Where to Buy Plug-In Solar Panels in Great Britain

Last checked: 14 September 2026. This page tracks where compliant plug-in solar kits may appear, what retailer announcements actually prove, and what to check before handing over your money.

Compliant kits are on sale — updated 14 September 2026

Compliant plug-in solar devices with no batteries have a legal Great Britain route from 27 August 2026, and compliant devices were on sale across at least ten sellers in the checks up to 14 September. UKSOL's kits are widely stocked — its ground mount range through the UKSOL store and City Plumbing, and six kits at Argos including the hybrid-mount range from £599. One UKSOL model bucked the trend: the Pro Advanced 920W hybrid-mount kit was on none of the UK shelves we check as of 14 September, including UKSOL's own store. UKSOL cut its own Duo 890W ground-mount prices to £899 click-and-collect and £999 delivered. Thunder Energy sells its two register-listed kits direct, but Plug In Solar now undercuts Thunder direct on the Bolt 460W ground/wall kit at £459.98. PatioSun Lite is £399 direct and in stock, still the cheapest compliant kit in this check, and the PatioSun shelf now carries five compliant kits including the Lite+ at £420 and Max Plus at £729. Plug In Solar also lists Perlight MAX 465, 500, 930 and 1000 at £588, £594, £798 and £810, all with a 4-week lead time. City Plumbing put three of its own register-listed 2-panel kits under £500 on 9 September — the Jinko 940W at £432, the DMEGC 930W at £444 and the DMEGC 1030W at £468, all sold direct inc VAT and live on cityplumbing.co.uk as checked on 14 September — and Screwfix stocks the PowerXpress 920W panel kit (800W microinverter output) at £669, in stock for delivery as checked on 14 September. Compliant manufacturers still with no confirmed UK stockist include InstaGroup, HDM Solar, ALTENERGY, Skyworth, Impact Crowd and Octopus Energy. Notification is handled by ENA's consumer portal at myplugin.solar for compliant devices — the homeowner still files the notification, and the G98 duty is unchanged. Don't assume other kits on sale are certified for the GB route — check the ENA register for the exact model, then see the portal walkthrough for how notification works after you buy.

27 Aug 2026

Legal route in force

7 makers

Compliant makers with UK sellers (of 13 compliant makers)

£399

Cheapest compliant kit (PatioSun Lite direct)

Retailers to watch

GOV.UK named Amazon, B&Q, Currys and Lidl as retailers joining the rollout plans on 16 June 2026. Asda was named as a roundtable attendee; Screwfix and Wickes were named as attendees that day and both were listed among the retailers committed to stocking on 26 August. That is a useful signal, but it is not proof that any product on their shelves is compliant.

The boring bit matters: the exact model on the listing has to match the evidence. Similar-looking kits can use different inverters, plugs, cables, or instructions.

Retailer	Status (source noted per row)	What to check before buying
Amazon UK	Named by GOV.UK as joining the plug-in solar rollout plans on 16 June 2026.	Look for the exact bundled kit model, inverter G98 record, IPS declaration, UK plug/fuse evidence, and DNO notification instructions.
B&Q	Named by GOV.UK as joining the plug-in solar rollout plans on 16 June 2026.	Treat any product page as a lead, not proof. Check the model against ENA Connect Direct and the manufacturer documents.
Currys	Named by GOV.UK as joining the plug-in solar rollout plans on 16 June 2026.	Check whether the product is solar-only and whether the retailer links to the conformity documents for the actual kit being sold.
Lidl	Named by GOV.UK as joining the plug-in solar rollout plans on 16 June 2026.	Do not rely on past EcoFlow or balcony-solar listings. Ask for current evidence for the exact Great Britain plug-in solar route.
Asda	Listed by GOV.UK as attending the 16 June 2026 retailer roundtable.	Attendance is not the same as a launch commitment. Wait for a product page with named model evidence.
Screwfix	Named by GOV.UK on 26 August 2026 as one of the major retailers — with Currys, B&Q and Amazon — that have worked with government on the rollout and will soon have plug-in solar available.	Useful retailer to watch, especially for trade-adjacent stock. Still check that the item is a compliant homeowner product.
Wickes	GOV.UK's 26 August 2026 launch announcement names Wickes among the retailers committed to stocking plug-in solar panels; it had earlier attended the 16 June 2026 retailer roundtable.	A DIY listing does not prove the kit is safe for your socket, circuit, lease, balcony, or insurer.
Argos	A major general-retail stockist of compliant UKSOL kits as checked on 10 September 2026 (stock list unchanged in the 14 September check). GOV.UK's 26 August launch announcement also names Argos among the retailers committed to stocking plug-in solar panels.	Argos lists six UKSOL kits (from £599 for the 515W hybrid) plus EcoFlow STREAM products, which are NOT compliant for the plug-in route. Check the exact model against the register before buying. Retail listings were last checked 10 September 2026.
City Plumbing, Screwfix, Thunder Energy, Patiosun, Modular Solar & Plug In Solar	City Plumbing (trade merchant selling to homeowners) stocks the two UKSOL ground-mount kits plus three of its own register-listed 2-panel kits, sold direct; Screwfix stocks the register-listed PowerXpress 920W kit; Thunder Energy sells its two register-listed Bolt kits direct; Patiosun and Modular Solar sell register-listed kits from their own stores; Plug In Solar sells Thunder, UKSOL and four Perlight MAX kits.	City Plumbing shows VAT-inclusive prices behind a toggle — the inc-VAT figures are the ones to compare; its own-brand Jinko 940W (£432), DMEGC 930W (£444) and DMEGC 1030W (£468) kits are the cheapest compliant 2-panel kits as checked on 14 September 2026. Thunder quotes each kit's ENA register reference on its product page, which makes checking easy. Screwfix's PowerXpress 920W panel kit (£669, 800W microinverter output, in stock as checked 14 September) has no register reference on the page — match the model name against the register before buying. Plug In Solar undercuts Thunder direct on the Bolt 460W ground/wall kit and lists Perlight MAX kits with a 4-week lead time.
Specialist online retailers	Useful for market monitoring, but not an authority on legal compliance.	Use their listings to find candidate products, then verify the official evidence yourself before buying.

Price claims age quickly

Recent market examples have ranged from single-panel starter kits to larger dual-panel kits, but this page no longer treats a live price range as a compliance fact. Prices change, delivery may be separate, and product bundles can change without the page title changing.

When comparing prices, separate panel DC wattage from inverter output. The IPS route is framed around limits including 800 VA output,3.5 A current, and up to 2000 W PV module DC power under the stated conditions. A cheap kit that misses the paperwork is not cheap if you cannot safely use it.

Evidence to ask for

Do not ask a retailer whether the kit is “UK ready”. Ask for documents. If they cannot point you to the evidence for the exact kit, wait.

An IPS v2 declaration of conformity for the exact bundled kit, not just the brand.
A matching ENA Connect Direct entry for the inverter or microinverter model used in that kit.
A G98 type-test record with the same manufacturer and model reference as the product listing.
Manufacturer instructions that explain DNO notification, disconnection, and the one-device limits.
A factory-fitted BS 1363 UK plug with a BS 1362 fuse not exceeding 5 A.
A solar-only product. Plug-in batteries and battery-integrated plug-in solar are outside the IPS route.

For the live register, search ENA Connect Direct for the inverter or microinverter model. Then compare the manufacturer name, model reference, capacity, and G98 type-test details with the product page. A brand match is not enough.

Checks that stop a bad purchase

Compliance paperwork is only half the buying decision. The kit also has to fit your home.

Do not use extension leads, multi-way adaptors, trailing leads through windows, or improvised outdoor cables.
Check the kit is suitable for the actual mounting place: wall, roof edge, garden frame, balcony, or facade.
Mind the IPS mounting restrictions: no timber-clad walls, timber balconies, or buildings under external wall remediation restrictions — the specification excludes those installations for plug-in kits.
If you rent, live in a flat, have a leasehold wall, or share a balcony, get the landlord, freeholder, or management company position in writing before buying.
If your wiring, socket condition, RCD protection, or final circuit is uncertain, get it checked before connecting generation equipment.

Buying rule

Buy the product with the clearest evidence, not the best-looking listing. The route the regulations recognise in Great Britain is a solar-only IPS kit, sold with the correct UK plug, backed by matching ENA/G98 evidence, and supplied with DNO notification instructions. Compliance settles the legal side — whether your actual socket, circuit, and building are suitable is a separate check.

Frequently asked questions

Could I have bought a kit before 27 August 2026?

You could research and buy from 27 August 2026 onwards with confidence; before that date, the Great Britain route under SI 2026/848 was not yet in force. Kits bought before commencement should not have been connected until the route opened and the product evidence matched the IPS and G98 requirements.

Are products legal across the whole UK?

This guide covers Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales, where the IPS/G98 route applies. Northern Ireland has separate G98/NI network rules and needs separate checking, so treat any UK-wide "legal" claim with care.

How do I know a product is certified?

Ask for documents, not slogans. You want the IPS declaration, exact model match, ENA/G98 evidence, plug and fuse evidence, and manufacturer instructions for DNO notification and safe disconnection.

Can I buy a compliant kit at a mainstream retailer yet?

Yes, compliant kits can appear at mainstream retailers and specialist sellers, but retailer availability is not proof of compliance. Check the exact model against the live ENA Connect Direct register before buying, and avoid battery-integrated products unless the official route changes.

Can I buy a plug-in solar kit with a battery?

Not if you are relying on the first IPS route. The final IPS excludes plug-in batteries and plug-in solar PV devices integrated with battery systems.

Who tells the DNO?

You do, and the route is now straightforward: the official ENA portal at myplugin.solar sends the notification for compliant devices — email code, address, device, submit. A good product listing should still include the register reference you need to select the device.