Independent reference site. Not a government website and not affiliated with any government department, network operator or utility.Rules checked 14 October 2026
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Plug-in solar in the UK · England, Scotland and Wales

Plug-in solar panels in the UK

You can use compliant plug-in solar panels under rules in force since 27 August 2026, with an 800 W AC output limit. The installation rules cover Great Britain; Northern Ireland differs. Check the exact kit’s ENA register status, then enter your postcode to estimate production, savings and payback.

A full postcode or the first half. Only the letters at the start are used.

  • 800 Winverter output limit (AC)
  • 27 Aug 2026rules in force (SI 2026/848)
  • 121entries marked Compliant on the ENA register, 14 Oct 2026
  • 26.32pprice cap unit rate per kWh
A typical year800 W kit · railing, facing south
Postcode areaSWLondon

Example for the SW postcode area in London. Enter your postcode above for your own numbers.

596 kWhproduced in a typical year
£99saved per year
26.32p/kWhPrice cap unit rate

374 kWh used at home × 26.32p = £98.57; 219 kWh sent to the grid unpaid, 2 kWh lost to the inverter limit. At the Ofgem price cap unit rate.

Great Britain: in forceSI 2026/848 has applied since 27 August 2026.
Rule
SI 2026/848
Limit
800 W AC
UK rules in detail

Production by month, kWh

020406080kWhJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Used at home
  • Sent to the grid

Ofgem, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026, GB average, Direct Debit.

Open the calculator

The rules at a glance, and how a kit works

Four things the UK rules and the register settle, and the three steps between the panel and your fridge.

800 W
The most the inverter can put out (AC), under SI 2026/848.
27 Aug 2026
In force in England, Scotland and Wales; the installation rule does not extend to Northern Ireland.
ENA
121 of 134 plug-in solar entries marked Compliant on 14 October 2026. Check the model number on the product.
Export
Export payments are not automatic: the Smart Export Guarantee pays through a tariff you sign up to with a supplier, and the Energy Saving Trust says you usually need an eligible system, MCS certification and a smart meter.

  1. Mount

    The panels hang on a railing or wall, or stand on a deck or in the yard. Angle and direction change the yearly kWh; the calculator shows by how much.

  2. Plug in

    A microinverter turns the panels' DC into AC and feeds it through a socket. UK rules cap the inverter output.

  3. Use it first

    Devices running at the time, like the fridge or router, use solar power before they draw from the grid. What they do not use flows out to the grid.

A typical year by region

The same calculation for each region: 800 W of panels on a railing, facing south, at the price cap unit rate.

A typical year by UK region: 800 W kit on a railing, facing south
RegionPostcode areaProduced, kWhUsed at homeSaved a year
East MidlandsLE57763%£96
East of EnglandCB61462%£100
LondonWC59563%£98
North EastDH57062%£93
North WestWN54064%£91
Northern IrelandBT50065%—
ScotlandFK52762%£85
South EastKT59662%£97
South WestTA60563%£99
WalesLD54163%£90
West MidlandsWV55665%£95
Yorkshire and The HumberWF57363%£95
Saved at the Ofgem price cap unit rate, 26.32p per kWh (1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026). The cap does not apply in Northern Ireland, so no saving is shown there. PVGIS (SARAH3), typical year.

Kits with dated prices

UK stores, lowest price per watt first. ENA register status shown for each kit; the register is the check the rules refer to.

Plug-in solar kits with price, price per watt and certification
KitPanelsInverter limitBatteryENA registerPricePer wattWhere to buy
Octopus Energy Two panel plug-in solar bundle (2 × JA Solar 460 W) 920 W 800 W None On the ENA registerchecked 14 Oct 2026 £650checked 14 Oct 2026sold out that day £0.71 Official site
Octopus Energy Single panel plug-in solar bundle (1 × JA Solar 460 W) 460 W 800 W None On the ENA registerchecked 14 Oct 2026 £450checked 14 Oct 2026sold out that day £0.98 Official site
UKSOL Plug-In Solar Pro 890W Duo 890 W 800 W None On the ENA registerchecked 14 Oct 2026 £899checked 14 Oct 2026 £1.01 Official site
UKSOL Plug-In Solar Pro 460W Compact 460 W 800 W None On the ENA registerchecked 14 Oct 2026 £599checked 14 Oct 2026 £1.30 Official site

All UK kits, with filters

What do the UK rules allow?

SI 2026/848 allows qualifying plug-in solar devices under rules in force since 27 August 2026. The legal definition limits maximum rated inverter output to 800 W AC, not the panels’ DC wattage. It covers solar generation connected through a standard plug and socket, operating alongside the electricity network.

A device must comply with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification before it can be installed or operated in Great Britain. The law names version 2, published on 16 July 2026; DESNZ says the specification sets minimum technical and safety requirements. The amendment also creates a route for notified-body approval of a BS 1363 plug for these devices.

Northern Ireland is not covered by the same installation amendment. The plug provisions extend across the UK, but regulation 3, covering installation and operation, extends only to England, Wales and Scotland. Read the plug-in solar rules before treating the Great Britain route as applicable to your home.

What could an 800 W kit save?

The calculator gives annual savings that vary with your location, panel angle and electricity use during daylight. These examples model an 800 W kit mounted vertically, facing south, with a 164 W base load. They use Ofgem’s Great Britain average Direct Debit rate of 26.32 p/kWh for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026.

The estimates value exports at 0 by default, rather than assuming Smart Export Guarantee income. Enter your postcode in the solar savings calculator to estimate production and payback for your setup. Ofgem’s cap does not apply in Northern Ireland, so use your own unit rate there.

  • London: 596 kWh generated and 374 kWh used at home; £99 saved in a typical year.
  • Manchester: 523 kWh generated and 341 kWh used at home; £90 saved in a typical year.
  • Glasgow: 503 kWh generated and 319 kWh used at home; £84 saved in a typical year.

What should you check before buying?

Check the exact kit’s ENA status, not just its brand or advertised output. On 14 October 2026, the ENA Type Test Register contained 134 plug-in solar entries: 121 marked Compliant and 13 Non-compliant. The kit cards show register status alongside price; the registered kit listings help you compare exact configurations.

UKSOL’s Plug-In Solar Pro 460W Compact is marked compliant and was £599 on its official site, checked 14 October 2026. EcoFlow’s STREAM 800W Microinverter with 1,000 W of panels was £549 on its official store, checked 14 October 2026, but that retail bundle’s register status was not confirmed. ENA has compliant EcoFlow entries, which does not establish a match for every store bundle.

Do not treat a plug-in battery as covered by the solar rules: DESNZ says the specification does not extend to plug-in batteries. EcoFlow STREAM Ultra, for example, has output up to 2,300 W AC and is not on the plug-in solar register. It is not a substitute for a compliant kit within the 800 W AC route.

The UK section

Rules, the register, kits and the calculator, written for Great Britain with UK prices.

Plug-in solar savings calculator (UK)Estimate plug-in solar savings by postcode, with UK solar yield, your electricity rate, home use and battery settings. Compare savings and payback.Is plug-in solar legal in the UK?Compliant plug-in solar is allowed in Great Britain under rules in force since 27 August 2026. Check the 800 W AC limit and Northern Ireland differences.Which plug-in solar kits are approved in the UKCheck UK plug-in solar approval, ENA register status and the 800 W AC limit, with kit listings last checked on 14 October 2026.Plug-in solar kits in the UK comparedCompare UK plug-in solar kits by ENA register status, panel power, inverter output and dated prices, with calculator estimates of annual savings.Plug-in solar with a battery in the UKCompare UK plug-in solar battery options, compliance requirements and calculator savings with 0 kWh, 1 kWh and 2 kWh storage.Octopus plug-in solar reviewOctopus plug-in solar bundles reviewed: dated prices, included equipment, ENA compliance, sold-out status and UK alternatives.EcoFlow STREAM in the UKEcoFlow STREAM UK models, dated prices and ENA register checks, with the 800 W AC limit, battery restrictions and calculator savings explained.How plug-in solar panels work in the UKHow UK plug-in solar feeds your home through a 3-pin socket, what the 800 W limit means, and why it shuts off during a power cut.

Questions

Can I plug solar panels into a normal socket?

The rules provide a route for compliant solar devices designed for a standard plug and socket. That does not make every solar inverter or plug suitable: the device must meet the Interim Product Specification.

Is the 800 W limit for panels or the inverter?

SI 2026/848 limits maximum rated AC output to 800 W. Panel DC wattage is a separate figure, so compare both numbers in the kit cards.

Do balcony solar panels produce less when vertical?

In the calculator’s south-facing London example, vertical panels produce 596 kWh a year, compared with 812 kWh at 30° tilt. Estimated annual savings are £99 and £119 respectively under the example’s assumptions.

Can I use a plug-in battery under these rules?

The Interim Product Specification does not cover plug-in batteries. The legal solar-device definition also excludes designs that import household electricity to store for later supply, apart from permitted control or auxiliary functions.