DESNZ opens consultation to legalise plug-in solar (June 2026)

On 16 June 2026 the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) opened a public consultation on legalising plug-in (balcony) solar in the UK. It was accompanied by a written statement to Parliament (HCWS118, 16 June 2026) and a published interim product specification.

This is the first time the UK government has set out a concrete legal route specifically for plug-in solar. But it is a proposal at the consultation stage — nothing in it makes plug-in solar legal on 16 June. The consultation closed on 30 June 2026 at 23:59. The regulations were made on 16 July 2026 and came into force on 27 August 2026.

The proposed legal route is:

• An amendment to the Plugs and Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994 (PSSR) — the existing product-safety law that currently stands in the way.
• Supported by the DESNZ Interim Product Specification v1.0 (June 2026) — a temporary specification intended to bridge the gap until an enduring (BSI) standard is in place.

Importantly, this is not a standalone “BSI product standard”. It is a PSSR amendment plus a DESNZ interim specification, with the enduring BSI standard to follow later. The overall approach is based on the German balcony-solar model.

Under the consultation, a compliant plug-in solar device would have to meet all of:

• Single phase, ≤253V AC / 50Hz.
• Maximum apparent power ≤800VA.
• Maximum current ≤3.5A.
• PV DC ≤2000W.
• One device per household.
• No batteries.
• BS 1363 plug with a 5A fuse and partially insulated pins.

These limits are as set out in the consultation and DESNZ Interim Product Specification v1.0 (June 2026). They are proposed, not final, and may change in the consultation response.

This is how the position stood during the consultation, and how it landed:

• At the time of the consultation it was not legal to rely on a true plug-and-play DIY plug-in kit. The government had proposed legalisation; the law came afterwards — SI 2026 No. 848, in force since 27 August 2026.
• If you want to install now, the cleanest compliant route remains an 800W hardwired install by a CPS-registered electrician with a G98 notification — see our UK legal guide for the full picture.
• The wait is over — the law was made and plug-in solar has been legal in Great Britain since 27 August 2026.
• Choosing kit? Our best UK balcony solar kits 2026 and our guide on whether you can plug into a normal socket both explain what to look for during the transition.

Correction (4 September 2026): an earlier version said the notification is free. No operator page we have read states a fee, and none states that it is free.

• GOV.UK — “Plug-in solar: Regulatory amendment and interim product specification” (16 June 2026).
• DESNZ — Interim Product Specification v1.0 (June 2026).
• UK Parliament — written statement HCWS118 (16 June 2026).

If you spot a fact on this page that has shifted, let us know — we update.