The UK has changed its rules to allow people to buy and install small plug-in solar systems themselves from 27 August. The systems, designed to provide a modest amount of household electricity through standard sockets, could lower bills and widen access to solar power for renters and flat-dwellers, but experts advise checking a home’s electrical installation before purchasing one.

A compliant system consists of solar panels and a microinverter, with inverter output limited to 800 watts to protect the electricity network; real output will vary with conditions. The policy supports the Labour government’s goal of tripling solar generation by 2030, following a model already popular in Germany, where more than 1.2 million plug-in systems have reportedly been installed.