800 W.
  • Only one device per home for now — you can't link several together. The government is looking at allowing more.
  • Plug it straight into a fixed wall socket — never an extension lead or adaptor.
  • The device must be on the Energy Networks Association's type-test register, and you must register it before use, giving your name, postcode, and the make and model.
  • In England, permitted development rules don't allow plug-in solar to be fixed to wooden walls, balconies, fences, gates or timber cladding.
  • Renters, leaseholders and flat owners need the landlord's or freeholder's permission. Listed buildings and conservation areas may need consent.

Costs and savings

  • Kits that meet UK rules cost from about £450, including panels, microinverter, brackets and cables. Retailers named by the government include Currys, B&Q, Screwfix, Amazon, Argos and Wickes.
  • The Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates an 800 W kit makes about 700 kWh a year, saving about £100 a year if you're home all day and £70 if you're out (based on Manchester, a south-facing 30° tilt, 2,500 kWh a year and 24.7p per kWh).
  • The government says up to £110 a year, and up to 20% of an average home's electricity.
  • Kits bought from a shop without installation are charged standard-rate VAT — the 0% rate applies only to installed systems.

EST says current devices suit gardens better than balconies; a balcony needs a suitable frame and permission.

What it can't do

  • No export payments: most suppliers won't pay Smart Export Guarantee rates for plug-in solar because it has no MCS certificate, and Citizens Advice says current rules mean you can't be paid for its exports.
  • No battery: current rules don't allow plug-in output to be stored in a battery.

Insurance

Citizens Advice has raised questions about insurance for plug-in solar. Check with your home insurer before you fit one.

Plug-in or rooftop?

A plug-in kit is cheap and quick, but small. A rooftop system makes several times as much and can earn export payments — the government estimates rooftop solar can save up to £480 a year. See are solar panels worth it?.

Sources

  1. Energy Saving Trust: Plug-in solar panels
  2. GOV.UK: Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market
  3. Citizens Advice: Six things to know before plug-in solar panels hit UK shelves
  4. Citizens Advice: Response to ENA consultation on plug-in micro-generation
  5. legislation.gov.uk: GPDO 2015 (England) Schedule 2 Part 14
  6. HMRC VAT Notice 708/6: Energy-saving materials and heating equipment

This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rules and prices change, and some differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — check the sources for your situation.