Is plug-in solar legal in the UK?

Yes, in England, Scotland and Wales since 27 August 2026. You must use a complete kit listed as Compliant on the ENA register, plug it into a normal 13 A socket with no extension lead, and tell your network operator. Northern Ireland has different rules.

Will plug-in solar keep my power on in a power cut?

No. Every compliant kit switches itself off when the mains goes down. For backup, use a separate portable power station.

Do I need an electrician to fit plug-in solar?

Not for a compliant plug-in kit. You fix the panels outside with the mount supplied and plug the cable into a normal socket.

Do I get paid for power I send to the grid?

Usually not. Most plug-in kits are not paid for exported power, though Octopus offers this for its own kits.

Is plug-in solar worth it where you live, and which legal kit fits?

Answer eight quick questions, and tap any i if you are not sure what something means. You get a straight verdict, what it would save on your bills, how long it takes to cover its cost, the kits that fit your space, and what to do to stay legal. Built for Great Britain's plug-in solar rules that came in on 27 August 2026.

1Fix the panels outsideOne or two panels on a fence, wall, frame or roof. No electrician needed for a compliant kit.

2Plug into a socketA small box turns the panel's power into normal mains power and feeds it into your home.

3Your home uses it firstThe fridge, router and anything else running use solar power before buying from the grid, so your bill goes down.

How these numbers are worked out

Sunlight comes from the EU's PVGIS service, run for every half degree of latitude across Great Britain, eight directions and three panel angles, with 14% standard system losses and local terrain shading.
Railings, fences and walls are treated as upright (90 degrees). Garden frames as 35 degrees. Shed and flat roofs as 10 degrees.
Your shade answer reduces output by 0%, 18% or 40%. Nearby buildings and trees vary a lot, so treat this as an estimate.
Plug-in kits cannot send more than 800 W into your home. Kits with more panel power than that lose a little at sunny midday, which is included.
The share of power you use yourself is 80%, 65% or 50% depending on whether someone is home, and 15 points lower for two panel kits, because their midday output is often more than a home is using. The rest goes to the grid, usually unpaid for plug-in kits.
The 20 year figure assumes today's electricity price and panels losing about 0.5% of their output each year. If prices rise, you save more.
Kit prices were taken from UK retailer listings published between 10 and 30 October 2026. Prices and stock change quickly, so check the retailer before you buy.

Some links on this site may earn us a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which kits we rank first. How we make money.