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plugandsolar

Plug-in solar rules in Great Britain

Since 27 August 2026, a compliant plug-in solar kit can be plugged into a normal socket in England, Scotland and Wales. Here's what the rules say, where they apply and where kits can't go, with dated sources.

Checked 24 October 2026

What changed in 2026

  • 16 July 2026: the government published its response to the plug-in solar consultation, and version 2 of the Interim Product Specification, the standard a plug-in kit must meet.
  • 11 August 2026: Ofgem approved a change to the grid connection rules (G98) so households can tell their network about a plug-in kit themselves.
  • 27 August 2026: the new rules came into force, with changes to the permitted development rules for solar on homes in England.

The rules are set by a statutory instrument (SI 2026/848), the government's Interim Product Specification and the G98 connection rules.

Where the rules apply

Plug-in solar can be used in England, Scotland and Wales. It isn't permitted in Northern Ireland, so we don't sell or deliver kits there, or to the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Planning in England

From 27 August 2026, most homes can fit solar equipment without a planning application, within limits:

  • nothing projecting beyond the set limits (0.2m on flats)
  • nothing on timber walls or balconies
  • nothing on a street-facing wall in a conservation area
  • listed buildings are excluded

Scotland and Wales

No plug-in-specific planning rules have been published yet. Check with your council before you fix a kit to a wall.

What a compliant kit must meet

  • Its exact model is listed as Compliant on the Energy Networks Association's Type Test Register. A kit that has only been submitted doesn't count.
  • It sends no more than 800VA (3.5A) into your home. The panels can add up to more, because the microinverter caps the output.
  • It plugs straight into a wall socket. No extension leads or adaptors.
  • It's used exactly as registered, with no panels, inverter, lead or mount swapped for other parts.
  • It isn't used with a battery.
  • One kit per household, registered free at myplugin.solar before first use.

Above 960W of panels, the specification says users should consider professional assessment of their electrical installation.

Where kits can't be installed

  • timber balconies
  • buildings with timber, ACM, MCM or HPL cladding
  • buildings having external wall remediation
  • a wall forming a boundary between properties, such as a wall shared with a neighbouring home
  • anywhere it would be fixed with cable ties, rope or straps

The maker's datasheets say its kits aren't suitable for balconies at all. If you rent, own leasehold or live in a managed building, you need permission from your landlord, freeholder or managing agent, and they can say no. Tell your home insurer too.

How to check a kit is listed

  1. Find the kit's exact model name or code.
  2. Search for it on the ENA Type Test Register (ENA Connect Direct).
  3. Check the status says Compliant, not submitted or in progress.
  4. Check the listed panels and mount match the kit you're buying.

Every kit we list is on the register as Compliant. We check the register again before a kit goes on sale.

Sources and dates

Two rules are under review: one kit per household, and no batteries. Both may change. The date at the top shows when we last checked.