Electrical Safety First, an independent safety charity, has published a statement on plug-in solar systems in response to the Government's announcement on the Future Homes Standard. The statement is dated March 2026 and is linked from the charity's solar panel safety advice page1.
The charity's advice page states that the Government has announced plans to make plug-in solar systems more widely available, but adds that at present these systems supply power to household circuits in a way currently not permitted by regulations1. The page carries a link to the March 2026 statement under the words "Read our statement about plug-in solar"1. The statement itself is not reproduced on the advice page, so its detailed contents have not been reported here.
The advice page sets out the charity's position on installation and registration of solar PV more generally. It states that it is vitally important to use a skilled, trained and qualified solar PV installer registered with a competent person scheme, and recommends inspection and testing at least every five years1. On fire risk it says that although the risk from solar panels is low, known problems can occur through bad installations, poor quality connections and cable damage through vermin and weathering, particularly if cables have not been secured correctly, and that many installations do not have automatic fire detection so a fire may spread before being discovered1.
"The Government has announced plans to make plug-in solar systems more widely available, but please be aware that, at present, these systems supply power to household circuits in a way currently not permitted by regulations."
On network registration, the page states that the building owner is responsible for registering a solar PV system with the Distribution Network Operator. Systems able to export up to 3.68kWp can be notified within 28 days of installation under the connect and notify arrangement using G98, while systems with greater export capacity need pre-approval through the apply to connect process (G99) before connection1.
| Item | Detail given |
|---|---|
| Export up to 3.68kWp | Notify DNO within 28 days, G98 connect and notify |
| Export above 3.68kWp | Pre-approval required, G99 apply to connect |
| Inspection and testing | Recommended at least every five years |
| Cleaning benefit | Up to 15 per cent increase in energy production |
The page also notes that the correct type of RCD or RCBO should be used with a PV system, verified with the manufacturer, and will often be a type B able to withstand DC earth leakage1. On inverters, it states that string inverters are the most common and cheapest option but that if one panel fails it could affect the whole system, while micro-inverters and power-optimisers separate panels so this does not happen but may be more expensive1.
Why it matters for households
For a household considering a plug-in solar kit, the charity's position is that the products are not yet permitted by current regulations, which bears directly on whether such a system can be connected lawfully and how it would be treated by an insurer or a network operator. The registration rules matter for any grid-connected array: a system that can export more than 3.68kWp needs pre-approval before it is connected, and the duty to register sits with the building owner rather than the installer1. The safety points on connections, cable securing and RCD type apply to the fixed wiring that any generation equipment feeds into, which is the part of a home's supply that determines whether it can operate independently of the grid or alongside it. The Future Homes Standard announcement is the trigger for the statement, and the standard's provisions for new-build homes are separate from the rules covering equipment retrofitted to existing properties.
What happens next
The advice page does not set out a timetable for any change in the regulations covering plug-in solar, and no date for a decision or for amended guidance has been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- Electrical Safety Advice for Solar Panels, electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk