Use our plug-in solar calculator to estimate how much a UK plug-in solar kit could save you on your electricity bill, based on your home, electricity use and panel setup.
An affordable way to cut your electricity bill
Due to become widely available in UK shops from 27th August
Starter kits are expected to be priced from as little as £400
Typical households could save £95-£155 a year
Designed for plug-and-play DIY setup, with no electrician needed
Use the calculator to estimate what it could mean for your home.
See how much a plug-in solar kit could save on your electricity bill.
Estimated annual solar generation
How much electricity your panels could produce in a typical year.
Indicative payback period
Roughly how long it could take for savings to cover the kit cost.
Whether the savings stack up
See if the likely savings make sense for your home, setup and electricity use.
A simple personalised result
An estimate based on your location, electricity use and setup.
Plug-in solar in 3 simple steps
1Place the panels outside
Set them up on a balcony, in the garden, or on a shed roof. South-facing is best.
2Plug into a standard socket
No electrician needed; just plug in and it is ready to go.
3Use the electricity as it’s generated
The panels generate electricity in daylight and feed it into your home for immediate use.
Lower upfront costPlug-in solar kits are expected to start from around £400 — far less than a typical rooftop solar installation.
Realistic savings estimateMany suitable 800W setups could save around £95–£155 per year, depending on location, setup and electricity use.
Long system lifespanWith an expected lifespan of up to 20 years, even a small system can deliver long-term savings.
Easy to install and moveDesigned for DIY setup using a standard UK socket, with the flexibility to reposition or take with you if you move.
Free calculator
Estimate plug-in solar generation, savings and payback
Use our free calculator to compare compliant UK plug-in solar kits by size, setup and household use, with realistic estimates for generation, savings and payback. It uses PVGIS postcode-area solar data, adjusts for panel direction and angle, applies the official UK 800VA inverter limit, models clipping for oversized arrays, and combines household baseload with estimated self-use based on daytime presence and working-from-home patterns.
Enter your details below to see what a compliant plug-in solar kit could mean for your home.
How it works
How this calculator works
This calculator is designed specifically for the new UK plug-in solar rules. It combines postcode-area solar data with your panel setup and household electricity use, while applying the official system limits and cautious assumptions. The result is a grounded estimate designed to reflect the generation and savings a compliant UK plug-in solar kit could realistically achieve.
Solar generation and system limits
Solar output is estimated using European Commission PVGIS data matched to the user's UK postcode area, with a 15% system-loss allowance, then adjusted for panel size, direction and angle. In line with the current UK plug-in solar rules, the calculator limits systems to four panels, 2,000W of combined panel capacity and 800VA inverter output. Where panel capacity exceeds 800W, the estimate models the inverter ceiling and associated clipping.
Solar used at home
The model first estimates household baseload (fridge, freezer, router etc), using a conservative household-size estimate unless you enter your own figure. It then works out how much estimated solar generation is likely to cover that baseload, and how much spare solar may be used based on daytime presence and work-from-home patterns. Battery storage is not modelled, in line with the current UK plug-in solar rules.
Savings and payback
Savings count only the solar electricity estimated to be used in the home. Export income is not assumed because eligibility for UK plug-in solar systems has not yet been confirmed. Payback is based on the selected kit cost and electricity rate, defaulting to the current Ofgem price-cap unit rate where no custom tariff is entered. Longer-term savings include a 0.4% annual panel degradation allowance after year one to simulate panel ageing.
Daily availability
The hourly chart illustrates how much power the selected kit could produce on a typical clear day in each season, using regional PVGIS profile data. It is not a weather forecast, but it helps show likely peak generation windows, how solar availability changes from winter to summer, and how much output may be absorbed by your household baseload during the day.
!Disclaimer:
We aim to keep the estimates realistic rather than optimistic, but real-world results can still vary with weather, shade, mounting quality, panel specification, inverter performance, appliance timing and how much electricity is used while panels are generating.
Plug-in solar is finally moving from policy idea to UK shop shelves. See the confirmed launch rules, key buyer checks and what the 27 August start date means.
