The UK Government’s Solar Roadmap outlines several action points that it estimates could save families around £500 a year on their energy bills.
Although many of the steps outlined in the roadmap cover infrastructure and industry, here are six key points that are relevant to you.
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, plug-in solar panels will be available from 27 August 2026 for the first time. Northern Ireland may follow once regulations are updated.
Read our plug-in solar panels advice page to find out more.
Before you buy any plug-in solar panels, read our plug-in solar panel checklist. This will help you find out more about them, including how to get permission to use them depending on where you live.
Whenever we talk about solar panels, a common response is “I can’t have solar panels, I live in a flat!”
Also, our research into which UK areas have the most solar panels shows that the lowest-ranking areas are those with a high percentage of flats.
A 2018 report by the UK Government revealed that around 380,000 homes in England had a balcony. This offers huge potential for the UK to generate more clean power and will help renters save money on their energy bills.
It’s not just flats with balconies that could benefit, however. Places like Germany are already fully switched on to plug-in solar panels, and there are some things we can learn from them.
However current devices available in the UK are more suitable to garden locations rather than balconies.
A 2022 survey from HTW Berlin showed that plug-in solar panels were most common in single family homes in rural areas. In fact, balcony solar panels was only the second most common type of installation (32% of survey respondents).
Plug-in solar panels could generate enough electricity to help power everyday devices and reduce how much electricity you have to buy from the grid.
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, plug-in solar panels will be available from 27 August 2026 for the first time. Northern Ireland may follow once regulations are updated.
If you’re renting, you may need your landlord’s permission first.
The rules may vary depending on how you install the panels and what your tenancy agreement says.
This isn’t the case in places like Germany. Since October 2024, plug-in solar panels are considered a ‘privileged’ alteration. This means that landlords can only refuse in specific situations. Other examples of ‘privileged’ alterations include:
Due to solar’s rise in popularity, it’s more likely that if you move home, it’ll be into a house that already has solar panels.
As part of the Future Homes Standard, most new build homes will have to have solar panels installed. The Future Homes Standard will also ensure new builds have low-carbon heating such as heat pumps, as well as proper home insulation.
So, if you’re planning on moving into a new build home, you’ll be able to benefit from solar power as soon as you move in.
Our research into what people think about solar power shows that the upfront cost of solar panels is one of the main obstacles to adoption.
Solar panels cost around £6,100 to install, on average. And an average 5kWh battery storage system costs around £4,600.
There are no UK Government schemes, similar to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, to help with the cost of solar panels. But the UK Government will work with the financial and solar industries to provide low-cost lending options for solar panels. These options might include personal loans and solar panel leasing.
There may be further detail on financial support in the upcoming Warm Homes Plan. This will unlock £13.2 billion of funding for people to upgrade their homes with:
The UK Government will also use the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund to help social housing landlords install solar panels. This will help improve the EPC ratings of the buildings they own.
Solar panels are one of the key recommendations to improving your home’s EPC rating. And research from Rightmove shows that C-rated homes tend to be priced around 15% more than F-rated ones.
The UK Government will work with the Royal Chartered Institute of Surveyors (RICS) to update how it assesses property values. This improved assessment will consider how energy efficiency and sustainability influence a home’s value.
Solar panels feature as a recommendation on the current EPC report. But a recent consultation on EPC reform proposes going one step further with a ‘smart readiness’ score. This would capture the value of renewable technologies in the home.
A Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) is currently being tested in 16 countries across the European Union. While the name and concept are similar to what’s being proposed in the UK, they aren’t the same thing.
If the proposed EPC reforms go ahead, introducing this score from 2026 will better capture the value of solar power in the EPC report.
The roadmap mentions the development of a voluntary Community Benefit Protocol. This protocol would let people who live near solar farms benefit from the energy that’s being generated near them. Alongside this protocol is a consultation on introducing a mandatory community benefit fund for people who live near low carbon energy projects.
This focus on community energy is also a key part of Great British Energy’s work alongside the Local Power Plan.
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Energy Saving Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (716195). It does not provide or run the financial advice, products or services mentioned on this page, which is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Last updated: 27 August 2026
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