Guide
Safe use of power stations and solar kits at home
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Quick picks
- Never plug a power station into a wall socket to "back-feed" your house. It is dangerous for you and for people working on the network.
- Keep it dry and ventilated. Use and charge a power station indoors or under cover, away from heat, with space round the vents. Most stations won't charge below about 0 °C, so in a cold garage, shed or van check the charging temperature range in the manual.
- Solar kits: no extension leads or adaptors. The rules ban them. Plug the kit straight into one wall socket on a socket circuit.
- Weatherproof outdoor sockets. Outdoor plugs and sockets need at least IP55. Don't run cables through windows or doors.
- Mount panels properly. Two panels can weigh 40 kg before wind load. Use the brackets supplied for your wall, balcony or ground, never ties or straps.
- Check your protection. Press the test button now and then while the kit is producing; if it doesn't trip, call an electrician.
- If in doubt, ask an electrician. Especially in older homes, rented homes and flats.
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?