Fit a battery to the solar you already have.
Any make, any installer, usually in a day, paperwork handled.
Plug-in solar is legal now. Plug-in batteries are not.
Since 27 August 2026 you can buy a certified plug-in solar kit, plug it into a socket at home and tell your network operator yourself. Batteries are a different matter: the new rules leave them out entirely. Here is what is allowed, who it does not cover, and where we come in.
What the new rules allow
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A plug-in solar kit is a small set of panels with its own inverter and an ordinary three-pin plug. Since 27 August 2026 one can be connected at home in Great Britain, on these conditions:
- 01One kit per household, with a maximum output of 800 VA, which is roughly 800 watts.
- 02Up to four panels, no more than two wired in series. Professional assessment is recommended if the panels add up to more than 960 watts.
- 03A standard BS 1363 plug, into a suitable ring circuit in your home.
- 04The kit must meet the government's product specification. Not every kit sold online does.
- 05You must tell your network operator within 28 days. In the North West that is usually Electricity North West. It is a notification, not an application, but it is not optional.
- 06Planning still applies in some places. Plug-in panels are not permitted development on a listed building, and there are extra limits on walls, balconies and in conservation areas.
Who the rules do not cover
See how a home battery worksIf your home already has solar panels, the plug-in route is not for you. The rules exclude households with other generating equipment. That surprises people who assume a plug-in kit is an easy way to add a few more panels.
If that is you, the better next step is usually a battery added to what you already have. Your panels usually make more than you use in the middle of the day; a battery keeps that for the evening.
The rules also exclude listed buildings, and the specification recommends a professional check for larger kits. If you are not sure your wiring is up to it, get it looked at before you plug anything in. If we fit a kit for you, we hardwire it on its own circuit rather than plugging it in.
Why batteries were left out
The government's specification applies to plug-in solar only. It expressly excludes plug-in batteries, and kits that combine solar and a battery in one product. No date has been set for that to change.
You will find batteries sold online as plug-and-play. Under the current rules, a battery connected to your home has to be installed as a conventional system: wired in by a qualified electrician, commissioned, and registered with your network operator.
That is the job we do. We are MCS certified for solar PV and battery storage, certificate NIC-601172, and we handle the network operator's paperwork as part of every installation.
A battery, with panels or without
A battery earns its keep in one of two ways, depending on what is already on your roof.
If you have solar panels, the battery keeps what your panels make at midday for the evening, when you would otherwise be buying electricity back at the full rate. In winter, when there is little sun to store, it can fill up overnight on a cheap off-peak rate instead.
If you have no panels, the cheap overnight rate does the whole job. The battery fills up in the small hours and runs the house through the day.
What that is worth to your household depends on your tariff and how you use electricity, so we work it out in writing from your real bills, not on this page.
What we do
Fit a battery on its own.
No panels needed. Set up to charge on the cheap overnight rate.
Fit a plug-in kit properly.
We do not plug kits into a socket. If you want one fitted, we hardwire it on its own circuit, so it is a proper installation done to the wiring regulations, not an extension lead on the balcony.
Questions people ask
Is plug-in solar legal in the UK?
In Great Britain, yes, since 27 August 2026. The kit must meet the government's product specification, it is limited to 800 VA, you can have one per household, and you must notify your network operator within 28 days.
Do I need to tell anyone?
Yes. Your network operator, within 28 days of connecting it. It is a notification rather than a request for permission, but it is a legal requirement.
Can I plug in a battery the same way?
No. Plug-in batteries, and combined solar-and-battery kits, are excluded from the new rules, with no date set for that to change. A battery has to be installed by a qualified electrician and registered with your network operator.
I already have solar panels. Can I add a plug-in kit?
Not under the plug-in rules, which exclude homes with other generating equipment. If you want more from your system, talk to us about a battery or about extending what you have.
Do I need planning permission?
Usually not for a house, but plug-in panels are not permitted development on a listed building, and there are extra limits on walls, balconies and in conservation areas. If any of that applies, check with your council first.
How much does a battery cost?
Ours typically land between £2,800 and £5,000 installed, the same whether or not you have solar. Battery storage is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, whether or not you have solar.
Send a photo, get a straight answer
Send us a photo of your fuse board, your inverter if you have panels, or the kit you are thinking of buying. We will tell you what can be connected, what it needs and whether it is worth doing.
We reply to every enquiry within two working days.