Plug-in solar
Solar for the half of your workforce who don't own their roof.
Plug-in solar is a small panel set for a balcony, wall, fence or garden that connects to a standard socket and offsets the home's background electricity use. No scaffolding, no structural work, and it moves house when your employee does.
- Suits
- Renters and flats
How plug-in solar work, in plain English
No jargon and no assumed knowledge. This is the explanation to share with your people when they ask what they are actually buying.
- 1
One or two panels, hung not built
The panels clamp to a balcony rail, fence, wall bracket or garden frame. Nothing is drilled into the structure of the building.
- 2
A micro-inverter does the conversion
A small unit attached to the panel turns its output into normal household electricity, ready for a standard socket.
- 3
It plugs into a normal plug socket
The lead goes into an ordinary domestic socket. No rewiring, no electrician visit and no work on the fuse board.
- 4
It quietly offsets what is always on
The power feeds whatever the home is using at that moment: fridge, router, standby devices, laptops. The meter simply records less.
What's included
One or two panels with a micro-inverter, mounted on a balcony rail, wall bracket or garden frame.
Plugs into a normal domestic socket, no rewiring and no electrician visit required.
Sized to cover always-on load: fridge, router, standby and daytime devices.
Fully portable, so it comes along at the end of a tenancy.
What it changes in an employee's home
Renters are finally included
Most home energy benefits quietly exclude anyone who does not own a house. This one does not.
Low entry cost
It is the most affordable way into home generation, which matters for younger and lower-paid employees.
Nothing to negotiate
No permanent alteration means no landlord consent process and no reinstatement at the end of the tenancy.
Is your home suitable?
This is the option for the half of a workforce who cannot fit a roof array. If a home has an outdoor rail, wall or patch of garden that catches sun, it usually works.
Usually a good fit
- Renters and flat-dwellers, since nothing permanent is altered.
- A balcony, fence, garden or wall that gets sun for part of the day.
- A household with a normal always-on load: fridge, router, devices on standby.
- Anyone who may move home, because the whole set comes with them.
Needs a closer look
- North-facing balconies in deep shade all day.
- Buildings whose leases or managing agents restrict anything fixed to a balcony. Worth a quick check first.
- Households wanting large savings. This is a modest, low-cost win rather than a whole-home solution.
Cost and payback
Indicative figures for a typical UK three-bedroom home. Every employee sees exact numbers on their own live online quote.
- Typical upfront cost
- From £400 before the member discount
- Member discount
- Up to 15% off
- Typical annual saving
- £90 to £150 a year
- Rough payback
- Around 3 to 5 years
- Install
- Under an hour, self-fit, no electrician
- Portable
- Yes, it moves house with them
Savings are smaller than a roof array because the system is smaller, but the entry cost is low and the payback is usually the fastest in the whole catalogue.
Free for employers. Nothing to fund, nothing for payroll to run
One short agreement opens plug-in solar to your whole workforce. We handle every employee question, quote and install from there. See how it works for employers.
Bring plug-in solar to your team.
Tell us a little about your organisation and we'll come back with the employee-facing detail, or book a demo and we'll walk you through the walled garden.
New to the scheme? Read how it works for employers.
Delivered by Net Zero Benefits, alongside The Electric Car Scheme, the UK's largest independent salary sacrifice provider.
Other categories
See the scheme end to end in 20 minutes.
A live walkthrough with the team who built it.
- The employee experience, from sign up to install.
- Exactly what the discounts look like across each product.
- What you would need to launch it: no payroll changes, no budget.
- Your questions, answered by a person who knows the answer.
Not ready for a call? and we'll send the employer pack.
Plug-in solar questions your people will ask
If something here is not covered, ask it on the demo and we will answer it straight.
Can renters really use this?
Yes. Nothing permanent is altered and no rewiring happens, so there is normally no reinstatement at the end of a tenancy. It is worth a courtesy check of the tenancy agreement or building rules for anything fixed to a balcony.
Do I need an electrician?
No. The set plugs into a standard domestic socket and can be fitted by the household in under an hour.
Do I need to tell my landlord?
There is no requirement to, since nothing is altered, but telling them is usually easier and often welcomed. It is a portable appliance rather than an improvement to the property.
How much can it actually save?
Around £90 to £150 a year for a typical set, by covering background electricity use during daylight hours. It is a modest, dependable saving rather than a transformation.
What happens when I move?
It comes with you. Unclip the panel, unplug the lead and refit it at the new place, which is a big part of why it suits renters.
Is it safe to plug solar into a socket?
Yes, when the kit is certified for UK use, which everything in the scheme is. The micro-inverter shuts off automatically if it is unplugged or the supply is lost.
Can I add more panels later?
Usually yes, within the limits of the kit and the socket circuit. Employees who later buy a house often move up to a full roof array inside the same scheme.