The short answer: plug-in solar suits renters and flat dwellers well, because it needs no installer and you can take it when you move. But you will usually need permission before you fit it.
Permissions to check before you buy
The government advises checking whether any permissions are needed for your property. These can include:
- Your landlord, if you rent
- The building owner or freeholder, if you live in a flat or leasehold home
- Planning permission, depending on where the panels will go
- Listed building consent, if the building is listed
Decisions are up to landlords, freeholders and councils. The government has encouraged them to consider each request on its merits, but they can say no. Some social landlords do not allow plug-in solar in high-rise blocks.
How to ask your landlord
Put the request in writing and include:
- the make and model of the kit, and confirmation that it complies with the UK product specification
- where it will go and how it will be fixed
- confirmation that nothing will be drilled or altered without consent
- confirmation that you will remove it and make good when you leave
Keep the reply. You may need it if there is a dispute later.
Where it can go
- A balcony, if the fixing is secure and the building owner allows it
- A garden, patio or yard, on a ground frame
- A wall or flat roof you have the right to use
The spot needs sun for a good part of the day and a route to a suitable wall socket. The rules require the kit to plug straight into a socket, not an extension lead.
Safety points
- Only buy a kit that complies with the UK specification for plug-in solar.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for fixing and connection.
- Balcony fixings must cope with wind. A falling panel is a serious hazard.
- If you are unsure about your home's wiring, ask a qualified electrician first.
- Tell your home insurer.
Telling your network operator
The network rules require you to notify your local network operator when you install a plug-in kit, and again when you remove it. Only one kit is allowed per household.
Moving home
Unplug it, take it with you, and notify the network operator at both addresses. Check the permissions again at your new home.
Shared savings in a house share
The power feeds into the home's wiring and reduces what the whole household buys. If bills are split, agree how the saving is shared.
Back to plug-in solar panels.
Sources
Correct at the time of publication, 14 November 2026.
- GOV.UK, "Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market", 26 August 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/households-can-save-as-plug-in-solar-panels-come-to-market
- Ofgem, decision on the G98 amendment for plug-in microgeneration: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-08/Ofgem-decision-to-Approve-DCRP-MP-26-02-Proposed-Amendment-to-facilitate-Plug-in-Microgeneration.pdf
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, plug-in solar final stage impact assessment: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a58f6be5ca06bf11ccb435d/plug-in-solar-final-stage-impact-assessment.pdf