Key Takeaways

  • ‘Plug-in’ solar panels to be in shops of UK within months, offering households a chance to significantly cut energy bills. 
  • This move comes as the government steps up its drive for clean homegrown power to get the UK off dependency on fossil fuel markets in response to the Iran war.
  • The new rules introduced last week will ensure the majority of new homes in England come with solar panels fitted as standard.
  • Innovative new approach of discounted power on windy days in areas where wind farms are paid to switch off to avoid ‘wasted wind’, predominantly benefiting Scotland and the East of England.

The UK government has introduced rules to step up the drive for clean homegrown power to get the country off dependency on fossil fuel markets in response to the Iran war. The rules aim to ensure the majority of new homes in England will come with solar panels fitted as standard. The move will enable households to save money on bills through plug-in solar panels as the government vows to go further and faster on clean energy in response to conflict in the Middle East. The current conflict is a reminder for the country to end dependence on fossil fuel markets and accelerate the drive for clean, homegrown power, as well as new renewables and nuclear.   

The government is driving forward with the rollout of “plug-in” solar panels (low-cost panels that families can put on their balconies or outdoor space) to be available in shops within months and save people money on their bills. Retailers like Lidl and Iceland, alongside manufacturers such as EcoFlow, are working with the government to enable them to be brought to the UK market. Plug-in solar is already widely used by households across Europe, with Germany seeing around half a million new devices plugged in per year. The free solar power can be used directly through a mains socket like any other device, without an installation cost, thereby reducing the amount of electricity taken from the grid and cutting energy bills. The technology is easy to install and could help households save a significant amount on their energy bills and help make the UK less reliant on global fossil fuel markets. 

The government is also speeding up plans for more clean, homegrown energy that the UK controls to ensure energy sovereignty and security. This is alongside new rules of implementing the Future Homes Standard, which includes common-sense measures to ensure the majority of new homes are built cheaper to run, with solar panels and clean heating as standard. These measures on new homes could save families up to £830 per annum on their energy bills, compared to a standard home with an EPC rating of C. This will ensure they are more comfortable and affordable, and create at least 75 per cent less carbon emissions than those built to the 2013 standards.

The government is also announcing an innovative new approach, predominantly benefiting Scotland and the East of England, and launching in time for the upcoming winter season, enabling energy companies to offer discounted energy bills to customers on windy days, rather than continuing the previous default practice of paying wind turbines to turn off. Historic underinvestment in Britain’s electricity grid means wind farms in these areas are being paid to switch off on windy days when the network cannot carry all the clean power they produce. The government will look to bring forward new legislation to ensure more homegrown, clean energy can be passed on as discounted electricity to consumers during these periods.

Future homes standard

The Future Homes Standard turns the page on over a decade of failure by previous governments. More than a million homes were built with higher bills following the cancellation of the Zero Carbon Homes standard in 2015, leaving families exposed to the energy price spike after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new standard will put energy in the hands of the British people and help cut bills for good, protecting against fossil fuel price spikes like those triggered by the conflict in Iran.

‘Discounted energy’

At the moment, wind farms are often paid to switch off on windy days because the system can’t use all the power being generated, due to historic underinvestment in the grid required to match this supply with demand across the country.

To tackle these so-called ‘constraint payments’, the UK government is launching a new, innovative trial, which would mean that using the generated power would become a more cost-effective option compared to turning turbines off. This will enable suppliers and flexibility service providers to offer households and businesses in areas with constrained renewable generation discounted power during these periods, so that more of the extra electricity can be used rather than wasted. It will predominantly apply to areas in Scotland and the East of England.

And it comes ahead of households across the country seeing a significant cut to their energy bills in the end of March 2026, with a £117 reduction coming into effect on April 1, 2026, which will be in place until the end of June 2026, saving families money for years to come, whatever the international situation.

Additional provisions

The Future Homes Standard will introduce a functional requirement to the Building Regulations that new homes, with some exceptions (including high-rise buildings), are built with on-site renewable electricity generation. We anticipate the majority of this will be solar panels. It will also see homes built with low-carbon heating such as heat pumps and heat networks.

The government is also confirming the technical details of the Home Energy Model (HEM), the government’s new, independently quality‑assured methodology that will be, in due course, one of the approved calculation methodologies to demonstrate compliance with the Future Homes Standard, by publishing the HEM: FHS consultation’s government response. This will support innovation in new‑build products, best‑practice heat‑pump installation, and recognise smart, zero‑bills technologies.

The government has also launched a call for evidence on the next steps for the £5 billion Warm Homes Fund, as part of the rollout of the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan. The fund includes £1.7 billion already allocated to consumer loans for clean energy technology, supported by £300 million capital investment. As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, the remaining £3.3 billion will be available as innovative finance for investments and loans in the building upgrade and retrofit sector, including £600 million to be allocated to support low-income homes. The government is engaging with the industry on the options for this investment, and further details will be published later this year.

The government will work with the Energy Networks Association, DNOs, and Ofgem to update the G98 distribution code and wiring regulations BS 7671 to allow UK households to connect <800W plug-in solar panels to domestic mains sockets, without the need for an electrician and with tailored safety standards.  

Bundesverband Steckersolar analysis of Germany’s national network regulator (Bundesnetzagentur) data suggests 426,269 registrations of balcony solar systems in Germany in 2025: Bundesverband Steckersolar. Registrations are likely to undercount sales.

This blog has been sourced from the official website of the UK government and can be accessed here. It has been slightly edited.