Octopus has had to restock its plug-in solar panels for the second time in less than four weeks, with the first 500 kits selling in just two weeks. Plug-in solar was made legal by the UK Government at the end of August, since when thousands of households have attempted to buy kits from Octopus.
The advantage of plug-in solar is that householders can set up the kits themselves, without any assistance from electricians or other professionals. The panels can then immediately start powering appliances like televisions, washing machines and laptops. This makes the solar panel kits particularly ideal for renters and flat-dwellers, who can now start saving on their bills via plug-in solar, which eradicates the need for a roof of their own or a suitable outdoor space for a small solar ground frame. Customers can even take the solar panel kits with them when they move.
As with more permanent rooftop solar panel arrays, any power generated by plug-in solar that remains unused can be sold back to the grid, via Octopus’s Outgoing export tariff, earning customers around £150 per year.
Octopus Energy’s plug-in solar kits have sold out just as the energy price cap increases by 4 percent today (1st October), applying further pressure on family budgets amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
“Plug-in solar is a cracking example of how smart, simple tech can help households knock a bit off their energy bills” said Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Customer Officer at Octopus. “We've been blown away by how quickly people have taken to it. It's flown off the shelves and we've had to restock, but fear not – there's more on the way.”
Octopus Energy’s plug-in solar bundles start at £450 for one panel or £650 for two panels, including mounting and everything customers need to set them up themselves. The dual panel kits are proving particularly popular, chosen by 89 percent of customers. Octopus Energy is currently the only major energy supplier selling plug-in solar in the UK, with Octopus customers being among the first in the country to experience the new technology.
The company is also preparing to expand its plug-in offering with a storage option – the Octopus ‘Nook Cube’ battery’ – due to launch in Q1 next year.
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