The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Statutory Instruments

2026 No. 848

ELECTRICITY

CONSUMER PROTECTION

The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Made

16th July 2026

Laid before Parliament

17th July 2026

Coming into force

27th August 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 29 of the Electricity Act 1989(1) and section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987(2).

In accordance with section 11(5) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, the Secretary of State has consulted such organisations as appear to the Secretary of State to be representative of interests substantially affected by these Regulations and such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 27th August 2026.

(3) Regulations 1 and 2 extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

(4) Regulation 3 extends to England and Wales and Scotland.

Amendment of the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994

2.—(1) Regulation 8 of the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994(3) is amended as follows.

(2) After paragraph (3) insert—

“(3A) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2), a type of standard plug intended to be fitted to or supplied for use with a plug-in microgenerator may be approved by a notified body if when determining an application for approval, the notified body is satisfied that—

(a) plugs of that type do not conform to BS 1363 because BS 1363 contains a provision which prohibits or restricts the use of the plug for the connection of an electricity-generating device to a socket-outlet;

(b) except in respect of that prohibition or restriction, plugs of that type conform to BS 1363;

(c) plugs of that type comply with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification; and

(d) by means of inspection or testing of samples of plugs of that type, the manufacturer of the plug may reasonably be expected to ensure that normal production and design of the plug will result in plugs of that type corresponding with the samples.”.

(3) After paragraph (7), insert—

“(8) In this regulation—

“consumer’s installation”, “distributor”, “low voltage” and “network” have the same meaning as in the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002(4);

“plug-in microgenerator” means a source of energy which—

(a)

generates electricity from the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity;

(b)

has a maximum rated alternating current output not exceeding 800 watts;

(c)

is intended for connection to a low voltage consumer’s installation by means of a standard plug and socket;

(d)

is designed to operate in parallel with a distributor’s network; and

(e)

is not designed to import electrical energy from a low voltage consumer’s installation for the purpose of storing energy for later supply, other than for control or auxiliary functions permitted by the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification;

“Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification” means the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification, version 2, published by the Secretary of State on 16 July 2026;”.

Amendment of the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002

3.—(1) The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 1(5), at the appropriate place insert—

““plug-in microgenerator” means a source of energy which—

(a)

generates electricity from the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity;

(b)

has a maximum rated alternating current output not exceeding 800 watts;

(c)

is intended for connection to a low voltage consumer’s installation by means of a standard plug and socket;

(d)

is designed to operate in parallel with a distributor’s network; and

(e)

is not designed to import electrical energy from a low voltage consumer’s installation for the purpose of storing energy for later supply, other than for control or auxiliary functions permitted by the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification;

“Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification” means the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification, version 2, published by the Secretary of State on 16 July 2026;”.

(3) In regulation 22(1), for sub-paragraph (c) substitute—

“(c) where the source of energy—

(i) is part of a low voltage consumer’s installation, complies with British Standard Requirements; or

(ii) is a plug-in microgenerator, complies with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification; and”.

Martin McCluskey

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 

16th July 2026

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/1768) and the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2665).

Regulation 2 amends the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994. It amends regulation 8 to provide for the approval of standard plugs intended to be fitted to or supplied for use with plug-in microgenerators.

Regulation 3 amends the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002. The effect of the amendment is that where the source of energy is a plug-in microgenerator, it must not be installed or operated unless it complies with the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification.

A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector is available from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 3-8 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2AW and is published with an Explanatory Memorandum alongside these Regulations on www.legislation.gov.uk.

The Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification is published on www.gov.uk/government/consultations/plug-in-solar and a hard copy may be obtained free of charge by writing to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 3-8 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2AW.

(1)

1989 c. 29; section 29 was amended by the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27), Schedule 6, paragraphs 24 and 30.

(2)

1987 c. 43; section 11 was amended by S.I. 2005/1803, regulation 46(1) and (3). There are other amending instruments but none are relevant.

(3)

S.I. 1994/1768, amended by S.I. 2016/1101.

(4)

S.I. 2002/2665, amended by S.I. 2006/1521, S.I. 2009/6 and S.I. 2019/530.