Major retailers Currys, B&Q, Amazon and Lidl have now all joined the planned plug-in solar panel market, following rule changes previewed by the Government in March that could allow homeowners to self-install plug-in solar panels.

The Government now plans to bring plug-in solar panels to UK in the near future, and within ‘coming months’, although not set timeline has been announced. The technology has already seen widespread adoption across the Continent, with Germany having around half a million new devices plugged in per year.

The panels can be put on balconies or in any outdoor space, and the electricity generated can be used directly through a mains socket like any other device, without an installation cost, thereby reducing the amount of electricity taken from the grid and cutting energy bills.

At a recent roundtable with retailers, Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey discussed the future role of plug-in solar, saying: “Plug-in panels can be transformative for renters or those on lower incomes, so I welcome the conversation today with household names such as B&Q and Currys showing a huge amount of support for getting the panels in people’s homes.”

Alongside the roundtable, the Government has launched a consultation seeking industry views on enforcing the rules so consumers can safely self-install plug-in panels.

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