What has changed with Octopus plug-in solar stock?
On 1 October 2026 Octopus Energy said its plug-in solar kits had sold out for the second time, after the first 500 kits went in about two weeks. The restock lasted less than four weeks. Demand followed the government legalising plug-in solar at the end of August 2026, which we covered in our plug-in solar panels UK explainer.
Octopus describes itself as the only major energy supplier currently selling plug-in solar. It says 89% of buyers chose the two-panel kit and that nobody needs an electrician to set one up. It also says its "Nook Cube" battery is due in Q1 2027, though plug-in batteries are not part of the current legal route.
| Detail | One-panel kit | Two-panel kit |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Octopus) | From £450 | From £650 |
| Panels | 1 × 460W JA Solar | 2 × 460W JA Solar |
| In the box | Microinverter, 5m cable with 3-pin plug, one mounting kit | Microinverter, 5m cable with 3-pin plug, two mounting kits |
| Share of early buyers | 11% | 89% |
| Status (11 October 2026) | Sold out, waitlist open | Sold out, waitlist open |
How much will an Octopus plug-in solar kit really save?
Octopus quotes about £150 a year for a two-panel kit, earned partly by using the power yourself and partly by exporting surplus on its Outgoing export tariff. Treat that as a best case: Octopus itself says the figure depends on sunlight, installation and how much electricity your home uses. A flat that is out all day will export more of the output and use less of it, which is the worse deal when export rates sit below the price you pay per unit.
Two 460W panels add up to 920W of panel capacity, above the 800W AC limit in the new rules. The microinverter presumably holds output at or under that cap, but Octopus does not publish the inverter rating on its product page, so check it before buying. Payback on the £650 kit at £150 a year is roughly four to five years if the claim holds.
Why does this matter for Home Assistant users?
Octopus advertises in-app monitoring, but its product page says nothing about Home Assistant or a local API, so do not assume the kit will appear in Home Assistant out of the box. Until someone confirms the inverter's integration, the dependable route is to measure what the kit feeds into the house with an energy-monitoring smart plug or a clamp on the circuit, as covered in our Home Assistant solar monitoring guide.
If you already use Octopus's smart tariffs, the export side pairs naturally with them; our Octopus smart tariff comparison explains how the rates differ. We have not tested this kit, and Octopus has not said whether customers on other suppliers can buy one.
UK availability, delivery and what we don't know
Both kits show as sold out "for now" on Octopus's page, with a form to register interest. The delivery windows it lists depend on order date: orders before 11 September were due between the end of September and mid-October, orders from 11 September from the end of October to mid-November, and orders after 28 September by the end of November. Octopus has not given a restock date.
The page does not say whether you must be an Octopus customer, what the return policy is, or who files the notification to your network operator. Under the new rules you still notify your distribution network operator within 28 days of installing, so confirm who handles that. Owners of flats and rented homes should also get freeholder or landlord consent for balcony or wall mounting.
Should you wait for Octopus stock or buy elsewhere?
If you want the simplest bundle with one supplier behind it, join the waitlist, but expect delivery in late autumn at best and fewer sunny months of generation to start with. If you would rather not wait, other compliant microinverter kits are appearing, though you must verify that any inverter appears on the Energy Networks Association's G98 Type Test Register and meets the interim product specification. Avoid battery-integrated products for now, because they sit outside the plug-in route. For fully installed systems and costs, see our best solar panels UK guide.
