Balconies & flats
The classic setup: one or two panels on a railing or wall, a microinverter, a socket. No roof, no scaffolding, and it moves house with you.
Plug-in solar kitsThe UK’s plug-in solar guide
Solar that plugs in.
Finally legal.
From 27 August 2026, UK homes can run certified solar panels through a normal socket - no scaffolding, no rewiring, no five-figure install. Everyday Solar explains the new rules, the kit, and the honest maths, before the market even exists.
- Written for UK rules & UK weather
- Every claim cited to the legislation
- Independent - we sell nothing
How we got here
Three dates that opened the socket
Balcony solar took off in Germany a decade ago - over a million homes run it. UK wiring rules effectively banned it, until this year. The paper trail, in order:
- 15 Apr 2026 BS 7671 Amendment 4 in force The wiring regulations gain provisions for plug-in generation, with an 800W per-home output cap.
- 16 Jul 2026 Enabling regulations made SI 2026/848 is made, setting the legal route for consumer plug-in solar devices.
- 27 Aug 2026 Plug-in solar becomes legal SI 2026/848 enters force. Compliant kits can legally feed power through a standard socket.
- In progress First certified kits reach UK retail Only kits certified to the government’s interim product specification qualify. None are certified yet - we are tracking every application.
Where would it go?
Fit it to the space you actually have
Gardens & patios
Ground frames and shed walls often beat balconies on angle and shade. The same plug-in rules apply - and there is more room to aim the panels south.
Rules, grants & savingsRenters
No permanent alterations, no landlord-owned kit. Freestanding mounts and clamp fixings keep the deposit safe - check the tenancy before you drill anything.
Portable & garden solarThe honest maths
The saving, with its working shown
Most solar marketing hands you a number with no working. Here is the whole formula - three inputs, one multiplication - and one worked example with its assumptions in the open.
~700 kWh/yr
What the kit generates
An 800W kit, south-facing and unshaded, in UK conditions
60%
The share you use live
Power is only free when something is switched on to take it
27p/kWh
Your unit rate
A typical capped rate - yours is on your bill
~£113/yr
off your electricity bill
Worked example, not a quote
Illustrative, not a promise: shade, orientation and daytime habits move this a long way in both directions. The guides show how to estimate your own number before you spend anything.
The map
Everything we cover
Plug-in solar kits How the kits work, what certification means, and which ones will be worth shortlisting once they can legally be sold for UK sockets. Rules, grants & savings The 2026 rule change in plain English: what is legal, what to notify, and payback maths with the working shown. Batteries & storage Plug-in storage shifts midday generation to the evening. When that stacks up - and when it is money down the drain. Portable & garden solar Chargers, power stations and garden solar you can already buy today - no rule change required.
Fresh off the press
Latest guides
UK Solar Panel Output by Month: Real PVGIS Data What an 800W plug-in solar setup generates each month in London, Birmingham and Glasgow, from PVGIS data - and how deep the December trough goes. Read the guide Plug-in Solar in the UK: The Complete 2026 Guide Plug-in solar becomes legal in the UK on 27 August 2026. What is allowed, the 800W limit, certified kits, safety rules, and how to notify your DNO. Read the guide Can You Add a Battery to Plug-In Solar in the UK? Plug-in solar batteries are not yet legal for UK socket use - the 2026 spec covers panels only. What you can do today, and what needs an installer. Read the guide
Why trust this site?
Built for the reader, not the retailer
- UK-specific. Not translated German advice, not American voltages - UK rules, UK prices, UK weather.
- Independent. We sell no panels and take no placement fees. Affiliate links are disclosed and never decide a ranking.
- Sources cited. Claims about the rules link to the legislation and official guidance they come from.
- Honest about the gaps. No kit is certified yet, and we say so - on the page where a sale would be easiest.
The plug-in era has started
Learn how plug-in solar works, what the rules allow, and what a kit could honestly save you - before everyone else catches up.