Guides
All guides
Everything we've published, grouped by topic. Each guide lists its sources and the date we last checked it.
Plug-in solar
Plug-in solar hub- Plug-in solar for apartments: how to choose a kit in the USWhat to check before you buy a balcony solar kit in the US: your state law, UL 3700, kit size, mounting, your lease, and the kits on sale in 2026.
- How plug-in solar works: panels that plug into a wall socketPlug-in solar panels feed power into your home through an ordinary socket. How the microinverter works, what a kit makes, safety, and where it is legal.
- Is plug-in solar safe? The real risks and how to avoid themPlug-in solar is designed to be safe, but electrical bodies have raised concerns. The real risks, from old wiring to extension leads, and what to check.
- Plug-in solar in the UK: the rules, the 800 W limit and registering your kitPlug-in solar became legal in Great Britain on 27 August 2026. The 800 W limit, approved kits, registering at myplugin.solar, costs and savings.
- Is plug-in solar legal in the US? State laws in 2026Ten US states have signed plug-in (balcony) solar laws. The size limits, start dates, UL 3700 rules, and what to do if your state has no law yet.
- Is plug-in solar worth it? Real savings and payback in 2026What a plug-in solar kit really saves in the UK and US in 2026, using current electricity prices, with payback times for good, typical and poor spots.
Power stations
Power stations hub- Best portable power stations in 2026: picks by size and useThe best portable power stations for camping, outages and home backup in 2026, picked from verified specs, prices and warranties at every size.
- EcoFlow vs Jackery: which power station should you buy?EcoFlow vs Jackery at 1 kWh, 2 kWh and whole-home sizes: capacity, output, charging speed, UPS, expansion, warranty and price, from the spec sheets.
- How long will a power station run a fridge?A 1 kWh power station runs a typical fridge for roughly 10 to 20 hours. How to work out your own runtime from the label, with tables and tips.
- Solar generators for home backup: what they can and can't runA solar generator is a power station plus panels. What one can run in an outage, how many panels you need, how it connects to your house, and costs.
Home backup
Home backup hub- Home battery backup: how it works, what it costs and what it can runHow home battery backup works, what it can run in an outage, how much you need, and what it costs in 2026 in the US and UK now the federal credit has ended.
- Battery backup for power outages: what to buy for your homeThe right battery backup depends on how long your outages last and what you cannot do without. Five common situations, what to buy, and what it costs.
- Solar battery backup: how solar keeps working in a power cutMost solar panels switch off in a power cut. How a battery changes that, AC vs DC coupling, adding a battery to existing solar, sizing, and 2026 costs.
- Solar battery storage cost: what you'll really pay in 2026What a home solar battery costs in 2026: price per kWh in the US and UK, what quotes include, the costs nobody lists, incentives and how to compare.
- Whole-home battery backup or essentials only?Whole-home backup keeps everything running but costs far more. How to decide, what counts as essential, and how many kW and kWh each option needs.
- Home battery backup without solar: what worksYou don't need solar panels to have a home battery. How grid-charged batteries work, what they cost, time-of-use savings, and when they make sense.