How to Register Plug-in Solar with Your DNO

This is usually called DNO registration, DNO notification or G98 notification. It tells the company responsible for the local electricity network that a small solar generator has been connected at your address.

For a standard compliant plug-in solar kit in Great Britain, the current process should normally be straightforward: install the kit, follow the registration instructions supplied with it and notify the DNO within 28 days.

This process may become simpler as plug-in solar kits reach the UK market. We'll update this guide when new government or network guidance is published.

Key points

• DNO notification is mandatory. Compliant kits must include instructions explaining how to notify the network operator.
• DNO registration is a notification, not a permission request. For a standard compliant plug-in solar kit, you usually install first and notify the network operator afterwards.
• You have 28 days after installation to notify the DNO. The clock starts when the kit is installed or switched on, not when you buy it.
• Compliant plug-in solar kit suppliers must include DNO registration instructions in the box. The paperwork should explain the notification steps and include a QR code for the current process.
• You must notify the DNO again if the kit is permanently removed. When you register your kit, save any acknowledgement email or reference number to make this process easier.
• Northern Ireland has separate network arrangements. The Great Britain G98 process does not apply unchanged.

These key points are based on the government's Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification, which sets the rules for compliant UK plug-in solar kits.

DNO registration basics

What is a DNO?

A Distribution Network Operator, or DNO, is the company responsible for the local electricity network serving your home.

It operates equipment such as:

• local electricity cables;
• substations;
• transformers;
• connections to homes and businesses.

Your DNO is not normally the company that sends your electricity bill.

Your electricity supplier sells electricity to you. The DNO operates the local network that carries electricity to and from the property.

You cannot choose your DNO. It is determined by the network serving your address.

Use the Energy Networks Association postcode lookup to find the correct network operator.

Why does plug-in solar need to be registered?

A plug-in solar kit connects to the household electrical installation and operates alongside the public electricity network.

The electricity it generates can be used by appliances running in the home at the same time. When the kit produces more than the home is using, the unused electricity is exported through the property's connection and onto the local network.

The DNO needs to know about this because it manages the local network. Keeping records of small generators helps network operators understand what is connected in each area, forecast local electricity flows and manage the grid safely.

Registration helps the DNO keep track of:

• where the generator is connected;
• which inverter or product has been installed;
• its maximum output;
• when it was installed;
• when it is later removed.

In simple terms, DNO notification helps the network operator keep an accurate picture of what is connected to the local electricity network.

Do I need permission before registering?

For a standard compliant plug-in solar kit, DNO notification is usually something you do after installation, not permission you need before buying.

This is often called a connect and notify process: the kit is connected first, then the network operator is told about it afterwards.

Larger or more complex rooftop solar systems can need approval before they are connected, but a compliant plug-in solar kit is intended to follow the simpler notification route.

However, DNO notification does not replace other permissions. Before installing, you may still need:

• landlord consent;
• freeholder or managing-agent approval;
• planning or listed-building consent;
• confirmation that the property and socket are suitable.

Renters should follow the steps in our plug-in solar guide for renters.

When and how to register

When must the DNO be notified?

Under the current G98 process, the DNO should normally be notified within 28 days of installation or commissioning.

Commissioning is the point when the kit has been installed, checked and switched on for use.

The deadline does not start:

• when the kit is ordered;
• when it is delivered;
• when the box is opened;
• 28 days before installation.

The current GOV.UK guidance on registering energy devices describes G98 as a connect-and-notify process and says notification should be completed within 28 days of installation.

How to register a plug-in solar kit

The exact form or online process may vary between network operators, but the main steps should be similar.

What is an MPAN?

An MPAN, or Meter Point Administration Number, identifies the electricity supply at the property.

It may be shown on your electricity bill or online account as the supply number.

It is not the same as:

• your electricity account number;
• the serial number printed on the meter;
• the inverter serial number.

Ask your electricity supplier if you cannot find it.

Common registration questions

Does the manufacturer register the product?

Yes, but this is separate from registering your installation.

Before a compliant product can be placed on the market, the manufacturer must provide the relevant G98 type-test evidence and complete the required ENA product-registration process.

That confirms that the equipment has been assessed against the relevant network requirements.

After the kit is installed, the household connection must still be notified separately.

In simple terms:

• the manufacturer registers the product type;
• the customer registers where it has been installed.

Our guide to the confirmed UK plug-in solar rules explains the wider product requirements.

Is DNO registration the same as applying for export payments?

No.

DNO registration tells the network operator that generation equipment has been connected.

It does not:

• register you with an export electricity supplier;
• place you on an export tariff;
• guarantee payment for surplus electricity;
• create a Smart Export Guarantee agreement;
• replace any metering or certification checks required by a supplier.

The DNO and your electricity supplier perform different roles.

What if the property already has solar panels or a battery?

If the property already has solar panels or a battery, the simplest single-device process may not apply.

The DNO may need details of all generation and storage already connected at the property.

Before connecting the plug-in solar kit:

• check the manufacturer's instructions;
• declare the existing system during notification;
• ask the kit supplier or DNO which process applies if anything is unclear.

The current plug-in solar framework also has restrictions on the number of devices that may be connected. See our UK rules guide for the current position.

What happens if the notification is late?

The official guidance reviewed for this article does not set out a specific plug-in solar fine or penalty for late notification.

That does not make notification optional.

If more than 28 days have passed:

1. Do not enter a false installation date.
2. Follow the registration instructions supplied with the kit.
3. Contact the DNO if the form does not accept a late notification.
4. Explain when the kit was installed.
5. Supply any information requested.
6. Keep the acknowledgement and correspondence.

It is better to correct a missed notification than leave the installation unregistered.

What happens if the kit is removed or moved?

The Interim Product Specification requires users to notify both connection and disconnection.

If the kit is permanently removed:

• shut it down according to the manufacturer's instructions;
• follow the supplied deregistration process;
• tell the DNO that the generator is no longer connected;
• keep the confirmation.

If the kit moves to another property, its old registration does not move with it.

You may need to:

1. Deregister it at the old address.
2. Obtain permission at the new property.
3. Confirm that the new location and socket are suitable.
4. Install and commission it again.
5. Notify the DNO responsible for the new address.

What about Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland uses G98/NI, rather than the Great Britain version of G98.

The final Interim Product Specification says its application in Northern Ireland remains subject to further consideration and may require amendment.

Customers in Northern Ireland should follow the instructions supplied with a product specifically approved for that market and check current information from NIE Networks.

Do not assume that the Great Britain form or 28-day process applies unchanged.

Could the registration process change?

Yes.

The government consultation received calls for a simpler registration process suitable for consumer-installed plug-in solar. The government has also said that consumer guidance will be published alongside the new rules.

However, the final government consultation response does not yet confirm:

• a single national registration website;
• one standard form used by every DNO;
• automatic registration by retailers;
• a replacement for the existing G98 notification process.

For that reason, compliant kits must include current instructions and a QR code directing customers to the correct process.

We will update this guide if the government, Energy Networks Association or individual network operators introduce a dedicated plug-in solar registration route.

Simple DNO registration checklist

For most buyers, DNO notification should be a simple final step after installing a compliant plug-in solar kit.

Remember to:

• use the registration instructions supplied with the product;
• note the installation or commissioning date;
• find the correct DNO;
• submit the current notification within 28 days;
• keep the acknowledgement;
• notify the network again if the kit is removed.

Do not notify your electricity supplier by mistake, and do not assume that buying a registered product automatically registers the installation at your address.