27 August is confirmed for plug-in solar in the UK. Here's exactly which retailers are lined up to sell it — and why nobody's confirmed a price or date yet.
27 August is locked in. The shops aren't.
Seventeen days from now, plug-in solar panels become legal to plug straight into a British wall socket — no electrician, no roof work, no paperwork beyond a quick notification to your network operator. That part is settled. Where you'll actually buy one is not.
The names on the list
Government roundtables and announcements have linked eight names to the rollout so far:
- Lidl and Iceland — named as early partners back in March
- B&Q, Amazon, Asda, Currys, Screwfix and Wickes — joined a retailer roundtable in June
- EcoFlow — the manufacturer already selling components on Amazon UK today
That's a genuinely strong lineup for a market that didn't legally exist a year ago. It's also, as of today, a lineup of retailers who've said they're involved — not ones who've said what they'll stock, what it'll cost, or when it lands.
Nobody's confirmed a date
B&Q has been the most vocal, telling the government it's working toward getting plug-in solar onto shelves as soon as it can. Currys and Amazon have said much the same. But as of 10 August 2026, none of the eight has published a specific product, a price, or a firm launch date. If you see a headline promising a named kit "from 27 August," check it traces back to the retailer directly — most of this is still intent, not inventory.
What it'll probably cost
The government's own impact assessment — not a retailer's marketing — puts a complete, certified 800W kit at £400–£600, with £500 as its central estimate.
What it'll probably save you
DESNZ's own modelling: £70–£110 a year. The top end assumes a south-facing panel at a 30° angle; the low end is a vertical balcony rail facing east or west. At 800W of capped output, this is a background-load system — think fridge and Wi-Fi, not washing machine.
What to actually do for the next 17 days
There's nothing to buy yet if you want it legal and certified. But you can find out whether it's worth it before you spend £500 on a whim. [Sun Hours](/) gives you a free 7-day generation forecast for your exact location — enter your area and a panel's peak output, and you'll know in seconds what an 800W kit would actually generate where you live.
We're tracking every retailer confirmation on our plug-in solar UK guide — bookmark that, not a specific shop.
⬇ Download Sun Hours — free on Android and iOS
Know your numbers before the shops do
Enter your location and a panel's peak output, and Sun Hours gives you a free 7-day generation forecast — so the moment a kit lands, you'll know in seconds if it's worth the money where you live.