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Rules and prices checked 24 September 2026

Plug-In Solar Panels UK (2026)

Plug-in solar has been legal in Great Britain since 27 August 2026. A kit of up to 800 W plugs into a normal socket, needs no installer, and saves £70 to £110 a year. Only kits on the ENA register are legal. Below: the rules, and every registered kit we could buy.

See the legal kitsThe rules

Disclosure: the EcoFlow link on this page is an affiliate link (Awin). If you buy through it we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We earn nothing from the other retailers listed. Kits are ordered by price and what's in the box.

Quick Answer: Is Plug-In Solar Legal in the UK?

Yes, in Great Britain from 27 August 2026 (not Northern Ireland). The kit must put no more than 800 W into your wiring, use no more than 2,000 W of panels, plug straight into a wall socket with no extension lead, have no built-in battery, and be listed as Compliant on the ENA Connect Direct register. One kit per household. You notify your DNO; you don't need an MCS installer.

The cheapest registered kit we found is the DMEGC 465W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit at £336 from City Plumbing. The most panel for the money is the DMEGC 1030W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit at £468. The government estimates a saving of about £110 a year for panels tilted 30° facing south and about £70 on a vertical east or west wall. Below: all 16 registered kits on sale on 24 September 2026, and the checks to do before you plug one in.

Cheapest registered kit

DMEGC 465W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit

£336 for one 465 W panel, mount and plug lead

City Plumbing

Most panel for the money

DMEGC 1030W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit

£468 for 2 × 515 W panels. Over 960 W, so the rules suggest a wiring check first

City Plumbing

If you're an Octopus customer

Octopus single panel plug-in solar bundle

£450 or £650 delivered. The only kits Octopus pays export on. Delivery end of October or later

Octopus Energy

From a national chain

PowerXpress 800W Bifacial Plug-In Solar Power Kit

£669 for 2 × 460 W bifacial panels, delivered

Screwfix

800 W

Max output

Into your wiring

2,000 W

Max panels

Per kit

£70–£110

Saving a year

DESNZ estimate

70

Kits on the register

Compliant, 24 September 2026

The Plug-In Solar Rules

Three documents set the rules from 27 August 2026: a statutory instrument (SI 2026/848), the government's Interim Product Specification for plug-in solar, and an amendment to the G98 grid connection standard that Ofgem approved on 11 August. In short:

RuleWhat it meansSource
OutputThe inverter can put at most 800 W (800 VA, 3.5 A) into your home's wiring.SI 2026/848
PanelsUp to 2,000 W of panels in total. Above 960 W, the rules say to consider having your wiring assessed by a professional first.Product Specification 4.1
How manyOne kit per household. A flat with its own consumer unit counts as a household.Ofgem G98 decision
Plug and socketA factory-fitted 3-pin plug (fuse of 5 A or less) straight into a wall socket on a socket circuit. No extension leads, multi-way, travel or RCD adaptors.Product Specification 6.2.3
BatteriesNot allowed. A kit with a built-in battery is not plug-in solar under the law and must be hardwired by an electrician.SI 2026/848
RegisterThe complete kit must be listed as Compliant on the ENA Connect Direct register before it can be sold as plug-in solar.Product Specification 7
InstallerNo MCS installer needed. You can fit it yourself.Ofgem G98 decision
NotifyYou must notify your DNO when you install the kit and when you remove it.Ofgem G98 decision
WhereGreat Britain only. Northern Ireland has not changed its rules.SI 2026/848, reg 1(4)
PermissionCheck with your landlord, freeholder or managing agent. Listed buildings need consent. England has planning limits (below).GOV.UK

Plug-in solar is a G98 connection, like a small rooftop system. If you already have rooftop solar, a plug-in kit can be added as long as the total stays within G98's 16 A per phase; above that, G99 applies. See G98 vs G99.

How to Check a Kit Is Legal

Every legal kit is listed on the Energy Networks Association's Connect Direct register. On 24 September 2026 it held 79 plug-in solar entries: 70 Compliant from 19 manufacturers, and 9 Non-compliant.

  1. 1Open the ENA Connect Direct register (plug-in solar) and search for the manufacturer.
  2. 2Find the exact kit: panels, microinverter and mount together. The register lists complete kits. A microinverter that is “G98 approved” on its own does not make a set of loose panels a legal plug-in kit.
  3. 3The status must say Compliant. “Submitted” or “Non-compliant” means it can't be sold as plug-in solar.
  4. 4Match the model name on the retailer's page to the register entry. Our table below gives each kit's register reference.

Every Registered Kit We Could Buy

We list a kit only if its exact configuration is Compliant on the register and a UK retailer showed a price for it on 24 September 2026. Prices include VAT as shown by the retailer; the price at checkout applies. We haven't tested these kits.

One panel

KitPanelsPriceRegister refBuy

DMEGC 465W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit

Mounting frame, microinverter and 5 m plug lead included

1 × 465 W£336Stock shown by postcodeCITYP/21388City Plumbing

DMEGC 515W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit

Mounting frame, microinverter and 5 m plug lead included

1 × 515 W£348Stock shown by postcodeCITYP/21389City Plumbing

PatioSun Lite

UKSOL panel, ground mount, Hoymiles HiFlow microinverter

1 × 445 W£449In stockPATIO/21264PatioSun

Octopus single panel plug-in solar bundle

Inc VAT and delivery; wall or ground mount

1 × 460 W£450New orders deliver end of October to mid-NovemberOCTOQ/21124Octopus Energy

Thunder Bolt 460W Plug-In Solar Kit

Thunder Energy shop

1 × 460 W£549.99Stock not statedTHUNE/21203Thunder Energy

Perlight PowerPlug MAX 465

pluginsolar.co.uk (£490 ex VAT)

1 × 465 W£588In stockPERLI/21158Plug In Solar

UKSOL Pro Compact 460W Ground Mount Kit

£599 collected, £699 delivered; £670.80 at City Plumbing

1 × 460 W£599OrderableUKSOL/21002UKSOL

Two panels

KitPanelsPriceRegister refBuy

DMEGC 1030W Hoymiles HiFlow Plug In Solar Kit

Two mounting frames, microinverter and 5 m plug lead included

2 × 515 WOver 960 W£468Stock shown by postcodeCITYP/21277City Plumbing

EcoFlow STREAM Plug-in Solar Kit (with brackets)

Bracket kits (pitched roof, facade, garden) £419 to £699, registered 22 Sep 2026. We could not match the in-stock variant without brackets (£549) to a register entry

2 × 400 to 520 WOver 960 Wfrom £419Bracket kits sold outECOFL/21128EcoFlow

Octopus two panel plug-in solar bundle

Inc VAT and delivery; wall or ground mount

2 × 460 W£650New orders deliver end of October to mid-NovemberOCTOQ/21124Octopus Energy

PowerXpress 800W Bifacial Plug-In Solar Power Kit

Bifacial panels, adjustable bracket, 5 m cable

2 × 460 W£669Delivery only, no Click & CollectPOWEZA/21077Screwfix

PatioSun Duo

Bifacial panels, ground mount, Hoymiles HiFlow microinverter

2 × 445 W£699In stockPATIO/21026PatioSun

PatioSun Max

Two ground mounts, HiFlow Pro microinverter with two inputs (panels can face different ways)

2 × 445 W£749In stockPATIO/21261PatioSun

Thunder Bolt 920W Plug-In Solar Kit

Thunder Energy shop

2 × 460 W£749.99Stock not statedTHUNE/21204Thunder Energy

Perlight PowerPlug MAX 930

pluginsolar.co.uk (£665 ex VAT)

2 × 465 W£798In stockPERLI/21196Plug In Solar

UKSOL Pro Duo 890W Ground Mount Kit

£899 collected, £999 delivered; £951.60 at City Plumbing

2 × 445 W£899OrderableUKSOL/21003UKSOL

One panel or two? Every kit here is capped at 800 W of output. Extra panel wattage doesn't raise that cap; it raises output in the morning, the evening and cloudy weather, when one panel produces well under 800 W.

Over 960 W of panels: the product rules say to consider having an electrician assess your wiring before you install.

How Much Does Plug-In Solar Save?

The government's impact assessment modelled 800 W of panels on an average home that is occupied in the daytime, with no battery, valued at the Ofgem price cap for July to September 2026 (26.11p/kWh). It counts only electricity used in the home: power exported to the grid earns nothing unless you have Octopus's kit and tariff.

Panel setupGenerated a yearUsed at homeSaving a yearPayback, £500 kit
Tilted 30°, facing south690 kWh428 kWh (62%)about £1104.5 years
Vertical (90°), facing east or west378 kWh272 kWh (72%)about £707.1 years

Source: DESNZ plug-in solar final-stage impact assessment, 16 July 2026, Table 7. Payback is our arithmetic: £500 is the kit price the assessment uses. The assessment also expects the inverter may need replacing after about 10 years.

Angle and direction matter more than anything else here: the same 800 W produces 690 kWh tilted south and 378 kWh flat against an east or west wall. Being home in the daytime matters too, because a plug-in kit only saves money on power you use while the sun is on the panels.

Before You Buy: Safety and Permission Checklist

1. Get permission

If you rent or own a leasehold flat, ask your landlord, freeholder or managing agent. A listed building needs listed building consent.

2. Check planning (England)

SI 2026/896 makes plug-in solar permitted development in England within limits: wall or balcony panels can stick out up to 0.4 m (0.2 m on a wall facing a road); on a flat roof, no higher than 0.6 m above the highest part; free-standing panels up to 9 m². Not on listed buildings or on wooden walls, balconies, cladding or fences. In Scotland and Wales, check with your council.

3. Check your consumer unit

Electrical Safety First says Type AC RCDs are unsuitable for plug-in solar, and the RCD or RCBO must work with power flowing both ways, which few householders can confirm by looking. It recommends an electrician's check. If your home still has rewireable or cartridge fuses, it has no RCD protection at all: get it inspected first. Never take the consumer unit cover off.

4. Buy a registered kit from an established retailer

Check the kit against the register (above). Avoid kits with a built-in battery.

5. Plug it straight into a wall socket

No extension leads or adaptors, and not a lighting circuit or a spur for a fixed appliance. An outdoor socket should be IP65-rated and fitted by a qualified electrician.

6. Register the kit

The Energy Saving Trust says registering on the UK Plug-In Solar Registration website (myplugin.solar) is a legal requirement, and it lets the network plan for the extra electricity. You need your name, postcode and the kit's make and model. The G98 rules also require you to notify when you remove the kit.

7. Test the RCD every six months

Press the test button while the panels are generating. If it doesn't trip, unplug the kit and call an electrician.

Plug-in doesn't mean no checks. In a joint statement on 9 June 2026, ECA, Electrical Safety First, the IET, NICEIC and SELECT said most homeowners have no way of knowing whether their home is suitable, and that the electrics should be checked first.

Plug-In Solar, Rooftop Solar or a Portable Power Station?

Plug-in solar

Up to 800 W, £336 to £899 for the kits above, fit it yourself. Cuts your daytime bill by £70 to £110 a year. Suits renters and flats with permission, and homes without a suitable roof.

Rooftop solar

Several kW on the roof, fitted by an MCS installer, and eligible for Smart Export Guarantee payments. DESNZ puts the median installed cost at £1,595 per kW (systems up to 4 kW, 2025/26).

Solar and battery calculator

Portable power station

A battery you charge from a socket or a folding panel and plug appliances into. Not connected to your home's wiring, so no rules to follow; it won't cut your bill.

Best portable power stations

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from 27 August 2026. Not yet in Northern Ireland, where the rules have not changed. The kit must be listed as Compliant on the ENA Connect Direct register, output no more than 800 W, have no built-in battery, and plug straight into a wall socket. One kit per household.
The government's impact assessment estimates about £110 a year for 800 W of panels tilted at 30° and facing south, and about £70 a year for panels mounted vertically on an east or west wall. Both assume someone is home in the daytime and count only electricity used in the home, not power exported to the grid. On a £500 kit that is a payback of roughly 4.5 to 7 years.
Yes. You must notify your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) when you install the kit and when you remove it. The Energy Saving Trust says registering on the UK Plug-In Solar Registration website (myplugin.solar) is a legal requirement; it asks for your name, postcode and the kit's make and model. You may also need permission from a landlord or freeholder, and listed building consent.
You don't need an MCS installer: the rules allow householders to fit a plug-in kit themselves. Electrical Safety First still recommends having an electrician check your consumer unit first, because some types of RCD may not trip properly with a generator plugged into the circuit. If your home still has rewireable or cartridge fuses, get it inspected before you buy.
Usually not. The Smart Export Guarantee requires an MCS-certified installation, which plug-in kits don't have. Octopus Energy pays its export tariffs only on plug-in kits bought from Octopus, for customers it supplies who have a smart meter. British Gas has said it will make its export tariff work with plug-in solar.
No. Kits with a built-in battery are excluded from the plug-in rules, and the kit's instructions must warn against using it with a battery. Battery systems such as the EcoFlow STREAM Ultra, Anker SOLIX Solarbank 4 and Zendure SolarFlow 2400 must be hardwired by an electrician. Electrical Safety First's advice is not to install plug-in battery systems at home.
One kit per household. The kit can include up to 2,000 W of panels, but its inverter can put no more than 800 W into your home's wiring. The product rules say that above 960 W of panels you should consider having your wiring assessed by a professional first. A flat with its own consumer unit counts as a separate household.
In England, plug-in solar is permitted development from 27 August 2026 within limits: wall or balcony panels can stick out up to 0.4 m (0.2 m on a wall facing a road), and free-standing panels can cover up to 9 m². It is not allowed on listed buildings or on wooden walls, balconies or fences. In Scotland and Wales, check your council's rules.
No. The product rules ban extension leads, multi-way adaptors, travel adaptors and RCD adaptors, and the plug must carry a warning saying so. Plug the kit straight into a wall socket on a socket circuit, not a lighting circuit or a spur for a fixed appliance such as a cooker. An outdoor socket should be IP65-rated and fitted by a qualified electrician.
EcoFlow's STREAM plug-in kits with brackets were added to the register on 22 September 2026; they were sold out on 24 September 2026. Zendure's SolarFlow 800 kits were registered on 21 September but were not on sale on its UK site. Anker had no plug-in solar entry on the register; its Solarbank 4 is a battery system that must be hardwired. Any version with a built-in battery is not legal as plug-in solar.

Sources

Related Guides

G98 vs G99

The grid connection rules plug-in solar sits under

Best Home Batteries UK

Installed storage, if you want a battery

Best Portable Power Stations

Backup power that isn't wired in

Want Bigger Savings Than 800 W?

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