More families are set to save money on bills as flagship retailers Currys, B&Q, Amazon and Lidl join government plans to bring plug-in solar panels to UK homes.

At a roundtable of some of the biggest retailers in the country, with a combined total of almost four thousand stores and significant online presence, Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey discussed the crucial role of plug-in solar in the clean energy revolution.

Those in attendance included Amazon, Asda, B&Q, Currys, Screwfix and Wickes, who discussed the technology and how it can offer a cheaper route for people to save money on bills.

This follows rule changes announced by the government earlier this year that will allow UK homeowners to self-install plug-in solar panels in the coming months and builds on savings of up to £480 consumers can already make from rooftop panels.

Minister for Energy Consumers 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.

John Boumphrey, UK & Ireland Country Manager, Amazon said:

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, said:

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.

Georgina Hall, corporate affairs director at Lidl GB, said:

At Lidl GB, we want to make sustainable choices affordable and accessible to every household which is why we are supporting DESNZ’s latest steps toward modernising regulations for ‘plug-and-play’ technology.

By establishing a clear, robust framework to bring plug-in solar to market safely and efficiently, it could unlock a highly effective, low-cost route for people to reduce their energy bills. We welcome this consultation and look forward to working alongside the government and industry partners to explore how these products can safely play their role in the UK’s clean energy revolution.

Michelle Gorringe-Smith, Director of New Categories at Currys, said:

We’re delighted to be working with DESNZ to bring plug-in solar panels to the UK market. With energy bills continuing to rise, enabling the safe roll-out of these products will mark an important step for consumers across the UK – including the more than 80% of UK households that shop at Currys.

This technology, already widely used by households throughout Europe, is easy to install and could save many households significant amounts on their energy bills, while helping make the UK less reliant on global fossil fuel markets.

The low-cost panels can be put on balconies or in any outdoor space, providing free solar power that can be used directly through a mains socket like any other device, without an installation cost, thereby reducing the amount of electricity taken from the grid.

Alongside the roundtable, the government has today (Tuesday 16 June) launched a consultation seeking industry views on enforcing the 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.

Notes

The consultation on plug-in solar regulations can be found here:

• Plug-in solar: Regulatory amendment and interim product specification
• Plug-in solar electrical safety study

source: GOV