A G98 notification tells your Distribution Network Operator that you have connected a small generator. For plug-in solar it is free, takes about twenty minutes, and is due within 28 days of installing. It is a notification, not an application — you connect first and tell them afterwards. You need your address and MPAN, the device's manufacturer reference from the ENA type-test register, the AC rating, and the connection date. G98 covers generators below 3.68 kW on a single phase, so every 800W plug-in kit falls inside it comfortably.
This is the step people skip, and it is the one that costs nothing. Engineering Recommendation G98 is published by the Energy Networks Association and it is the standard route for telling the network that something on your side of the meter can now push power the other way.
What you need before you start
- Your address and postcode — this determines which DNO you deal with.
- Your MPAN — the long supply number on your electricity bill, sometimes labelled "supply number" and printed in a bordered box. It identifies the meter point.
- The manufacturer reference for your device — taken from the ENA type-test register entry, not from the box. This is the field that proves the kit is certified.
- The AC rating — 800W or less for a compliant plug-in device. Note that this is the inverter's AC output, not the panel DC total.
- The date you connected it — the 28-day clock runs from here.
- Contact details — email and phone, so the DNO can come back to you if something does not match.
How to file a G98 notification, step by step
- Find your Distribution Network Operator. Your DNO is not your energy supplier — it is the company that owns the wires in your area, and it is decided by geography, not by who you buy electricity from. Use the Energy Networks Association's operator lookup, or call 105, to find which DNO covers your postcode.
- Find your device on the ENA type-test register. Search the register at Connect Direct for your kit and open its entry. Note the manufacturer reference exactly as it appears. If your device is not on the register with a compliant status, stop — it is not lawful to plug in, and no form will change that.
- Get your MPAN from your electricity bill. It is the long number in a bordered box, usually starting with an S. You need the bottom row of digits. If you cannot find it, your supplier will give it to you on request.
- Open your DNO's G98 notification form. Every DNO publishes one, most now as an online form. Look for "G98", "connect a generator" or "notify a small generator" on their website. Make sure you are on the notification route for an already-connected installation, not the pre-approval route used for larger systems.
- Enter the installation details. Address, MPAN, connection date, and the device details from the register: manufacturer, model, manufacturer reference and the AC rating in kW. For an 800W kit that is 0.8 kW. Enter the AC figure, not the panel total — a 1,260W array with an 800W microinverter is 0.8 kW.
- Declare who installed it. For a DIY installation of a certified plug-in kit, you are the installer. There is no requirement for a qualified electrician's details on a compliant plug-in device. If an electrician fitted it, use their details and qualification.
- Submit and keep the confirmation. You should get an acknowledgement, usually by email and usually with a reference number. Save it. That reference is what you produce if the question ever comes up at a property sale, an insurance claim, or a change of supplier.
- Tell your landlord or freeholder, if you have one. Not a G98 requirement, but sending them the confirmation closes the loop on the promise you almost certainly made when you asked for consent.
When do you not need a G98 notification?
Fewer situations than people hope.
| Setup | G98 needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certified plug-in kit, 800W AC, plugged into a socket | Yes | Within 28 days of connecting |
| Hardwired system below 3.68 kW single phase | Yes | Same G98 route; your electrician normally files it |
| System above 3.68 kW single phase | No — G99 instead | Prior approval, not notification. Different form, different timeline |
| Off-grid panel charging a battery, not connected to the house wiring | No | Nothing is exported, so the network is unaffected |
| A panel powering a shed or camper with no grid connection | No | Same reasoning — genuinely islanded |
| Moving an existing kit to a new address | Yes | New meter point, new notification |
The distinction that matters is whether the generator can push power into wiring that connects to the grid. If it can, the DNO wants to know. If it genuinely cannot — a truly islanded panel and battery with no connection to your consumer unit — it does not.
Why bother, if nobody checks?
Nobody is going to knock on your door. The reasons to file it anyway are practical rather than punitive:
- Network planning. DNOs size local infrastructure on the basis of the generation they know about. In a street where a dozen households quietly add generation and none of them say so, the planning assumptions are wrong for everyone on that circuit.
- Property transactions. Conveyancing enquiries increasingly ask about generation equipment. An acknowledgement reference is a one-line answer; its absence is a delay.
- Insurance. A non-disclosed installation is an easy thing for an insurer to point at when something else goes wrong.
- Future export. If the framework for paying plug-in generators ever arrives, a documented connection is the starting point. An undocumented one is not.
It is free and it takes twenty minutes. There is no good argument for skipping it.
Common mistakes on the form
- Entering the panel wattage instead of the AC rating. A 1,260W kit is a 0.8 kW generator for G98 purposes. Putting 1.26 kW in the box invites an unnecessary query.
- Guessing the manufacturer reference. Take it from the register entry, character for character. It is the field the DNO cross-checks.
- Contacting your energy supplier instead of your DNO. Different companies with different jobs. Your supplier sells you units; your DNO owns the cables.
- Using the G99 route. G99 is prior approval for larger generation. Filing under it for an 800W kit will slow you down for no reason.
- Filing before you have checked the register. If the device is not certified, the notification does not make it lawful — it just documents the problem.
If you are not sure your kit is certified, check the current list on the ledger first, and read ENA register versus "800W-class" marketing for why the shop listing is not evidence.
Sources and further reading
- Energy Networks Association — publisher of Engineering Recommendation G98 and the DNO lookup.
- ENA Connect Direct — the type-test register, and the source of the manufacturer reference you need for the form.
- SI 2026 No. 848 — the 800W AC ceiling and the interim product specification.
- GOV.UK — Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market.
- Ofgem — the regulator, for the split between suppliers and network operators.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to notify my DNO about plug-in solar?
Yes. A G98 notification is required within 28 days of connecting a plug-in solar device to your home wiring. It is free, it is a notification rather than an application, and you connect first and tell the network operator afterwards.
How long does a G98 notification take?
About twenty minutes to complete. Most DNOs now use an online form and acknowledge it by email, often the same day. There is no waiting period before you may use the equipment, because you have already connected it.
How much does a G98 notification cost?
Nothing. There is no fee for a G98 notification for domestic-scale generation.
What is my DNO, and how do I find it?
Your Distribution Network Operator owns the electricity cables in your area. It is not your energy supplier and you do not choose it — it is decided by where you live. Use the Energy Networks Association's operator lookup or call 105 to find yours.
What information do I need for the G98 form?
Your address and MPAN from your electricity bill, the device's manufacturer reference exactly as it appears on the ENA type-test register, the AC rating in kW (0.8 for an 800W kit), the connection date, and your contact details.
Do I put the panel wattage or the inverter wattage on the form?
The inverter's AC rating. A kit with 1,260W of panel feeding an 800W microinverter is a 0.8 kW generator for G98 purposes, because 0.8 kW is what it can send into the network.
When do I not need a G98 notification?
If the system is genuinely off-grid — a panel charging a battery with no connection to your household wiring — there is nothing to notify. If the system is above 3.68 kW on a single phase you need the G99 process instead, which is prior approval rather than notification.
What happens if I never file one?
There is no fine, but your generator is invisible to the network operator's local planning, and you have no documentation for a property sale, an insurance question or any future export arrangement. Given it is free and takes twenty minutes, there is little reason not to.
Do I need an electrician to file it?
No. For a certified plug-in kit that you fitted yourself, you are the installer and you file it yourself. If an electrician did the work, they normally file it as part of the job.