Plug-in solar panels became legal to buy and use across Great Britain from 27 August 2026, according to a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero release published the previous day. The government said households could save up to £110 a year, with each kit producing up to 800W of power—enough to supply up to 20% of an average home's electricity use, with no installation cost.

The department said the legal change followed independent safety testing of key electrical elements and that the UK specification is stricter than Germany's. It advised people to check whether landlord, freeholder, planning or listed building permission is needed before buying or installing panels.

Major retailers including Currys, B&Q, Screwfix and Amazon worked with the government on the rollout and were expected to stock the devices soon, the release said. It also cited MCS figures of almost 150,000 certified solar installations in the first six months of 2026, up 17% on the previous highest start to a year in 2025.