Legality and planning
When did these become legal to use?
The regulations passed in July 2026 took effect on 27 August that year, across Great Britain. Earlier than that, the standard governing plugs and sockets simply had no place for a piece of generating equipment, so a lawful sale was not possible.
Can I put a panel on my balcony?
Only if the balcony itself is not built from timber. From 27 August 2026 onward, a wood-framed wall, balcony or cladding sits outside England's permitted development right, whether the building is a house or a block of flats. Anyone caught by the change has a year, to 27 August 2027, before the old allowance stops being an option.
What about Wales and Scotland?
Each nation runs its own permitted development regime, and neither mirrors England's wording. We have not published the detail for either here, so a home in Wales or Scotland gets checked against the current position before we say anything definite.
Does renting or leasing change anything?
Get your landlord or freeholder to agree first. It came up again and again in the government's consultation, alongside lease terms and building management, as a barrier the new regulations simply leave standing.
The device and the socket
How big is one of these?
The mains side is capped at 800 VA and 3.5 amps, at up to 253 volts and 50 hertz. The panel side is more generous: up to four modules on one inverter, no more than two wired in series in a string, adding up to as much as 2000 watts.
Can I add a battery?
No, not under this framework. A standalone battery and a panel with storage built in are both excluded from the approved class. Consultation respondents said this holds back the savings on offer; the government kept the exclusion regardless.
Why can I not use an extension lead outside?
It is barred outright, along with multi-way blocks, RCD adaptors and travel adaptors, a rule printed on the device and repeated in its instructions.
How do I check a specific model has passed?
Search its name on the ENA Type Test Register. A maker cannot legally offer one for sale until it has been through testing and holds confirmation of that. Nothing on the register means nothing has been checked, regardless of what the packaging says.
After it is fitted
Who do I tell once it is installed?
Your distribution network operator, inside 28 days, using a short form that asks for your name, an email address and where the device sits. Unsure who that operator is? Ring 105 free, anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales.
My wiring is old.
Get an electrician to look over the socket and the circuit behind it before anything is connected. Ageing wiring was raised again and again in the government's own consultation as the real fire risk these devices carry.
Does it affect my insurance?
Possibly. The paperwork that comes with an approved device has to remind you to check, so ring your insurer while the kit is still on its way to you.
Why won't this site just tell me a price?
Because a fair figure depends on the kit and on whatever socket or circuit work your own house needs. Rather than post a number that is wrong for most readers, we send an electrician to look and quote for your actual house.
Ready for a quote?
Four questions and a postcode. An electrician near you comes back with a price.
Four questions, then a quote
Where the panel would go, whether the socket is outdoors, how old the wiring is, and your postcode. Then we match you with a local electrician.
We reply by email with a name and a quote. We don't pass your details to panel sellers.