Plug-in Solar Panels UK Go on Sale From £699 This Week

Plug-in solar panels UK kits are set to go on sale this Thursday, August 27, as British company UKSOL becomes the first to meet regulatory compliance for the devices, according to The i Paper. The kits will be available for delivery through Argos and other suppliers, though they are not expected to be widely available inside supermarkets or high-street stores before the end of summer.

UK households will be permitted to use compliant devices from 27 August after Labour ministers pushed through legal changes last month. UKSOL solar panels were the first to be listed as compliant by the Energy Networks Association (ENA), with two garden-mounted kits going on sale from that date.

UKSOL's 460W single-panel system, with an 800W microinverter, mounting kit and monitoring app, will sell for around £699. A more powerful 890W two-panel system will sell for £999, though the microinverter caps output at 800W. Both prices include VAT but not delivery.

There had been expectations that UK plug-in solar panels would cost around £400 as part of the government's push for wider adoption this summer, but experts said the plug-in solar panel price may be higher, varying by size and power output.

"It's exciting," UKSOL chief executive Andrew Moore said. "It's going to give people a feel-good factor because they're going to generate some of their own power in an eco-friendly way. It's going to reduce their energy bills, and means less reliance on energy companies."

The government has capped generation at 800W per electricity circuit. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) estimates plug-in solar panels energy savings of £70 to £110 a year, though Moore said the larger kit could save more depending on placement and sunlight.

Specialist supplier Hampshire Generators expects to soon sell a smaller, balcony-mountable kit with a 400W microinverter for £350–£450, according to managing director Andrew Williams, who said it may become ENA compliant within days. Retailers including Lidl, Asda, B&Q, Currys, Screwfix and Wickes have expressed interest in balcony solar panels UK, though none have set a launch date.

Dylan Ryan, an energy engineering expert at Edinburgh Napier University, said prices would vary depending on power output and mounting readiness. Solar Energy UK said it expects plug-in solar panels 2026 costs to fall over time as demand and supply increase, as seen in Germany.

A DESNZ spokesperson said compliant plug-in solar panels would be available to order from Thursday from retailers including Argos, describing the technology as "transformative" and capable of saving people "hundreds of pounds" on their bills.