<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div><div><div><p>Plug-in solar panels will go on sale in budget supermarket Lidl as part of Ed Miliband’s net zero drive.</p><p>The devices will cost as little as £400 upfront and could cut a typical household’s power bill by £70-£110 a year, the Government said.</p><p>They can be hung from a balcony, placed in the garden or elsewhere and then plugged into an ordinary wall socket, without the need for any home modifications.</p><p>Under current regulations, they cannot be sold. But plug-in solar is already widespread in other European countries, and ministers have vowed to change the rules in Britain within months.</p><p>The Government has held talks with Lidl about launching the products and is also speaking with Amazon and the manufacturer, EcoFlow, “to enable them to be brought to the UK market”.</p><p>It comes amid fears that the Middle East conflict will drive up household energy bills by hundreds of pounds if the crisis does not abate soon.</p><p>Mr Miliband, the Energy Secretary, has vowed to “double down” on the rollout of solar and wind farms in response, including by making plug-in solar panels available.</p><p>Shoppers may soon be able to pick up the portable power plants in Lidl’s much-loved “middle aisle” where the chain sells a variety of homeware, clothing and appliances.</p><p>In Germany, Lidl already sells small balcony solar panel “starter sets” for as little as €149 (£129). They are capable of generating up to 400 watts of electricity, enough to cater for a significant chunk of a typical household’s daily needs.</p><h2>‘Win for consumers’</h2><p>Mr Miliband said: “The Iran war has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security, so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.</p><p>“Whether through solar panels fitted as standard on new homes or making it possible for people to purchase plug-in solar in shops, we are determined to roll out clean power so we can give our country energy sovereignty.”</p><p>Georgina Hall, an executive at Lidl, said: “We are committed to making sustainable living affordable for everyone, and we welcome the Government’s move to modernise regulations in the UK.</p><p>“Updating the regulatory landscape for this ‘plug-and-play’ technology is a positive step towards empowering British households to manage their energy costs and support the nation’s net-zero ambitions.”</p><p>Challenger energy supplier Fuse is preparing to launch this year its own plug-in solar panel with a capacity of more than two kilowatts, equivalent to 2,000 watts.</p><p>It will cost between £1,000 and £2,000 and comes with a battery, allowing households, including renters, to save up to £500 a year, the company claims.</p><p>Alan Chang, Fuse’s chief executive, said: “The UK’s move to legalise plug-in solar is a huge win for consumers.”</p><h2>Additional initiative</h2><p>In another move aimed at cutting bills, the Government also confirmed it will launch a trial scheme that will allow some households to save on their energy bills when excess wind power is generated.</p><p>The scheme, which is mainly expected to benefit people in Scotland and eastern England, will allow energy suppliers to offer customers cheap electricity during certain hours to encourage greater consumption.</p><p>It is designed to reduce the need for so-called curtailment, where wind farms are paid to switch off because the grid is too congested to accept their power. Curtailment – which is ultimately paid for by consumers through their bills – cost Britain a record £1.5bn last year.</p><p>By encouraging households to use extra power during these periods instead, ministers hope to cut the bill for switching off turbines.</p><p>It is understood that households will be exempt from paying levies on their electricity when “turning up” their consumption.</p></div></div></div></div></div>

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<p>Lidl will sell plug-in solar panels as part of Ed Miliband's net zero initiative, costing around £400 and potentially saving households £70-£110 annually. These panels can be easily installed without home modifications. The UK government plans to change regulations to allow their sale, following successful models in Europe. Miliband emphasized the importance of clean energy for energy security amid rising energy costs due to global conflicts. Additionally, a trial scheme will offer cheaper electricity during excess wind power generation to help reduce energy bills.</p>

Lidl to sell plug-in solar panels under Miliband net zero drive