Plug-In Solar New Zealand: Is It Legal Yet? (Live Tracker)

Plug in solar is not yet legal to plug in yourself in New Zealand. Not legal yet Cabinet has agreed to continue work to enable it, and the Electricity Authority is preparing its side of the rules, but no regulation has been made. This page tracks every official step, with the date we checked it.

Where Things Stand

	Status
Plugging a kit into a normal socket yourself	Not allowed yet
Solar review recommends legalising plug-in solar	Published
Cabinet decision to progress the recommendations	Agreed 10 Aug 2026
Regulatory amendments to enable plug-in solar	Pending
Electricity Authority consultation on the Code	Closed 6 Oct 2026
Electricity Authority decision on the Code	Pending
Output limit and product rules	Not set

Timeline So Far

May 2026. The Government orders a review of residential and small to medium scale solar rules, reported by The Spinoff.
July 2026. The Ministry for Regulation publishes its review. It recommends legalising plug-in solar in New Zealand.
10 August 2026. Cabinet agrees a package of decisions to progress the recommendations, including regulatory amendments to enable plug-in solar.
17 August 2026. The Ministry confirms Cabinet agreed to continue work to enable plug-in solar, with no implementation timeline stated.
8 September 2026. The Electricity Authority opens a consultation on how its Code should apply to plug-in generation, stating that it is not currently permitted and the Government is reviewing that position.
6 October 2026. Submissions close. The Authority publishes all submissions and has not announced a decision date.

What Has to Happen Before It Is Legal

Two separate things must change. The Authority says the Code can support the safe and efficient uptake of plug-in generation only if broader electrical safety regulations allow it. So the safety rules come first, then the Code and the connection process that tells your network company a device exists.

The Authority also states that whether plug-in generation becomes legal is a decision for other regulators, not for itself.

Why Today’s Rules Block It

Summaries of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and of WorkSafe guidance say that generation running in parallel with the grid has to meet AS/NZS 4777.1 (and AS/NZS 3000 for the wiring), with certification and a record of inspection. We could not open those official pages ourselves, so treat this as reported, not verified. If it holds, a kit that plugs into a socket skips all of that, which is why it needs a new rule rather than a quiet exception.

What About 800 W?

Great Britain capped plug-in systems at 800 W in August 2026. The same number is often repeated for New Zealand, but we could not find it in any official New Zealand document we read, so it is not a rule here.

Can You Use Plug-In Solar in New Zealand Today?

Not as a plug-and-play product. The Electricity Authority describes these products as not currently available in New Zealand. Anything that feeds your home wiring today goes through the normal grid-connected route, so talk to a registered electrician before you buy.

If you are set on a plug-in kit, waiting is the safer choice. There is no product specification yet, so a kit bought now may need changes, or may never be allowed to connect.

Renters and Body Corporates

Renters and people in apartments are the households plug-in solar is usually pitched at, but nothing we read says how landlord consent, apartment blocks or body corporates will be handled. A balcony or shared wall often belongs to the body corporate, so expect to ask before fixing anything. When guidance is published, we will add the steps here, with a template message for your landlord or committee.

How We Keep This Up to Date

We read the Ministry for Regulation and the Electricity Authority, and will add WorkSafe and legislation.govt.nz as we open them. We update this page when something changes, with the date at the top. News reports are used only to point us to an official page, and we label them as reported when we mention them. If an official page does not say something, we say so rather than fill the gap.

Sources

Each one opened and checked on 9 November 2026.

Questions people ask

Is plug-in solar legal in New Zealand?

Not yet. The Government has agreed to work on legalising it, but the Electricity Authority says plug-in generation is not currently permitted and that other regulators must change the rules first. Until then, solar that feeds into your home wiring should go through a registered electrician.

When will plug-in solar be legal in New Zealand?

No date has been confirmed. The Ministry for Regulation's review expects its 15 recommendations to be implemented within 18 months, as reported by The Spinoff, and a minister was quoted saying kits could be on sale before the end of 2026. Neither is an official legal date, so we are not treating them as one.

Can I buy a plug-in solar kit in New Zealand now?

Some shops list kits, but the Electricity Authority describes these products as not currently available in New Zealand. A kit bought today may not match the product rules when they are written. If you want solar now, a registered installation is the lawful route.

How many watts will a New Zealand plug-in system be allowed?

Not decided in anything we could read. Great Britain chose 800 W, and that figure is often repeated for New Zealand, but we found no official New Zealand document setting a limit. Treat it as a guess until a regulation says otherwise.