General information, not legal, electrical or financial advice. Confirm current rules before you buy or connect anything.
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Solar panels and plug-in solar in England and Wales

The rules that apply in England and Wales: plug-in solar, planning (which differs between the two), connecting to the grid, export payments and VAT.

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The short version

  1. Plug-in solar is allowed for compliant kits since 27 August 2026. Plug it straight into a suitable socket and register it before use.
  2. Planning differs between England and Wales. In England most home solar is permitted development within set limits; Wales has its own rules for houses and doesn’t mention plug-in solar.
  3. Your local network operator must be told about any system: plug-in kits are registered online, and installers notify rooftop systems under G98 or G99.
  4. Export payments come through the Smart Export Guarantee, usually with an MCS certificate.
  5. Installation in a home has 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.
Solar rules at a glance in each UK nationPlug-in solar: allowed in England, Wales and Scotland since 27 August 2026; not yet permitted in Northern Ireland. Planning: separate rules in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Network operator: your local network operator in Great Britain, NIE Networks in Northern Ireland. Export payments: the Smart Export Guarantee in Great Britain; in Northern Ireland ask your supplier. VAT on installation: 0% until 31 March 2027 across the UK.England & WalesScotlandN. IrelandPLUG-IN SOLARAllowed since27 August 2026Allowed since27 August 2026Not yetpermittedPLANNINGEngland and Waleseach have theirown rulesScottish rules;ask the councilAsk yourlocal councilNETWORK OPERATORYour local networkoperator (G98/G99)Your local networkoperator (G98/G99)NIE Networks(G98/NI)EXPORT PAYMENTSSmart ExportGuaranteeSmart ExportGuaranteeNo SEG: askyour supplierVAT ON INSTALLATION0% until31 March 20270% until31 March 20270% until31 March 2027
The main differences across the UK at a glance.

Layer 2

In more detail

What applies in England and in Wales.

Plug-in solar

SI 2026/848 lets compliant kits of up to 800 VA be sold and plugged into a standard socket in England, Wales and Scotland. Choose a kit listed on the Energy Networks Association register, plug it straight into a suitable socket with no extension lead, and register it on the UK Plug-In Solar Registration website before you use it. Only one plug-in device per household is allowed for now. If your wiring is older, consider having a system wired in instead. See Plug-in solar explained.

Planning in England

Ordinary domestic solar panels are usually permitted development if the conditions are met. The rules were updated on 27 August 2026 to cover plug-in solar, with a transition until the end of 26 August 2027. On a house, panels on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure may project up to 0.4 m (0.2 m next to a highway); plug-in solar cannot be fixed to timber walls, fences, balconies or timber-clad exteriors; and stricter rules apply to listed buildings and conservation areas. See Do I need permission?

Planning in Wales

Planning in Wales is devolved. GOV.WALES says panels on the roof of a single house are likely to be permitted development if they are not above the ridgeline and project no more than 200 mm, with extra conditions for flat roofs and conservation areas. Flats should check with the local planning authority. The Welsh guidance doesn’t mention plug-in solar, so check with your council before fixing a kit to a wall or balcony.

Connecting to the grid

England and Wales are served by several network operators, depending on where you live. For rooftop and wired-in systems, the installer notifies yours under G98 within 28 days, or applies first under G99 for larger systems or where solar and a battery together exceed 16 amps per phase. See G98 and G99 explained.

Building regulations

Wiring a system in is electrical work under Part P of the Building Regulations, which applies in both England and Wales: a new circuit is notifiable, and a registered electrician can self-certify it. Fixings must not damage the building, harm weatherproofing or affect fire safety.

Export payments and VAT

The Smart Export Guarantee applies across Great Britain: suppliers with at least 150,000 domestic customers must offer an export tariff, and the installation needs an MCS (or equivalent) certificate. Installing solar panels or a battery in a home has 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. See Tariffs and export payments.

Renting and flats

Get your landlord’s or freeholder’s written consent before fixing anything to a balcony, wall or roof. Planning permission doesn’t replace it. See Renting, leasehold and flats.

Layer 3For the technically mindedThe legislation behind the rules in England and Wales
  • Plug-in: the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/848), made 16 July 2026, in force 27 August 2026; the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification v2.0; G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 (2026).
  • Planning (England): the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, as amended from 27 August 2026.
  • Planning (Wales): the Welsh permitted development order and GOV.WALES householder guidance.
  • Listed buildings: the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
  • Electrical work: Part P of the Building Regulations (England, and separately Wales).
  • Export: Ofgem’s Smart Export Guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Is plug-in solar legal in the UK?

In England, Wales and Scotland, yes, for compliant devices. Since 27 August 2026 a qualifying plug-in solar device can be sold and plugged into a standard socket under SI 2026/848. In Northern Ireland, compliant kits can be sold but are not yet permitted to be plugged in. A kit is only lawful if it meets the government's specification, so an ordinary solar kit with a UK plug fitted is not automatically legal.

Full answer with sources

Do I have to register plug-in solar or tell my network operator?

Yes. The Energy Saving Trust says you are legally required to register a plug-in solar device before you use it, on the UK Plug-In Solar Registration website, giving your name, postcode and the device's make and model. The government specification also requires your network operator to be notified when you connect and when you disconnect the device. Keep the confirmation you receive, and ask your network operator if you are unsure whether your registration covered that notification.

Full answer with sources

Do I need planning permission for solar panels in England?

Usually not. Domestic solar panels are normally permitted development, meaning no planning application is needed, provided the conditions are met. The permitted development right was updated on 27 August 2026 to cover plug-in solar, with a transition until the end of 26 August 2027 during which you can follow either the old or the new rules. The conditions differ for houses and blocks of flats.

Full answer with sources

What are the England permitted development limits for a house?

For a house, panels on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure must not project more than 0.4 metres, or 0.2 metres where it abuts a highway. On a pitched roof they must not be above the highest part of the roof (excluding the chimney) and must project no more than 200 mm. On a flat roof they must be no more than 600 mm above the highest part, and on article 2(3) land such as conservation areas and national parks a flat-roof installation needs the council's prior approval. They must not be on a building within the grounds of a listed building or on a scheduled monument site.

Full answer with sources

Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Wales?

GOV.WALES says fixing solar panels to the roof of a single dwelling house is likely to be permitted development, provided they are not above the ridgeline and project no more than 200 mm, with extra conditions for flat roofs and conservation areas. Those rights apply to houses, so flat occupiers are advised to contact their local planning authority. The GOV.WALES guidance does not mention plug-in or balcony solar, so check with your council before fixing plug-in panels.

Full answer with sources

What is the Smart Export Guarantee?

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) requires electricity suppliers with at least 150,000 domestic customers to offer export tariffs to small-scale low-carbon generators, including solar PV up to 5 MW, for electricity they export to the grid; smaller suppliers can choose to offer one. You apply to a supplier that offers a SEG tariff. The supplier decides the rate and contract length, but the tariff must always be above zero pence per kilowatt hour.

Full answer with sources

Is there VAT on solar panels?

For most homes, installation is currently zero-rated. A 0% VAT rate applies to the installation of energy-saving materials, including solar panels, in residential accommodation in Great Britain from 1 April 2022 and in Northern Ireland from 1 May 2023, until 31 March 2027. The reduced 5% rate is scheduled to return after that unless the government extends the relief. The relief is tied to installation, not to materials alone.

Full answer with sources

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Rewritten 2 October 2026 (first published 20 September 2026). General information, not legal, electrical or financial advice. Confirm current rules before you buy or connect anything.