Plug-in solar and home insurance

It is generally worth telling your home insurer about any solar equipment, even a small, removable system. Insurance policies usually ask you to disclose material changes to your home and its contents, and being open helps keep your cover valid if you ever need to claim. This guide explains why disclosure matters and what an insurer may ask. It is general guidance, not financial advice.

Insurance is also separate from the legal position: Plug-in solar has been legal to use in Great Britain since 27 August 2026, when SI 2026/848 came into force alongside Ofgem-approved changes to the G98 connection code — provided the kit is listed as compliant on the ENA Type Test Register. Northern Ireland is not covered. Telling your insurer about a system does not change that. We cover the detail on the UK legal status page.

Why tell your insurer?

Home insurance is built around the information you give when you take out or renew a policy. If something changes — including adding solar equipment — your insurer generally expects to be told, so they can confirm whether it is covered and on what terms. Disclosing it up front is the straightforward way to avoid problems later.

What they may ask

An insurer might want to know what the equipment is, how it is installed or mounted, whether any fixed electrical work is involved, its value, and where it is kept when not in use. Having the manufacturer's details and any installation or purchase paperwork to hand makes the conversation easier.

How non-disclosure can affect a claim

If relevant information is not shared, it can affect a claim. An insurer may reduce a payout, decline it, or treat the cover as invalid where something material was not disclosed. Because the cost of being open is usually small, it is generally safer to mention solar equipment and let the insurer decide whether it matters.

What the government’s specification says

The Interim Product Specification, the rulebook every compliant kit is built to, makes insurance part of the instructions. Manufacturers must tell you that you are responsible for checking, before installation, whether the product may affect any relevant insurance, including your own and, where it applies, insurance covering the building.

Contents or buildings insurance?

Rooftop solar is usually part of buildings insurance because it is fixed to the house. A plug-in kit is not fixed wiring, and the insurance experts quoted by Homebuilding & Renovating in September 2026 expect it will usually be treated as contents. Damage a kit causes to the fabric of your home, including its wiring, would more typically fall under buildings cover, and some damage is only covered if you have accidental damage cover. Ask your insurer how it treats the kit.

Theft

Panels have to sit outside to work, and many policies apply different conditions to items kept outdoors, or cover theft from outside only in certain circumstances. Check the outdoor-items terms, any single-item limit, and whether you need personal possessions cover. Use the fixings or locks the manufacturer recommends, and keep the receipt, the serial number and a photo of the kit.

Buy a kit you can show is compliant

Insurers expect you to use a compliant product. Tesco Insurance told Homebuilding & Renovating that using a product that does not meet the new specification, or not following the manufacturer’s guidance, could affect a claim. In Great Britain the evidence is the model’s listing as compliant on the ENA Type Test Register: see every kit the register lists and keep a note of the register reference with your receipt.

Safety checks insurers recommend

Zurich UK advises having older wiring checked with an Electrical Installation Condition Report before installing, buying from reputable suppliers and taking extra care on online marketplaces, plugging directly into a wall socket rather than an extension lead or adaptor, and inspecting the kit regularly for damaged cables, loose connections or signs of overheating. Our guide to RCDs explains how to check your consumer unit.

Renters and leaseholders

Get permission from your landlord or freeholder before installing, particularly in a block of flats; see landlord and freeholder permission. Your own contents insurance still covers your possessions when you rent, so check that the kit is included.

Will my premium change?

We have not seen an insurer publish a standard premium change for plug-in solar. Tell your insurer what you have installed and its value, and ask directly.