The Plug-in Solar Report: 18 October 2026

Three new approvals take the UK total to 123

Just three new plug-in solar configurations were marked as compliant on the ENA register this week, a much smaller increase than we've seen in recent weeks.

As of 18 October 2026, our directory records:

• 123 ENA-approved configurations, up from 120 last week.
• 48 kits with verified retail listings, up from 45.
• 75 compliant kits not yet on sale, or without an identified matching retail listing.

The three new approvals cover kits from Voltacon, VDS Power and Solen Energy UK. We haven't yet found matching retail listings for any of them.

While the pace of new approvals has slowed, more previously approved kits are gradually making their way onto retailers' websites, giving buyers a wider choice of compliant equipment.

Our UK plug-in solar kit directory tracks all 123 configurations, including specifications, prices and retail availability.

Voltacon launches the cheapest two-panel kit, but some compliance claims raise concerns

Voltacon Energy Solutions has introduced a new mount-free 930W Hoymiles HF-800-WB Plug-In Solar Kit, priced at just £390 including delivery.

The kit includes two 465W JA Solar panels and a Hoymiles HF-800-WB microinverter, making it the cheapest compliant two-panel kit we've identified for sale in the UK.

There is one important distinction, however. Unlike the similarly priced City Plumbing kits, Voltacon's £390 package doesn't include mounting equipment, so buyers will need to arrange a suitable mounting system separately, adding to the overall cost.

Even so, £390 represents excellent value for the equipment supplied and sets a new lowest price for a compliant two-panel plug-in solar package in the UK.

An important warning about Voltacon's ENA approval

The £390 kit is covered by ENA approval reference VOLTD/21572/V1/A2.

We contacted the Energy Networks Association directly to clarify exactly which kits this approval covers. The ENA confirmed to PluginSolarCalculator.com that it applies to the linked Voltacon kit using the Hoymiles HF-800-WB microinverter.

However, we've found the same approval reference displayed on multiple other Voltacon product listings, including kits using a different microinverter model altogether.

One example is this ground-mounted kit featuring the Hoymiles HMS-800-2WB. At the time of writing, its product page states: "ENA registered complete kit, certificate number VOLTD/21572/V1/A2, supplied under the VOLTACON Power brand."

The problem is that this approval reference does not cover the advertised kit. We've also been unable to find any ENA approval for a Voltacon plug-in solar kit using the HMS-800-2WB microinverter.

This is potentially misleading for buyers. An ENA approval applies to a specific kit configuration, not automatically to every plug-in solar product offered by the same supplier.

Our plug-in solar kit directory only lists products as compliant where we've matched the equipment in the retail listing to an approved ENA configuration. We'd strongly recommend checking this before purchasing any plug-in solar kit.

City Plumbing opens pre-orders for November delivery

There's some welcome news from City Plumbing, whose competitively priced plug-in solar kits have repeatedly sold out over recent weeks.

The retailer has now opened pre-orders for four of its compliant DMEGC kits, with delivery expected in November:

• DMEGC 475W single-panel kit: £336
• DMEGC 525W single-panel kit: £360
• DMEGC 950W two-panel kit: £456
• DMEGC 1050W two-panel kit: £480

All prices include delivery, and each kit comes with an adjustable mounting frame.

With their combination of low prices and generous panel capacity, these remain some of the better-value options for buyers looking to keep their payback period down. For now, all City Plumbing kits available to order use single-MPPT Hoymiles microinverters, with still no sign of the three ENA-approved dual-MPPT options reaching retail.

Currys' InstaGen kits are finally in stock

After initially appearing on the Currys website as unavailable, both InstaGen plug-in solar kits are now in stock and available to order.

The InstaGen ONE 435W single-panel kit costs £499, while the InstaGen ONE 870W two-panel kit is priced at £599. Both include mounting equipment.

The same kits are also listed on Maplin's website at identical prices, although the additional £24.99 delivery charge we found makes Currys the cheaper option overall.

Meanwhile, there's still no sign of the HDM Solar PSK1000 910W kit that we spotted briefly on Currys' website last week.

That kit appeared at £599 before the product page was hidden. With its larger panel capacity and dual-MPPT microinverter, it could be an interesting alternative to the similarly priced InstaGen two-panel kit if it eventually goes on sale.

Worldwide Solar adds more mount-free kits, with some unusual pricing

Worldwide Solar continues to expand its range of compliant plug-in solar kits supplied without mounting equipment.

This week, we found two more kits listed for sale:

• Worldwide Solar 930W kit: £456.99, using JA Solar monofacial panels.
• Worldwide Solar 1070W kit: £455, using higher-capacity JA Solar bifacial panels.

What's interesting here is the pricing. The 1,070W bifacial kit offers an additional 140W of panel capacity, yet actually costs £1.99 less than the smaller 930W monofacial version.

Both kits use Hoymiles microinverters, and neither includes mounting equipment. Unless there's a particular reason to prefer the smaller panels, the 1,070W bifacial kit looks like the better buy.

With more of these mount-free configurations reaching retail, buyers now have a wider choice of panel sizes and specifications without being tied to a particular mounting system.

You can compare all the options in our dedicated plug-in solar kits without mounts category.

Longer Hoymiles AC cables could be on the way

One practical issue with plug-in solar is the length of the AC cable connecting the microinverter to a household socket. Most kits come with a 5-metre cable, which isn't always long enough to reach a suitable socket from where the panels need to be installed.

And because standard extension leads aren't permitted under the UK's plug-in solar rules, the options can be quite limited.

We recently raised this issue with a UK plug-in solar supplier, who told us that Hoymiles is planning to introduce a 10-metre AC cable by the end of 2026, followed by a 20-metre version in spring 2027.

The supplier also confirmed that it intends to offer these longer cables as optional extras once they become available.

This could be particularly useful given how widely Hoymiles microinverters are used in the UK market. Of the 48 compliant kits we've identified with retail listings, 31 use Hoymiles inverters, making it the most common microinverter manufacturer by some margin.

Provided the longer cables are approved for use with the relevant compliant kits, they could make a real difference for households where the nearest suitable socket is simply too far away for the standard cable to reach.

£15 million in plug-in solar schemes proposed for Manchester and Liverpool

Away from the retail market, earlier this week we uncovered plans for two major plug-in solar schemes in Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region, potentially worth a combined £15 million.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority is considering a programme worth up to £10 million, with plans to appoint suppliers through its existing housing retrofit framework. A decision is expected before the end of 2026, although details of who would qualify and how the scheme would operate have yet to be confirmed.

Liverpool City Region has more specific plans, seeking £5 million in government funding to provide free plug-in solar kits to owner-occupier households experiencing fuel poverty. If approved, the pilot could begin delivering kits by July 2027.

The proposals follow the government's earlier announcement of £25 million earmarked to explore plug-in solar support for lower-income households. London is also considering similar measures, although no dedicated scheme has yet been confirmed.

What to watch next week

There are still a few product launches we're particularly keen to see.

Zendure has yet to launch its anticipated UK plug-in solar range, while EcoFlow's approved kits continue to show as out of stock on its UK website.

We're also keeping an eye on Perlight Solar, which now has 18 compliant configurations on the ENA register. With so many kits already approved, it'll be interesting to see when they start appearing at major UK retailers.

We'll continue tracking new approvals, product launches, stock availability and price changes in next week's Plug-in Solar Report.