Can You Make Money from Plug-in Solar in the UK?

"Can you make money from plug-in solar?" is one of the most searched questions about small-scale solar in the UK. The answer has two parts: no, you probably won't earn money in the traditional sense. But yes, you will save money — and the savings add up faster than most people expect.

What "Making Money" Actually Means

Traditional rooftop solar owners can earn money through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — they're paid for every kWh of electricity they export to the grid. Rates range from 4-15p/kWh depending on the supplier and tariff.

Plug-in solar owners are in a different position. The SEG requires MCS certification, which means the system must be installed by an MCS-accredited installer. Self-installed plug-in solar — which is the whole point of the format — doesn't qualify for standard SEG tariffs.

The exception is Octopus Energy, who have informally allowed some plug-in solar owners to access export payments. This isn't guaranteed and varies by circumstance. See our SEG guide for the current position.

For the vast majority of UK plug-in solar owners, the financial value comes from self-consumption — using the electricity you generate to reduce the amount you buy from the grid.

The Self-Consumption Savings

Every kWh your panels generate and you consume at home is a kWh you don't pay your supplier for. At current rates (~24p/kWh on the Ofgem cap), each self-consumed unit saves 24p.

A well-placed 800W system in southern England generates roughly 700 kWh per year. The amount you self-consume depends on when you're home:

On a flat-rate tariff at 24p/kWh, a typical household self-consuming 50% of generation saves roughly £84 per year.

Payback Period

The payback period — how long until cumulative savings exceed the purchase cost — depends on what you paid and how much you self-consume:

After payback, every unit of self-consumed electricity is pure savings. Over 25 years (the expected panel lifespan), a £600 system saving £84/year returns roughly £1,500 in total savings — a 150% return on investment.

How to Increase the Return

Switch to a time-of-use tariff — on Octopus Go, the daytime rate is typically 28-30p/kWh. Each self-consumed solar kWh now saves 30p instead of 24p. Annual saving jumps from £84 to roughly £105. See our tariff guide.

Shift appliance usage to solar hours — run the dishwasher, washing machine, and tumble dryer between 10am and 3pm. This increases self-consumption from 40-50% to 60-70% without spending anything. Use a timer on each appliance.

Add battery storage — a battery like the EcoFlow DELTA 2 captures surplus daytime generation and makes it available in the evening. This can increase self-consumption to 70-85%, adding £30-50 per year in additional savings.

Monitor and optimise — you can't improve what you don't measure. A Tapo P110 on the inverter output tracks generation. An Emporia Vue 3 at the consumer unit shows the full picture: generation, import, export, and self-consumption ratio. The data tells you exactly where savings are being lost and what to change.

The Tariff Arbitrage Bonus

If you have a battery and a time-of-use tariff, you can add tariff arbitrage on top of solar savings. Charge the battery at 7-8p/kWh overnight, use that cheap electricity during the day alongside solar, and avoid the 28-30p daytime import rate completely.

The maths: 1kWh charged overnight at 8p, used during the day when the alternative is 28p = 20p saved per cycle. Over 365 days = £73/year of pure arbitrage, independent of solar generation. Combined with solar self-consumption savings, a battery-plus-solar-plus-ToU-tariff household can save £150-200 per year.

What About Rising Energy Prices?

The financial case for plug-in solar improves if energy prices rise. Every price increase makes each self-consumed kWh more valuable. If the Ofgem cap increases from 24p to 30p/kWh, the same 350 kWh of self-consumption saves £105 instead of £84 — a 25% improvement in returns.

Historically, UK electricity prices have trended upward in real terms. Plug-in solar acts as a partial hedge against future price increases — the electricity from your panels costs nothing regardless of what the grid rate does.

The Honest Summary

Plug-in solar won't make you money in the sense of generating income. It will save you money by reducing your electricity bill. The savings are modest but reliable — roughly £80-130 per year for a typical household, scaling up with tariff optimisation and battery storage.

Payback in 6-8 years on a product that lasts 25+ years is a solid return. It won't replace your income, but it will permanently reduce one of your fixed costs — and every energy price increase makes the decision look better in hindsight.

For a personalised estimate based on your postcode, orientation, and system size, use our savings calculator.