A Distribution Network Operator owns and maintains the local electricity network in a licence area — the poles, cables and substations that physically deliver power to your home. It is separate from your energy supplier, which only bills you. You cannot choose your DNO; it is determined by where you live.

Why does plug-in solar need a G98 notification?

G98 is the Energy Networks Association engineering recommendation covering small-scale generation connected in parallel with the public network. Because a plug-in solar device exports through your socket into your home's wiring, the network operator has to be told the generation exists so the local network can be planned safely.

Do I have to do the G98 notification myself?

No. SocketPower handles the applicable G98 notification for you and sends written confirmation. It is included with every kit, and available as a standalone service if you bought your device elsewhere.

Is the notification made before or after installation?

Under G98, connect-and-notify applies to small single-premises generation: the notification is made to the network operator within 28 days of the device being connected. We take your details at the point of purchase so nothing is left outstanding.

My postcode area shows two operators. Which is mine?

A handful of postcode areas straddle two licence boundaries. Where that is the case we show both. Your electricity bill, your meter point administration number (MPAN) or the operator's own postcode checker will confirm which one serves your property — and if you buy from us, we confirm it as part of the notification.

Does this work in Northern Ireland?

No. The plug-in solar framework and G98 arrangements described here are for Great Britain. Northern Ireland has separate network arrangements and SocketPower does not supply there.

Tool · Your network operator

Find my DNO: which network operator covers your postcode

Your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) is the company that owns the cables and substation feeding your street — not the supplier you pay each month. A plug-in solar device needs a G98 notification to that operator. Enter a postcode below to find yours, or let SocketPower handle the notification for you.

Last reviewed: 13 August 2026

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Operators in GB: Six network groups
Notification: G98, within 28 days
Handled by us: Included with every kit
Framework live: 27 August 2026

Postcode to network operator

Enter your postcode

Your result appears here as you type. Nothing is sent anywhere — the lookup runs entirely in your browser.

Mapping is at postcode-area level (the letters at the start of a postcode). A small number of areas cross a licence boundary and are flagged as such. This tool is a convenience, not a substitute for the operator's own address-level checker.

Supplier, operator — what is the difference?

Almost everyone knows who they pay for electricity. Far fewer know who actually delivers it. Your supplier is a retail company: it buys energy, reads your meter and sends the bill. Your Distribution Network Operator owns the physical network — the substation at the end of the road, the cable under the pavement, the service head in your cupboard.

Switching supplier never changes your operator. It is fixed by geography, which is exactly why a postcode is enough to identify it.

Why the operator cares about your solar

A plug-in solar device generates electricity in parallel with the public network. Individually it is small. Collectively, generation on a street changes how that part of the network behaves, so operators maintain a register of what is connected. That register is what G98 notification feeds.

What the G98 notification involves

G98 is the Energy Networks Association engineering recommendation for small-scale generation connected to the low-voltage network. For a single-premises device within the limits it operates on a connect-and-notify basis: you do not wait for permission, but the operator must be told, and the network rules currently allow one plug-in solar device per household.

The notification records who you are, where the device is, what it is, and the inverter's type-test status. It is not difficult — it is simply unfamiliar, and getting a detail wrong means it comes back to you. That is the reason we do it.

Network operators in Great Britain

Six operator groups cover Great Britain between them, across fourteen distribution licence areas. The table lists the postcode areas we map to each one.

Distribution network operators and the postcode areas they cover
Operator	Licence area	Postcode areas
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SHEPD)(opens in a new tab)	North of Scotland, the Highlands and the islands	AB, HS, IV, KW, PH, ZE
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SEPD)(opens in a new tab)	Central southern England, the Thames Valley and the south coast	BH, GU, HP, OX, PO, RG, SL, SN, SO, SP
SP Energy Networks (SP Distribution)(opens in a new tab)	Central and southern Scotland	DD, DG, EH, FK, G, KA, KY, ML, PA, TD
SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb)(opens in a new tab)	Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales	CH, CW, L, LL, WA
Northern Powergrid(opens in a new tab)	The North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire	BD, DH, DL, DN, HD, HG, HU, HX, LS, NE, S, SR, TS, WF, YO
Electricity North West(opens in a new tab)	The North West of England	BB, BL, CA, FY, LA, M, OL, PR, SK, WN
National Grid Electricity Distribution (West Midlands)(opens in a new tab)	The West Midlands and the Welsh Marches	B, CV, DY, HR, ST, SY, TF, WR, WS, WV
National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands)(opens in a new tab)	The East Midlands and Lincolnshire	DE, LE, LN, NG, NN, PE
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West)(opens in a new tab)	The South West of England	BA, BS, DT, EX, GL, PL, TA, TQ, TR
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales)(opens in a new tab)	South and mid Wales	CF, LD, NP, SA
UK Power Networks (Eastern Power Networks)(opens in a new tab)	East Anglia, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire	AL, CB, CM, CO, EN, IP, LU, MK, NR, RM, SG, SS, WD
UK Power Networks (London Power Networks)(opens in a new tab)	Greater London	BR, CR, DA, E, EC, HA, IG, KT, N, NW, SE, SM, SW, TW, UB, W, WC
UK Power Networks (South Eastern Power Networks)(opens in a new tab)	Kent, Sussex and parts of Surrey	BN, CT, ME, RH, TN

Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have separate network arrangements and are outside the framework described on this site.

Common questions

G98 notification service See the kit range Is plug-in solar legal?

Sources

Energy Networks Association — connecting small-scale generation (G98)(opens in a new tab) — Energy Networks Association
Final Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification(opens in a new tab) — DESNZ (PDF)
The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/848)(opens in a new tab) — legislation.gov.uk

Editorial note · Last reviewed 13 August 2026

Written and reviewed by SocketPower, a trading name of Storm Renewables Ltd (SC802881). This guide is general information about plug-in solar in Great Britain, not electrical design advice for your property. Always follow the instructions supplied with your product and use a qualified electrician for any work on your fixed wiring.

Keep reading

Plug-in solar in Great Britain: the framework covers single-phase solar PV with a maximum inverter apparent output of 800 VA, and SocketPower devices are limited to 799 VA continuous AC output. Plug-in batteries and battery-integrated devices are outside the framework and are not sold by SocketPower. The current G98 arrangements allow one plug-in solar device per household, and network notification remains required — SocketPower handles the applicable notification for kits bought from us. This framework applies in Great Britain from 27 August 2026 and not in Northern Ireland. Always follow the instructions supplied with your product, check that your socket and circuit are suitable, never use extension leads, multiway adaptors, travel adaptors or plug-in RCD adaptors, and obtain any permissions you need before installing.