I’ve started using plug-in solar panels – I’m set to save at least £160 a year

When the Government legalised plug-in solar panels in the UK this summer, John Steel knew immediately he wanted to buy them. The 72-year-old retired A&E nurse had solar on the roof of his previous home so had experienced the benefits of cheap electricity firsthand. But that setup was funded by the Government and he couldn’t afford a full installation at his new home, a detached bungalow in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. The bungalow’s roof was also north-facing, meaning the prospect of a traditional solar setup was less attractive.

Steel installed plug-in solar panels on his property’s south-facing wall two weeks ago. While the grey weather has generated limited savings so far, he expects to save at least £160 by the end of his first year. Panels to be paid off in ‘three to four years’ Plug-in solar panels are a cheaper, lightweight version of the green technology, which can be plugged directly into a standard socket to provide instant renewable power. They became legal in the UK in August and can be bought from a range of retailers including Argos, Homebase and Amazon.

The Government has estimated, based on the output of a 800W solar panel kit, that the technology would save people £70 to £110 a year. Steel bought two 920W panels from his energy provider, Octopus Energy, at a cost of £650 including all the hardware needed for installation. The savings have been modest so far due to the weather. His best day over the past two weeks has seen him generate 3.5 kWh of electricity – worth about 90p based on his current electricity tariff.

“It’s a bit difficult because of the season, because each day the light gets less, so it produces less,” he explained. But when the days get longer, Steel believes it “should subsidise for the whole of the day until it goes dark. So it should be quite a saving in the summer”. Steel installed the solar panels on the south-facing wall of his home Based on his savings so far, he has calculated it will take three to four years for the upfront cost of the panels to be paid off with savings – meaning he expects to save £160 to £215 per year.

Rising energy bills were a crucial factor for Steel in the decision to invest. “Especially as a pensioner it’s something you feel you have limited control over… it’s a little bit of a safety net,” he said. ‘Panels are big and heavy’ One of the benefits of plug-in solar panels is that they are lighter and easier to install. They have been promoted as a solution for flat owners and renters, who in theory should be able to move them from house to house.

However, Steel warns the panels are still quite “big and heavy”. While he said he and his wife got them up “quite easily”, he noted that he does have experience working as an electrical engineer. Steel got his grandson, an electrician, to put a weatherproof double socket on the outside of his property for the panels to plug into. While plug-in solar panels have been promoted as a solution for flatowners, experts warned that leaseholders in England may struggle to get permission from their freeholders for the installations without paying large fees .

A battery would boost savings Currently, Steel’s solar panels are not connected to a battery, meaning he can only benefit from the free solar panel while it is being generated, and cannot store it for later use. Steel said a battery would significantly boost his savings, but they are expensive, with a 5kWh battery costing around £1,200 excluding installation. “I’ll leave it up to the Government and see what they do,” Steel said. The Government’s Warm Homes Local Grant scheme currently offers low-income households grants to install batteries, but only if they are part of a wider set-up and not as a standalone option.

Ministers have also commissioned a safety study as part of a move to legalise plug-in batteries, which can be used along plug-in solar panels. However, this safety study may not be complete until 2028.