Last reviewed: 3 September 2026. Every operator link on
this page was opened on that date. If you find one that has moved, please
tell us.
You must tell your distribution network operator that you have
installed a plug-in solar device, within 28 days of switching it on, and tell them
again if you take it away. It is free, it takes about ten minutes, and it is a notification rather
than an application — nobody can refuse it. Your DNO is not your energy supplier; it is decided by
where you live, and you find it from your postcode.
Do this first: find your operator
Use the Energy Networks Association’s own lookup:
energynetworks.org — find my network operator. Enter your postcode and it returns
the company that owns the cables in your street.
Do not guess from your bill. The company that bills you buys and sells electricity; the company
you need owns the physical network. Two neighbours on different suppliers have the same DNO; the same
supplier in Leeds and in Cardiff means two different DNOs.
The six operators in Great Britain
Six groups hold the fourteen distribution licences that cover Great Britain. Northern Ireland is
outside this framework entirely, and outside the plug-in solar regime — see
Northern Ireland.
| Operator | Broadly covers | Website |
|---|---|---|
| UK Power Networks | London, the South East and the East of England | ukpowernetworks.co.uk |
| National Grid Electricity Distribution | The Midlands, the South West and South Wales | nationalgrid.co.uk |
| Northern Powergrid | The North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire | northernpowergrid.com |
| Electricity North West | Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria | enwl.co.uk |
| SP Energy Networks | Central and southern Scotland; Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and North Shropshire | spenergynetworks.co.uk |
| SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks) | Northern Scotland; central southern England | ssen.co.uk |
Boundaries follow historic area board lines and do not match county or council boundaries, which
is why we send you to the postcode lookup rather than asking you to read a map. Step-by-step help is
in how to find your DNO.
Notification, not permission
This is the point that causes needless worry. Under Engineering Recommendation G98
— the Energy Networks Association document covering small generators connecting in parallel with the
network, amended in 2026 to accommodate plug-in solar — a device of this size is notified after the
event. You install it, you switch it on, and then you tell them.
- There is no fee.
- There is no site visit.
- There is no decision to wait for. Your operator is not being asked to
approve anything. - The window is 28 days from commissioning.
- You must notify again if you remove the device.
The reason is straightforward and reasonable: a network planned for streets of pure consumers
behaves differently when many homes on the same feeder start pushing power back on a June afternoon.
Knowing where embedded generation sits lets the operator plan reinforcement. Nothing about the
process is adversarial.
What the form asks for
Every operator has its own online form and they differ in layout, not in substance. Have these to
hand before you start:
| Field | Where to get it | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Your name and the installation address | — | The address where the device is, which may not be your billing address |
| Contact details | — | Email is enough for most operators |
| Microinverter make and model | The label on the inverter or the kit documentation | Not the panel model — the inverter is the generating device |
| Rated AC output | Inverter label | 800 W or less. Enter it in kW if the form asks for kW: 0.8 |
| Number of phases | Almost always single phase in a home | — |
| Commissioning date | The day you switched it on | Starts the 28-day clock |
| MPAN or meter serial number | Your electricity bill, or the meter itself | Some operators ask, some do not |
You are the installer, and saying so is correct — that is what the plug-in route is for. Field by
field help is in how to fill in a G98
notification. Keep the confirmation email: it is the only record that you complied, and it is
worth having if you ever sell the house or query a meter reading.
One device per household
G98 as amended permits a single plug-in device per household. Not one per socket, not one per
ring main, not one per floor of a converted house sharing a single supply. If you want more
generation than 800 W, the route is a conventional certified installation with a full G98 or G99
process handled by an installer — a different project entirely. The edge cases people ask about
(outbuildings, annexes, two meters on one property) are in
can I have two kits?
What notification does not get you
It does not register you for export payments. The Smart Export Guarantee requires MCS
certification or an accepted equivalent plus an export meter point, and a self-installed plug-in kit
has neither, so a supplier cannot put you on a regulated SEG tariff. Notifying your DNO and being
paid for export are two unrelated things, and conflating them is the most common error in coverage of
this topic. See SEG and plug-in solar and
does plug-in solar export?
It also does not affect your smart meter. A compliant modern meter records import and export
separately and will not bill you for exported units; the alarming stories that circulate come from an
older generation of meters. See plug-in solar and your
smart meter.
Frequently asked questions
Can my DNO say no?
Not for a compliant device under G98. It is a notification process, not an approval process.
What if I installed it more than 28 days ago?
Notify now. See what happens if you don’t
notify.
Do I tell my energy supplier as well?
No. The obligation is to the network operator only.
What if I move house?
The device is yours and moves with you. Notify the operator at the new address; and if you left
the kit behind, tell the old operator it was removed by you and that the new occupier now has it.
Do I need to notify again if I add a second panel?
If the inverter and its rated AC output are unchanged, the notified generating capacity is
unchanged. If you replace the inverter, notify again with the new details.
Sources.
Energy Networks Association, find my network operator · ENA Engineering
Recommendation G98 (Issue 2, as amended 2026) ·
DESNZ, plug-in solar government response, July 2026 ·
SI 2026/848 ·
Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee.
How we check things.