Things could be about to change for landlords and freeholders who currently don’t have to allow tenants to install plug-in solar panels.
Climate Minister Katie White said renters should be permitted to install £400 plug-in solar panels which the Government expects to be on sale this summer at Lidl, Amazon and other supermarkets.
White said she doesn’t anticipate many landlords refusing to give tenants permission for solar, but will “consider” changes to the law if it becomes a “friction” point.
The same could apply to building freeholders who refuse to let leaseholders install solar on their roofs and balconies.
White didn’t rule out the UK following Germany, which has changed the law to make it difficult for landlords and building owners to refuse permission for solar.
Under the law, building owners and landlords in Germany must have a specific reason set out in writing, such as safety concerns.
It is expected that UK renters will still need to seek permission to install plug-in solar panels, “as you do with having a cat or putting up your picture on the wall”, White said.
However, the Government intends that landlords will not stand in their way and is working on guidance around this, The i Paper understands.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to figure out what the potential barriers are as it reforms regulations to allow plug-in solar to be widely available by the summer.
During a visit to Berlin, White told The i Paper: “We see this as an opportunity for renters and I think most landlords will be wanting to support their occupants in terms of any opportunity to bring down bills.”
The Climate Minister Katie White on a visit to a solar shop in Berlin (Photo: Lucie Heath)Germany has been at the forefront of ‘plug-in’ solar technology, a type of lightweight solar panel that can be plugged directly into your mains without an electrician.
Around one million households have registered plug-in solar systems since the German government began changing its regulations in 2019.
However, some have expressed scepticism that plug-in solar will be able to take off in the UK without wider housing reform.
A spokesperson for the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership said “the legal right to install solar panels on flat balconies will depend on a number of factors and everyone will need to check their lease”.
“Many leases would require the building landlords permission for which there could be a fee,” they said.
For private renters living in flats, the issue is “more complex” as they would have to ask their landlord to ask permission from the building’s freeholder, they added.
Questions also remain over building insurance and building safety regulations for those living in blocks above 18m, they added.
Sebastian Müller, a solar campaigner based in Germany told The i Paper that changing housing rules are a key component in facilitating the wider take-up of plug-in solar.
“Do you say ‘we legalise it’ but you have to come to terms with your landlord? Because coming to terms with your landlord is quite a difficult thing. Or is it legal in the sense that you have a right to put it onto your balcony?” he said.
But White insisted helping renters was one of the “main reasons” the regulation were being changed.
“Plug-in solar is great for renters because they can take it out the plug and take it with them when they end their rental agreements or if they move house,” she said.
The Government has said it expects households to be able to save up to £110 per year on their electricity bills by using plug-in solar, which means a £400 panel could be paid off within four years.
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