The statement landed on 9 June 2026, and I read it the same morning. Five organisations that sit at the centre of UK electrical safety and competence, the ECA, Electrical Safety First, the IET, NICEIC and SELECT, put their names to one message: they support cheaper, cleaner energy, but plug-in solar should only be sold to consumers once the right product checks, standards and guidance are in place.
It is not a ban, and it is not a U-turn on legalisation. It is a call for sequencing: get the framework in first, then sell. That is the position I have taken on this site since I started writing about plug-in solar, so I want to report it straight and say plainly where I stand.
What the statement actually says
The bodies set out six safety concerns, all of which come down to one idea: an easy-looking product could be connected to a home electrical system that was never designed for it.
- Two-way power flow. Plug-in solar sends electricity back into the home's wiring, not just draws it. Some household protective devices may not behave as expected if the circuit has not been assessed for that.
- Fire risk in older homes. More than half of UK homes are over 100 years old, and ageing or damaged wiring connected to one or more units could overheat.
- Product standards may not be ready. If kits reach shops before clear UK standards and enforcement exist, buyers could end up with mixed-quality or unsafe imports. The statement specifically flags flat cables sold to run under doors.
- Network visibility. If kits are sold like ordinary appliances with no notification, network operators lose sight of what is connected, and many units in one building could add up.
- Insurance and liability. It is not yet clear how insurers would respond to a fault on a self-installed, undeclared unit.
- Improvised setups. Extension leads, adaptors and panels fixed unsafely on balconies raise the risk of overheating, trips, or panels falling from height.
What it does not say
This matters, because a statement like this is easy to misread as opposition. It is not. The Government's own commitment, in the gov.uk announcement of 24 March 2026, was to legalise plug-in solar "with tailored safety standards." The industry bodies are pressing for those tailored standards to exist before products hit the shelves, not arguing against access to cleaner energy. They say so directly: careful checks "are not a barrier to progress, they are what make progress safe and trustworthy."
It also does not say plug-in solar is inherently unsafe. A quality grid-tied kit, installed correctly, behaves predictably. The concern is the gap between a product that looks plug-and-play and the unknown condition of the wiring it meets.
Why this is the line I have held
I have written the same thing on every page of this site: no UK-certified plug-in solar kit exists yet, the compliant install today is a hardwired connection by a CPS-registered electrician plus G98 notification, and the missing piece is the BSI plug-in solar product standard, expected July 2026. Five industry bodies have now said the same in their own words. I would rather be cautious and right than fast and wrong, because on this topic one corrected error reaches further than any amount of traffic.
What it means for you today
If you were about to buy a kit and plug it straight into a socket, the honest position has not changed: that route is not compliant yet. What you can do now:
- Use the compliant route if you want to install today: a CPS-registered electrician, a hardwired connection, and G98 notification. The detail is on the BS 7671 page and the G98 guide.
- Understand the socket question before you buy: what is legal for solar panels that plug into a socket.
- Watch the one date that changes things: the BSI standard, tracked on the BSI 2026 tracker.
What I am doing: keeping the BSI tracker updated as each document lands, and holding the same cautious line until a certified kit actually exists. The statement does not move my advice. It reinforces it.
Common questions
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No. The joint statement urges the Government to put product standards, enforcement, safe install routes, network notification and consumer guidance in place before plug-in solar is sold to consumers. It is not a ban and not a reversal of the planned legalisation; it is a call to get the safety framework in first.
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A quality grid-tied kit installed correctly can be safe. The statement's concern is an easy-looking product being connected to ageing or unassessed home wiring without checks, which can raise the risk of overheating, fire or electric shock. The compliant route today, a hardwired connection by a CPS-registered electrician plus G98 notification, is designed to address exactly that.
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The compliant route has not changed. As of June 2026 no UK-certified plug-in solar kit exists, so the compliant install is a hardwired connection by a CPS-registered electrician with G98 notification, not plugging a kit into a 13A socket. The piece to watch is the BSI plug-in solar product standard, expected July 2026.
Sources
- Joint statement from ECA, Electrical Safety First, the IET, NICEIC and SELECT on plug-in solar panels, 9 June 2026
- gov.uk: Government to make plug-in solar available within months, 24 March 2026
- Plug Solar Hub: BSI 2026 plug-in solar tracker and the BS 7671 page.
If the standards picture moves, this post is updated and the change logged on the changelog. Email me at [email protected] if you spot an error.
Related: Solar panels that plug into a socket · BS 7671 & plug-in solar · BSI 2026 tracker · G98 guide