Energy firm British Gas is launching new tariffs for people with plug-in solar panels which will help those in smaller houses, flats and with balconies get 50% off electricity.

This week, the Government announced a new push to drive up the adoption of simpler plug-in solar panels in the wake of the ongoing and escalating Middle East crisis which has seen energy costs spiralling.

Although the Ofgem price cap dropped by 6.6% today in a change which had already been set in stone, current predictions from analysts show that the next price cap in July could increase by as much as 18%.

That’s one of the reasons government is pushing for more households to adopt renewables like solar, which aren’t going to be affected by the Ofgem price cap.

Today, British Gas announced it is supporting the adoption of plug-in solar panels, with new smart tariffs, services and customer support designed to help householders maximise the benefits of renewable technology.

British Gas is offering customers compatible tariffs and smart services to support plug-in solar adoption, which can be integrated with its PeakSave scheme, helping customers store solar power and use it during expensive peak times.

In particular, the plug in solar panels and tariff will help those in flats or with balconies, as plug in panels can be hung off balconies and in smaller homes.

British Gas says: Plug-in solar panels – also known as plug and play solar or balcony solar – are small solar kits designed to be incredibly easy to use:

• Place them on a balcony, terrace, shed roof or outdoor space
• Connect the plug-in solar inverter into a standard 3 pin socket
• Start generating your own electricity, which you can use instantly to power your home – so you don’t need to buy as much electricity from the grid

This means plug-in solar panels particularly suited to:

• Renters
• Flats and small homes
• Balconies and small gardens
• Anyone wanting a low cost, low commitment way to start generating clean energy

This follows the government’s ‘Future Home and Buildings Standard’ announced last week, which requires all new homes to be low carbon and energy efficient to avoid retrofitting in future.

Under current proposals, most new homes are expected to be built with solar panels and low carbon heating such as heat pumps as standard – helping homeowners to reduce carbon emissions and save on bills.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced the rollout of plug-in solar panels which it says will save typical households between £70 and £110 a year on their energy bills.

The panels simply plug into a mains socket, such as an outdoor garden plug, and then automatically send electricity back into your house to run appliances, with no other installations needed.

The panels will cost around £400 to buy, much cheaper than a full, sophisticated panel install which often costs thousands. Based on typical savings between £70 and £110, the panels will pay for themselves within four years, and from that point provide totally free electricity.

Plug-in panels also offer an accessible route to clean energy for renters, flats and those without suitable roofs – part of the wider support British Gas offers for practical, affordable clean energy solutions.

It comes as data from Hive shows solar panel installations have jumped by 173% so far in the first three months of 2026 compared to the same time last year, as households are increasingly investing in technologies that future-proof their homes from energy market volatility and offer long-term savings.

John Evans, Commercial Director, British Gas Energy, said: “Plug-in solar and home batteries are a real breakthrough for customers – making greener, cheaper energy something you can simply plug-in and start benefiting from straight away.

“Simple, low cost plug-in panels are a huge opportunity for people to take more control of their energy bills. At British Gas, we’re already building the compatible tariffs and smart services that make this effortless.

“This is exactly the kind of practical, affordable progress we believe in: helping people save money today while supporting the UK’s move to clean, homegrown energy.”

British Gas says its PeakSave scheme allows customers to save up to 50% on electricity by using power during off-peak times, particularly on Sundays and during Green Flex events.