How we rank
A score comes from the marks on the criteria below. Their weights sum to 100. A shop, a network or a commission is not one of them.
The marks on this build are arbitrary samples, between 5 and 9, so the tables can sort. They are not hands-on tests. Verified marks are refused while placeholder mode is on. Sample marks are refused once it is turned off.
The price in the headline is a separate fact: the lowest in-stock sample price. Sorting the table by price does not rewrite the merit rank printed on the name. An unchecked price cannot break a tie.
Plug-in solar kits
- Fits the 800W rule, 25%. Whether the listing is one device at or under 800W into the home.
- Siting, 20%. How simply the listing says it can sit on a balcony, fence or wall.
- Monitoring, 15%. Whether generation can be read without a paid extra.
- Warranty and repair, 20%. The listed warranty, and whether a UK repair route is named.
- Daytime use, 20%. How well the listed output matches electricity a home uses while the sun is out.
Smart thermostats
- Room control, 30%. How closely the listing says it can hold a temperature.
- Schedule clarity, 25%. Whether a weekday schedule can be set without a pile of menus.
- Boiler fit, 25%. Listed compatibility with common UK combi boilers. This is not a survey of your boiler.
- App and privacy, 20%. What the listing says the app stores, and whether the heating still works if the app is down.
Portable power stations
- Usable energy, 30%. Listed watt-hours you can draw, not a marketing peak.
- Output, 25%. Continuous watts and the plugs a UK home would actually use.
- Carry, 20%. Listed weight, and whether it has a handle.
- Warranty, 25%. Listed warranty length and who honours it in the UK.
What is not ranked yet
Smart tariffs and rooftop or heat-pump quotes do not have a score on this build. A tariff rate or an installer quote has to be checked before it can move a row. Paying for a listing will not be how that row is earned.
The same scoring package as the rest of this platform refuses commercial fields. The test that enforces the boundary still runs.