On 27 August 2026 The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/848) came into force. That is the change this site has tracked since the June consultation, and it means plug-in solar — a small solar system without batteries, connected to a standard mains socket — is now legal to use in England, Scotland and Wales.
The mechanism matters. Regulation 3 inserts a definition of a plug-in microgenerator into the ESQCR 2002 and substitutes regulation 22(1)(c) so that such a device complies by meeting the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification (version 2, published 16 July 2026) instead of British Standard Requirements. Earlier guidance — including ours — treated an update to BS 7671 as a further step before everyday use; the regulations route around BS 7671 for these devices, so no such step was needed.
The other half was the connection code. On 11 August 2026 Ofgem approved Distribution Code modification DCRP/MP/26/02, which amends Engineering Recommendation G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 to accommodate plug-in solar. Ofgem's decision states the modification is implemented when the SI comes into force, so both halves landed together on 27 August.
What the rules actually permit
The Interim Product Specification sets the limits: a maximum apparent power of 800 VA and 3.5 A supplied to the installation; up to 2,000 W of PV modules in total, with a maximum of four modules and no more than two in series; a factory-fitted plug to BS 1363-1 (no extension leads, multi-way adaptors or RCD adaptors); and a prominent warning that the device is not for use with battery storage. The specification permits one device per final ring circuit, and G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 currently restricts this to one device per household. Notifying your distribution network operator of connection and disconnection is mandatory.
Crucially, a kit is only lawful if that specific model has been type tested to G98 and is listed as compliant on the ENA Type Test Register (on the ENA Connect Direct platform). Being sold in the EU, or being obtainable in the UK, is not compliance. Check the model code against the register before you buy.
What this means for the products we track
We have not yet verified any of the products on this site against the register, and we will not label a product as UK-compliant until we have recorded that check. Zendure SolarFlow is a battery-storage system and sits outside the specification altogether. Our product pages now say exactly that.
Northern Ireland
Regulation 3 extends to England and Wales and Scotland only. G98 applies to Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own connection requirements. The position there is unchanged.