The UK has put in place a new legal route for certain plug-in solar products. The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were made on 16 July 2026, laid before Parliament on 17 July, and come into force on 27 August. In practical terms, the instrument permits a tightly defined class of plug-in solar microgenerator to connect through a standard household socket, provided the product meets the new safety conditions. (legislationtracker.co.uk)
The policy problem was narrow but important. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said BS 1363-compliant plugs cannot currently be approved for plug-in solar because the standard prohibits using plugs and sockets to connect electricity-generating equipment. The amendment does not rewrite BS 1363. Instead, it creates a limited approval route for standard plugs used with compliant plug-in solar devices, while leaving the wider restriction in place for other products. (gov.uk)
Under the amended Plugs and Sockets etc. regime, a notified body may approve a standard plug type for a plug-in microgenerator only where the non-conformity arises solely from BS 1363's existing restriction on generation equipment. Apart from that point, the plug must still conform to BS 1363, and it must also comply with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification published by the Secretary of State on 16 July. (gov.uk) That is a compliance gate for manufacturers rather than a broad relaxation of product safety law. The approval route still depends on inspection or sample testing so that normal production can reasonably be expected to match the approved design, and the interim specification itself states that all plug-in solar equipment supplied for use in the UK must comply with its product requirements. (gov.uk)
The companion amendment to the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 brings the same product definition into electricity safety law. A plug-in microgenerator is defined as a solar-only source that converts sunlight directly into electricity, operates in parallel with the distributor's low-voltage network, connects by a standard plug and socket, and has a maximum rated alternating-current output of no more than 800 watts. Devices designed to import electricity for later storage are outside that definition, apart from limited control or auxiliary functions allowed by the interim specification. (gov.uk) The legal effect is straightforward. Where the source of energy is a plug-in microgenerator, it must comply with the interim product specification rather than the usual British Standard requirements referenced in regulation 22. DESNZ's consultation material is explicit that the route is intended for plug-in solar without batteries and does not extend to plug-in batteries or other plug-in generation technologies. (gov.uk)
For consumers and retailers, the interim specification is where the operational detail now sits. It applies to single-phase domestic plug-in solar intended for installation and operation by ordinary persons, with a rated voltage up to 253V AC, a rated frequency of 50Hz and a maximum apparent power of 800VA. The device must be connected solely by the manufacturer-supplied plug, and the current version of the specification says only one plug-in solar product may be used per household. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) The specification also places visible obligations around consumer information. Products must carry warnings not to use extension leads or multi-way adaptors, include a durable label for the consumer unit showing that a plug-in generation device is present, and provide instructions on DNO notification and decommissioning. Where sockets are damaged, the installation is old, or the consumer unit lacks modern protective devices, users are to be directed to a qualified electrician before installation. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The government's case for change rests on both market access and safety control. In its July 2026 response, DESNZ said plug-in solar offers a lower-cost route into home generation for households that may not be able to install conventional rooftop systems, including some people in flats, rented homes or properties without suitable roof space. The department received 466 consultation responses and said 85% of respondents agreed with the proposed interim specification, while a majority also backed the amendments to the plug approval rules as a proportionate transitional step. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) The technical evidence published alongside the consultation was more cautious than promotional. DESNZ's electrical safety study found that representative plug-in solar products could operate safely on tested UK domestic circuits, but it also identified uneven product performance, including on export limitation behaviour and electromagnetic compatibility. That finding explains why ministers paired legalisation with a UK-specific interim specification rather than relying on general product rules alone. (gov.uk)
What changes on 27 August is not a general permission to plug any generating device into a wall socket. It is a narrow regime for compliant solar-only products, with government guidance still to follow on safe installation, circuit identification, mounting, G98 notification arrangements, prohibited uses and the circumstances in which professional advice should be sought. DESNZ has also said it will work with regulators, retailers and online marketplaces so that consumers can identify compliant products more easily. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) For manufacturers, the immediate task is product conformity and documentation. For retailers, it is due diligence on what is placed on sale. For households, the main point is that plug-in solar becomes lawful only within a defined technical envelope, and that envelope is interim rather than final. The department has said longer-term standards will be developed to succeed the current specification as implementation proceeds. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)