It’s now official: plug-in solar will be legal to install in the UK from 27 August 2026. Thanks to the amended Plugs and Sockets regulations, we’ll now be able to buy solar panels and connect them directly to a plug socket, generating electricity from the sun.
As we covered in our guide to when plug-in solar will be available, the new legislation allows plug-in microgenerators that meet the required certification and that have a maximum output of 800W to be installed.
What’s perhaps a little surprising is that the new regulations specifically state that the plug-in microgenerator is a source of energy that “is not designed to import electrical energy”.
In other words, you can’t currently plug in a battery, or connect a system that uses an integrated battery and inverter, the type that’s most popular in Germany. The government has said that batteries require their own legislation.
What’s the problem?
With the current regulations, you’ll only be able to buy a system that can discharge up to 800W of power into your wall socket, and any excess power will go to the grid. You can sign-up to get paid for this export energy.
Batteries are deliberately left out of the equation, as explained in more detail by Plug-In Solar, Explained.
There’s a degree of sense made in this decision. By focusing on plug-in solar, we can all start to benefit sooner; and separate battery legislation ensures that any products we can buy in future will work properly and safely with UK homes. It is also a bit frustrating and limiting.
If we take a system, such as the Anker Solix Solarbank 4, the system can be capped at the 800W output, but it’s actually capable of a 2500W output, making it future-proof should the regulations change.
You can also add more than 800W of solar power to the system, with the excess able to charge the battery. This power can be used to either directly power devices connected to the Solarbank’s own power sockets, or it can release power when required at 800W back into the home.
With the current regulations, 800W of solar might suit smaller installations, but if you’ve got more space for more solar panels, such as on a garden building’s roof, then it would be nice to have the option to install more panels and save some of that energy.
Will I be able to buy batteries in the future?
The simple answer is yes. Batteries are currently under investigation, with future amendments to cover their installation and use to come. There’s just no date for when this will be.
It’s possible to make an educated guess, though. Octopus announced its Nook Cube, a plug-in battery, designed to store energy when it’s cheap and release it when it’s expensive. This product is slated to launch in 2027.
Secondly, as reported by the i Paper, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has come up with a plan to distribute plug-in batteries to low-income homes to help reduce bills. Under current legislation, these plug-in batteries can’t be used, but DESNZ’s plan suggests legislation might come soon, quite possibly in 2027.
Should you wait for batteries or buy plug-in solar now?
Whether plug-in solar is right comes down to need and requirements. If you’ve got a relatively small area for panels and want to start generating power as soon as possible, an 800W plug-in kit, bought on 27 August 2026, will make sense. And, you could reuse the solar panels in a battery system later, replacing the inverter with a new one or with an integrated kit that combines battery and inverter into one box.
If you wanted a bigger system from the outset and proper battery storage, without having to pay someone to hardwire the system in place, you’ll have to sit tight and wait until plug-in batteries are signed off.
