Can a G98 notification be refused?

Why there is nothing to "refuse"

G98 exists precisely so that small, safe, standardised generation does not need a case-by-case approval. It applies to fully type-tested micro-generation up to 16A per phase (about 3.68 kW single phase), which covers every plug-in solar kit under the new 800 VA rules many times over. Because the equipment has already passed type testing, the network does not re-assess it for your specific home. You notify, the DNO logs it on its asset register, and that is the process. This is the opposite of the older, larger-scale route where you apply and wait for a yes.

So if you have used a compliant kit and filed the form, the honest answer to "can it be refused" is no. The worry is understandable, but it is aimed at the wrong process.

When a DNO can still require you to act

"Cannot be refused" is not the same as "the DNO has no powers". It has clear ones, and they bite on non-compliance, not on paperwork. A DNO can require remedial action or disconnection in these cases:

• The equipment is not type tested or not on the register. The DNO is obliged to disallow the connection of micro-generating plant that does not comply with EREC G98. An uncertified import is the classic trigger.
• You exceed the G98 limits. Above 16A per phase you are no longer in G98 at all; you fall under G99, which is an approval-first route with a real application. For plug-in solar the 800 VA cap keeps you well inside G98, so this is mainly a risk if you try to run multiple devices or a larger system.
• It is a source of danger or interference. Under the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations, Regulation 26, a DNO can require a generator to be disconnected if it endangers people or degrades the quality of supply to other customers.
• The install itself is unsafe. G98 covers the generator, not your wiring. A DNO or an electrician can flag an installation that is not safe on your side of the meter, which is a wiring issue, not a notification refusal.

Notice what these have in common: every one is about the kit or the install being non-compliant, not about the DNO exercising discretion over a compliant notification. Get the compliance right and the notification is a formality.

How to make sure yours goes through cleanly

• Buy a kit that is on the ENA G98 Type Test Register. This is the single biggest factor. Track it on our register tracker.
• Stay inside the limits: 800 VA output, one device per household, panels up to 2000 W DC.
• File within 28 days of energising. Our G98 form walkthrough takes you through it field by field, and the G98 guide explains who your DNO is and why they need it.
• Keep the confirmation. The DNO usually writes back to confirm receipt; keep that with your paperwork.

The bottom line

Can a G98 notification be refused? For a compliant, type-tested plug-in solar kit, no, because it is a notification, not an application. What can happen is a DNO requiring action on a kit that is not compliant, not registered, over the limits, or unsafe. The way to avoid all of that is simple and entirely in your control: buy a kit that is on the ENA G98 Type Test Register, stay inside the 800 VA rules, and file the form. Do that and the network side is a formality.

Sources: ENA Engineering Recommendation G98 (connect-and-notify for fully type-tested micro-generation); the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002, Regulation 26 (disconnection powers). This page is general educational information, not legal or electrical advice.