Even before news last week that energy bills will jump to a three-year high this winter, plug-in solar panels were expected to fly off the shelves.
But with energy prices forecast to jump by 4 per cent in October (and six heatwaves and counting this year) that demand looks set to be turbocharged when new rules allowing them to be legally sold come into force on 27 August – with B&Q, Lidl, Currys and Amazon expected to be among the first sellers.
New figures last week showed that sales of traditional plugless solar panels – which are typically mounted on the roof – soared by 14 per cent in the first half of the year to a record 150,000 certified installations.
Now, a new breed of solar panels which come with a self-install plug attached will mean many people living in flats or rented properties – who have largely been excluded from solar power so far – will also be able to get in on the action by putting them on balconies or in gardens. These plug-in versions take the sun’s energy and convert it to power for your home, cutting energy bills.
But they still aren’t for everyone. For starters, those savings will vary considerably depending on how much sun you get. The average plug-in unit is expected to cost around £350, with the average annual energy saving forecast to be about £85 a year – meaning it will take about four years to pay off the purchase price.
