Government Confirms Plug-In Solar in Shops Within a Month

The UK government has tightened its timeline for plug-in solar retail availability, confirming kits will be in shops "within a month" rather than the vaguer "within months" promised in March.

A GOV.UK press release published on 30 April revealed record-breaking solar installation figures alongside the updated plug-in solar timeline. Over 27,000 solar installations were completed in March 2026, the highest monthly total since 2012, pushing the UK past 2 million total installations for the first time. Solar panel demand has surged 182% year-on-year, driven largely by energy price concerns following the conflict in Iran.

The government named Lidl and Iceland as retail partners already working to bring plug-in solar kits to UK shelves. Both are expected to stock 800W kits priced around £400-500. EcoFlow remains the government's technology partner, with its PowerStream kit likely to be among the first certified products available.

This is a meaningful shift. In March, Ed Miliband said plug-in solar would be available "within months." Now the language is "within a month," pointing to late May or early June for the first physical retail stock. That's ahead of the BSI product standard, which is still expected in July. Kits hitting shelves before then will likely carry German VDE certification with CE/UKCA marked inverters, not a dedicated UK product standard.

For buyers, the practical advice stays the same: any kit you buy before the BSI standard publishes should use a recognised inverter brand (Hoymiles, EcoFlow, or APsystems), and you should have a CPS-registered electrician connect it if you want to be fully compliant. After July, approved kits will be legal to self-install.

What this means for you: If you've been waiting to buy, the first kits could be on supermarket shelves by early June.

Read our full legal guide | Lidl plug-in solar: what we know