SI 2026/848 is made: certified plug-in solar kits up to 800 W can legally use a standard UK socket from 27 August 2026. What qualifies and what to do.
The wait is over. On 16 July 2026 the government published its response to the plug-in solar consultation and made the enabling regulations — SI 2026/848, laid before Parliament on 17 July. They come into force on 27 August 2026. From that day, a certified plug-in solar kit can legally connect to a standard UK socket. No electrician, no hardwiring — plug in and generate.
What exactly was announced
Two sets of regulations are amended by SI 2026/848:
- The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (PSSR) — a notified body can now approve a standard plug fitted to a "plug-in microgenerator", removing the old BS 1363 barrier that prohibited plugs on generating devices.
- The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (ESQCR) — a plug-in microgenerator may be installed and operated provided it complies with the government's Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification, version 2, finalised and published on 16 July 2026.
What counts as a legal plug-in kit
The regulations define a "plug-in microgenerator" precisely. To qualify, a kit must:
- generate electricity directly from sunlight (solar only);
- have a maximum output of 800 watts AC;
- connect via a standard plug and socket with an approved plug;
- operate in parallel with the grid; and
- be batteryless — kits that import electricity to charge a battery for later use are excluded.
That 800 W ceiling matches the proven German Balkonkraftwerk model, and the specification is closely based on the German standard — anti-islanding protection, output limits, and compatibility with UK domestic wiring were all covered by the government's independent safety study.
What happens between now and the shelves
27 August makes certified kits legal — it doesn't make them available. Manufacturers must now have products approved against the Interim Product Specification and listed with certification bodies, and retailers need stock. Lidl, Iceland, B&Q, Currys, Amazon, Screwfix and Wickes all attended the government's retailer roundtable in June, so movement should be quick. Our realistic estimate is unchanged: certified kits on shelves late summer to early autumn 2026, at roughly the £400 mark DESNZ itself projects.
What should you do right now?
- Don't buy an uncertified import today expecting it to become legal — legality attaches to kits certified against the UK specification, not to German kit generally.
- Work out your numbers before launch day. Our free plug-in solar savings calculator estimates what an 800 W kit would generate at your postcode, and the [Sun Hours app](/) gives you Sol's 7-day generation forecast the moment your panels are up — setup takes two questions.
- Track the rollout. We're watching certification listings and retailer stock and will keep the plug-in solar UK guide updated week by week.
The UK just became one of the easiest places in Europe to start generating your own power. 35 days to go.
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