Is plug-in solar legal in the UK?
Yes — from 27 August 2026 there is a legal route for compliant plug-in solar products to be sold and used in homes in Great Britain. The important word is compliant. The change does not make every 800W European kit, loose microinverter or DIY collection of parts legal to plug into a UK socket.
The simple answer: yes. The rules came into force on 27 August 2026.
A plug-in solar product that meets the Interim Product Specification and the relevant network requirements can now be connected through a standard UK mains socket in the way the manufacturer intends.
This is a big change from where the UK was earlier in the year. Until now, the problem was not that solar panels themselves were somehow illegal. The problem was the use of a standard BS 1363 plug and socket to connect generating equipment into the electrical installation.
The government has now created a specific route for plug-in solar, backed by a UK Interim Product Specification setting out what the product has to include and how it has to behave.
What actually becomes legal on 27 August?
This is the bit I think buyers need to understand properly.
The new rules are not simply an “800W inverter rule”. The government specification describes a plug-in solar device as a complete product made up of at least:
- one or more solar PV modules,
- a grid-following inverter,
- a connection lead with a compliant BS 1363 plug, and
- a mounting system for the panel.
The product is intended to be connected to the mains using the manufacturer-supplied plug. That is why buying a microinverter separately, adding your own lead and attaching whatever panels and frame you choose is not automatically the same thing as buying a compliant UK plug-in solar product.
Important: “the inverter is G98 approved” does not by itself prove that the complete plug-in solar setup meets the new UK product rules.
For buyers, the sensible approach is to look for clear evidence that the complete product being sold for UK use meets the final Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification.
What are the main UK limits?
The final specification applies to single-phase domestic plug-in solar and sets a maximum apparent power of 800VA. It also limits AC output current to 3.5A.
The solar panels themselves can have a higher combined DC rating than 800W. This is normal inverter oversizing and can help the inverter reach useful output for more of the day. We cover that separately in our 800VA plug-in solar limit guide.
Can it really plug into a normal socket?
Yes — that is the point of the new framework. A compliant product is designed to connect to an existing UK socket without needing a new dedicated generation circuit installed just for it.
But that does not mean every socket in every house is automatically suitable.
The condition of the electrical installation still matters. The product instructions must help the user identify the circuit, check the protective arrangements and recognise situations where professional advice is needed.
We have a separate electrician-led guide explaining ring final circuits, radial circuits and which socket can be used for plug-in solar.
Can I have more than one plug-in solar system?
This is an area where the product specification and the current network rules need to be read together.
The Interim Product Specification allows one plug-in solar product per household final circuit. However, it also specifically notes that the current GB network requirement, G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 2026, restricts this to one plug-in solar device per household unless and until G98 is amended again.
So for now: do not read “one per circuit” as permission to put one system on the upstairs sockets, another on the downstairs sockets and another in the garage.
The current G98 restriction of one device per household still needs to be followed.
How do I register it — and do I still need G98?
For an approved complete plug-in solar product, there is now a dedicated national consumer route operated by the Energy Networks Association: myplugin.solar.
The portal says that only approved devices are eligible for registration and makes the householder select the exact product from the approved device list. That is now one of the clearest checks before buying: if the exact complete kit cannot be selected, do not assume that a G98-approved inverter or a UK plug on its own qualifies it for the new consumer plug-in route.
G98 has not disappeared. Conventional rooftop PV, fixed-wired microgeneration and properly designed bespoke systems that are outside the approved plug-in consumer-product route still use the normal G98/G99 connection process as applicable. Submitting a traditional G98 notification does not turn a home-made socket-connected kit into an approved plug-in solar product.
See our plug-in solar registration guide for the new ENA route, or the detailed G98 guide for conventional and bespoke systems.
Do I need an electrician?
Not simply because the product is plug-in solar. The new framework is specifically intended to allow compliant products to be installed and operated by ordinary consumers without a separate electrical circuit having to be installed.
That said, an electrician may still be the right answer where the consumer unit is old or unclear, suitable RCD protection cannot be confirmed, the condition of the socket or circuit is questionable, or any fixed wiring alteration is required.
This is an important distinction. Self-installable product does not mean every electrical installation is automatically suitable.
Read our full guide: Do I need an electrician for plug-in solar?
What about batteries?
They are not included in this first plug-in solar framework.
The final specification specifically excludes plug-in battery systems and plug-in solar PV devices integrated with battery systems. So the fact that plug-in solar is being enabled does not mean a socket-connected battery that can feed energy back into the home should be treated under the same rules.
See our separate plug-in battery storage guide for more detail.
What about kits already bought from Europe?
They do not automatically become compliant on 27 August.
Some of the technology may be very similar to the systems the UK framework was based on, but the UK specification contains its own requirements covering the plug, lead, inverter behaviour, panel arrangement, mounting, labelling, documentation and testing.
If a seller cannot clearly show that the product being supplied for UK use meets the final UK specification, I would not assume that it qualifies simply because it is 800W or works legally in Germany.
What should I check before buying?
- The product is specifically intended and supplied for the UK market.
- The complete product is stated to comply with the UK Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification.
- The inverter/network requirements are suitable for Great Britain or the relevant Northern Ireland arrangements.
- The manufacturer supplies the UK plug and connection lead as part of the product.
- The supplied mounting arrangement is suitable for how you intend to install the panels.
- Your proposed socket and electrical installation meet the manufacturer's instructions.
- You understand the G98/DNO notification requirement.
The bottom line
Plug-in solar now has a proper legal route in Great Britain from 27 August 2026.
That is good news. It opens solar up to people who cannot justify or install a conventional rooftop system.
But the rule is not “anything under 800W can now be plugged in”. Buy a product designed and evidenced for the new UK framework, follow its instructions, make sure the socket circuit is suitable and deal with the network notification properly.
Official sources
This page is based on the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's July 2026 government response and the final Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification (Version 2.0). For a more detailed breakdown of the legislation and technical limits, see our 27 August 2026 plug-in solar rules guide.
This page is kept under review as government guidance, G98 and the UK plug-in solar product market develop.