Overview
- DESNZ says plug-in solar panels will reach UK retailers within months, with Amazon, Lidl and Iceland involved and Sainsbury’s, Currys and John Lewis preparing offers.
- Government guidance will amend the G98 distribution code and BS 7671 wiring rules to permit sub-800W systems to connect via a standard mains socket.
- Until the new rules take effect, microinverters must be hardwired by a qualified electrician under current UK electrical regulations.
- Typical kits are expected to cost about £400, and DESNZ estimates households could save £70 to £110 a year on bills.
- Experts say the kits suit smaller homes and flats with balconies that get south-facing light, and uptake abroad, including more than one million units in Germany, points to a mass‑market path and likely falling prices.