Guide
Is plug-in solar worth it? Savings and payback in plain numbers
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For most homes an 800 W kit saves somewhere between £70 and £115 a year. On a £450 kit that's a payback of four to seven years; on a £1,200 kit it's more like 11 years or longer.
Where those numbers come from
The government modelled two set-ups for a typical home that uses 3,323 kWh a year with someone in during the day (DESNZ analytical annex, Table 2):
| Set-up | Used in the home | Saving a year |
|---|---|---|
| Panels tilted at 30°, facing south | 428 kWh | about £110 |
| Upright on an east or west wall | 272 kWh | about £70 |
At today's price cap rate of 26.32p a kWh the first case is worth about £113.
What moves your figure
- Direction and angle. South and tilted is best. An upright wall or balcony loses roughly a quarter to a half.
- Shade. A tree or the next building over can cut output sharply.
- Who's home. You only save on power you use as it's made. With nobody in during the day, more of it leaks out to the grid unpaid.
- Export payments. A few suppliers pay plug-in owners for exported power (Octopus and British Gas have offered this), but the sums are small.
Costs people forget
If your wiring hasn't been checked for a while, an electrical safety check () typically costs £100-250, and a new outdoor socket £140-260 (MoneySavingExpert, October 2026). Either one adds a year or two to the payback.
Try your own home in the plug-in solar calculator. It shows the payback for every kit we list.
Plug-in solar kits worth a look
Not electrical advice. We compare products; we are not electricians. Before you connect a solar kit to your home, ask a qualified electrician to check the socket, the circuit and your consumer unit, and follow the maker's instructions.
Questions buyers ask before buying
Will it ever pay for itself?
On the government's figures an 800 W kit tilted south saves about £113 a year in a home where someone is in during the day. The cheapest register-listed kit we list is £449 (sold out at the seller today), so that is roughly 4 years, and panels usually last far longer. Your home will differ: check yours in six questions.
Is it really legal and safe to plug into a socket?
Yes in England, Wales and Scotland since 27 August 2026, for kits listed on the . We only recommend kits whose listing we could confirm, and each kit page shows it. The rules ask for a modern consumer unit and no extension leads; if your fuse box is old, get an electrician to check it first. Is plug-in solar safe?
My house doesn't face south.
East or west still works. The government's figure for an upright east or west wall is about £72 a year with the same kit. North-facing is the one case where it is rarely worth it, and our calculator says so. Every direction compared.
I rent, or I live in a flat.
Plug-in solar was designed with flats in mind: no roof, no installer. You need your landlord's or freeholder's permission, and when you move you unplug it and take it with you, telling the network operator both times.
Sounds complicated.
Fix the panels with the maker's brackets, plug the kit into an outdoor socket, and tell your network operator using the QR code on the label. No meter change and no installer for the kit itself.
Can't I add a battery to use it in the evening?
Not under the plug-in rules: batteries are outside them and need fitting by a registered electrician. A plug-in kit pays back fastest on power you use in the day. Are solar batteries safe and legal?
Ready to choose?