British Gas is giving away 30 plug-in solar units, each worth around £500, as the devices go on sale in the UK for the first time this week under new rules that make them legal to sell.
What plug-in solar is
The units are compact solar panels that connect to a standard household socket instead of a home's wiring. They can be positioned in a suitable outdoor space such as a balcony, patio or garden, which opens solar generation to renters, flat-dwellers and other households that could not install traditional rooftop panels.
British Gas frames the giveaway as giving customers 'more choice and control over how they generate and use their energy,' said John Evans, Commercial Director at British Gas.
Export payments and the numbers
Eligible British Gas customers will also be able to receive payments for surplus electricity they export to the grid, starting in the next few weeks, Evans said. Minister for Local Energy and Jobs McCluskey said the panels can provide up to 20% of average home electricity use with no installation cost.
- Unit value: around £500
- Potential savings: up to £110 a year, based on UK government research modeling an 800W system under favorable conditions
- Output: up to 20% of average home electricity use
How to enter
Households enter by registering interest in buying a plug-in solar kit from British Gas. Winners are drawn from people who register before 16 September and will be notified between 17 and 30 September.
