New £577 plug-in solar battery could help cut energy bills

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in A new integrated plug-in solar panel and battery system is launching in the UK, promising renters and homeowners a cheaper way to generate and store their own electricity. Energy supplier Fuse has opened reservations for Jules, a system that combines plug-in solar panels with a 2.5kWh home battery. But those interested in buying one will have to wait. Although plug-in solar panels became legal in Great Britain in August, the new rules do not currently cover systems incorporating batteries. Fuse says it expects the first Jules systems to be delivered in 2027, subject to the necessary regulations being approved. The launch comes less than two months after new rules made it legal for households to connect approved small solar systems directly to a standard plug socket without employing an electrician. The government estimates that compliant plug-in panels could save households up to £110 a year and provide as much as 20 per cent of an average home's electricity. Jules goes a step further by adding battery storage, allowing households to keep some of the electricity produced during the day and use it later rather than having to consume the power as it is generated. Fuse says its system can also charge the battery from the grid when electricity is cheaper, with software deciding when to charge and discharge it according to electricity prices, solar forecasts and a household's expected consumption. The company claims users could save around £180 a year with one of its advertised configurations, although actual savings will depend on factors including the number and position of panels, electricity consumption, weather and tariff. Fuse currently advertises Jules with two solar panels for £577 when combined with a Fuse energy tariff discount, and the system can support up to four 500W solar panels. That doesn't mean it can send 2,000W into a home's electricity system, however. Under the UK's new plug-in solar rules, compliant systems are limited to a maximum inverter output of 800VA, although you can connect up to 2,000W of solar panel capacity. Adding more panel capacity can help a system get closer to its maximum output for longer periods when conditions are less than ideal. The battery could also potentially make a plug-in system more useful for those who are away during the sunniest part of the day, since electricity generated by the panels could be stored for use in the evening. When will the Fuse Jules system be available? Although plug-in solar panels are now legal in Great Britain, the Government's current rules only cover systems without batteries and explicitly exclude both plug-in batteries and solar devices integrated with battery storage. Fuse is therefore unable to deliver Jules until the regulations are updated to permit these systems. For now, consumers interested in Jules can join Fuse's free reservation list , although deliveries cannot begin until regulations permit plug-in systems with integrated battery storage. Fuse is targeting a 2027 launch, but the government hasn’t yet announced a firm timetable for approving these systems.