Energy supplier Fuse opens orders for a £577 plug-in solar battery system, but households must wait until 2027

The rules that legalised plug-in solar panels in Great Britain in August do not yet cover systems with batteries. Fuse's Jules pairs two panels with a 2.5kWh battery that can also charge from the grid when power is cheap. Fuse claims savings of around £180 a year, against the government's £110 estimate for panels alone. The £577 price is available only to customers on a Fuse energy tariff.

Octopus sold out of its first plug-in solar kits in just two weeks.

Screwfix and Argos now sell plug-in panels for less than £700 each.

Solar expert Simon Bones warns of modest returns: 'The absolute amounts are small.'