Yes, in Great Britain, from 27 August 2026. SI 2026 No. 848 makes it lawful to plug a solar microgenerator into a standard domestic socket, provided the device is rated at no more than 800W AC and meets the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification. In practice that means it must hold a compliant entry on the ENA type-test register. You must also notify your Distribution Network Operator with a G98 form within 28 days. The change covers England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland is not included.
Plug-in solar was not previously illegal in the sense of being banned by name. It was blocked by two older sets of rules that no compliant product could satisfy at once: the plug had to be approved for the purpose, and the connection had to be safe under the electricity supply regulations. SI 2026 No. 848 amends both, which is why the change landed as a single statutory instrument rather than a new Act.
What exactly changed on 27 August 2026?
The instrument is formally titled The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026. It was made on 16 July 2026, laid before Parliament on 17 July 2026, and came into force on 27 August 2026.
It does two things:
- It amends the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 so that a standard plug may lawfully be approved for use with a plug-in microgenerator.
- It amends the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 to require that a plug-in microgenerator complies with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification when installed.
The second half is the one that bites. The specification is what a device has to be tested against, and the type-test register is where you find out whether a given product passed.
What is the 800W limit, exactly?
It is a limit on AC output at the microinverter, not on the panels. This trips people up constantly, because certified kits on the market carry 890W, 1,030W and even 1,260W of panel.
That is entirely compliant. The panels feed a microinverter rated at 800W AC, and on the rare occasions when the array could exceed that, the inverter simply clips its output. Extra panel is how a system recovers generation on overcast days and on east- or west-facing walls, where it will almost never reach the ceiling anyway. If you want the trade-off in numbers, see 800W versus 400W plug-in solar.
| Setup | Lawful to plug in? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Certified kit, 800W AC or less, on the ENA register | Yes | Meets the interim specification; register entry proves it |
| Uncertified "800W-class" kit bought online | No | No compliant register entry, so no evidence it meets the specification |
| Device rated above 800W AC | No | Outside the ceiling set by the instrument |
| Plug-in unit with integrated battery storage | No | The interim specification covers generation, not storage |
| Hardwired system fitted by an electrician | Not applicable | Already lawful before the change, under G98 or G99 |
| Any of the above in Northern Ireland | No | The instrument applies to Great Britain only |
How do I know if a specific kit is legal?
Check the register. The Energy Networks Association maintains the type-test database at Connect Direct, and it is the same database your DNO consults when your G98 form arrives. A device is either on it with a compliant status or it is not.
As of the last check, eight systems hold a compliant plug-in entry: seven kits from UKSOL and the Perlight PowerPlug MAX 465. Several very well-known brands — EcoFlow, Anker, Zendure, TSUNESS — are not on it, despite being sold widely and marketed around the 800W figure. That gap between the shop and the register is the single most expensive misunderstanding available in this market right now, and it is worth its own guide: ENA register versus "800W-class" marketing.
The current certified list, with prices and payback, is the whole point of the ledger on our home page.
Do I have to tell anyone?
Yes — your Distribution Network Operator, using a G98 notification, within 28 days of installing. It is free, it takes about twenty minutes, and it is a notification rather than an application: you connect first and tell them afterwards. G98 covers small generators below 3.68 kW on a single phase, which includes every 800W plug-in kit by a wide margin.
Skipping it is not a criminal matter but it is a genuine problem. Your DNO plans the local network on the basis of what it knows is connected, and an unregistered generator is invisible to that planning. It can also complicate any future export arrangement or property sale. The full walkthrough, including the manufacturer reference you will need from the register, is in G98 notification, step by step.
Who does this apply to?
Householders in England, Wales and Scotland. The government has been explicit that renters and flat-dwellers are a large part of the point: these are the households that have historically been shut out of rooftop solar entirely.
Legality is not the same as permission, though. Being allowed by the state to plug something in does not mean you are allowed by your landlord, your freeholder or your local planning authority to bolt it to a wall. Those are separate consents and they are the practical obstacle for most flats. See balcony solar for renters and flat owners.
Is it actually safe?
The government's position is that the UK safety specification is more stringent than Germany's, where roughly half a million new plug-in devices were installed in the preceding year. Safety testing covered the key electrical elements and concluded that compliant panels are safe and compatible with UK wiring.
The qualifier is doing real work in that sentence. "Compliant" means tested against the interim specification and listed on the register. An uncertified import may well be perfectly engineered, or may not be — the point of the register is that you do not have to guess. The main residual risks with a compliant kit are mechanical rather than electrical: panels are large, they act as sails, and balcony and wall fixings are the part most often done badly.
Is it worth doing?
The government's estimate is a saving of around £70 to £110 a year for an 800W system, covering up to 20% of an average home's electricity use. Against certified kit prices of £599 to £989, that is a payback somewhere between five and fourteen years before you adjust for your own circumstances.
Orientation, shading and when you actually use electricity move that range more than the choice of kit does. We work through it honestly, including the cases where it does not pay, in plug-in solar payback: how long to break even? and how much do plug-in solar panels cost in the UK?
Sources and further reading
- SI 2026 No. 848 on legislation.gov.uk — the full text, including commencement and extent.
- GOV.UK — Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market — savings estimate, safety testing and the comparison with Germany.
- GOV.UK — plug-in solar consultation — the policy work behind the instrument and the interim specification.
- ENA Connect Direct — the type-test register.
- Energy Networks Association — publisher of Engineering Recommendation G98.
- Ofgem — the energy regulator, for export arrangements and supplier obligations.
Frequently asked questions
Is plug-in solar legal in the UK?
Yes, in Great Britain since 27 August 2026, under SI 2026 No. 848. The device must be rated at 800W AC or less and must meet the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification, which in practice means holding a compliant entry on the ENA type-test register. You must also notify your DNO with a G98 form within 28 days.
Is plug-in solar legal in Northern Ireland?
No. SI 2026 No. 848 extends to Great Britain — England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own electricity safety framework and is not covered by this change.
What is SI 2026 No. 848?
It is the statutory instrument formally titled The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026. It was made on 16 July 2026, laid before Parliament on 17 July, and came into force on 27 August 2026. It permits an approved plug for a solar microgenerator up to 800W and requires compliance with the interim product specification.
Does the 800W limit apply to the panels or the inverter?
The inverter. It is a cap on AC output, measured at the microinverter. Certified kits with 890W, 1,030W or 1,260W of panel are perfectly lawful because the inverter clips output to 800W AC.
Can I just buy any 800W kit online and plug it in?
No. Being rated at 800W is not the same as being certified. Only a device with a compliant entry on the ENA type-test register can be shown to meet the interim specification, and several widely sold brands do not currently have one.
Do I need planning permission for plug-in solar?
For most houses, wall or garden microgeneration falls under permitted development and needs no application, subject to conditions on projection, conservation areas and listed buildings. Flats and maisonettes are excluded from some of those rights. Check with your local planning authority, and with your freeholder or landlord, before you buy.
Do I need an electrician?
Not for a certified plug-in kit — that is the point of the change. You still need to file the G98 notification yourself, or have an installer do it. An electrician is worth hiring if the mounting work is at height, involves drilling a shared facade, or needs signing off for a freeholder.
What happens if I do not file a G98 notification?
It is not a criminal offence, but your DNO plans the local network on the basis of connected generation it knows about, and an unnotified generator is invisible to that. It can also cause problems with export arrangements and at the point of sale. The form is free and takes about twenty minutes.