Householders across the UK could reduce their energy bills with plug-in solar panels, as major retailers back government plans to make this technology widely available. Amazon, Asda, B&Q, Lidl, Currys, Screwfix, and Wickes attended a roundtable with Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey to discuss the role of plug-in solar in the clean energy revolution.
Government and Retailers Collaborate
The government aims to bring plug-in solar panels to UK homes, following rule changes announced earlier this year that will allow homeowners to self-install the panels. This builds on potential savings of up to £480 that consumers can already achieve from rooftop panels. The initiative comes as households face a sharp rise in energy bills from July 1.
Minister Martin McCluskey said: "Plug-in panels can be transformative for renters or those on lower incomes, so I welcome the conversation today with household names such as B&Q and Currys showing a huge amount of support for getting the panels in people's homes. This easy to install tech can cut people's bills and help make the UK less reliant on global fossil fuel markets."
Retailer Perspectives
John Boumphrey, UK & Ireland Country Manager for Amazon, stated: "This is a fantastic opportunity to make renewable energy more accessible to people around the UK. Amazon is the largest corporate buyer of carbon-free energy in the UK – we've invested in over 40 large scale solar and wind projects to date. Enabling households to generate their own power with self-install plug-in solar panels is a practical step that supports household budgets and delivering against net zero goals."
Graham Bell, CEO of B&Q, added: "We welcome the introduction of plug-in solar panels to the UK market, which will help households to generate their own energy and reduce their bills. This builds on our existing range of portable solar and battery solutions. We are working closely with government and suppliers to understand and help shape the guidance, ensuring any products we offer are safe, compliant and straightforward to install. We look forward to making plug-in solar available to our customers as soon as possible."
Technology and Benefits
The low-cost panels can be placed on balconies or any outdoor space, providing free solar power that can be used directly through a mains socket without installation costs, thereby reducing electricity taken from the grid. The government emphasizes that this technology, already widely used in Europe, is easy to install and could save many households significant amounts on energy bills while reducing reliance on global fossil fuel markets.
A consultation has been launched to seek industry views on enforcing rules so consumers can safely install plug-in panels in their homes. Households across Britain are already embracing solar power in record numbers: 2025 saw a record 269,000 solar installations completed in the UK, the highest total ever recorded in a calendar year and 37% larger than the year before. Around 255,000 of these were rooftop solar, meaning at least 95% of all new solar was installed on homes, businesses, and other buildings. This equates to a new rooftop solar installation every two minutes throughout 2025.
