Inside the Plug-In Battery Safety Review: What Actually Gets Tested
DESNZ confirmed the contract award for its plug-in battery safety review on 6 November 2026, a few weeks later than the original timeline. For the short version of what that means for buying one, see our plug-in battery legality explainer. This is about what the review itself actually does.
The contract, in plain terms
The review runs for 16 months from 25 November 2026, covering plug-in battery products rated up to 800W AC output, the same ceiling that applies to plug-in solar. An expression of interest went out on 17 August 2026 and submissions closed around 30 September, so the gap between that and the November award suggests the process took longer to settle than DESNZ first expected.
Phase one: looking at what’s already on sale elsewhere
The first phase doesn’t test anything new. It looks at plug-in battery products already sold in other markets, Germany in particular, where retailers have had a longer run with them on the shelves. That phase is due to report around June 2027, roughly seven months into the contract.
What the lab testing actually involves
Beyond the desk research, real units go through physical testing, including deliberately misusing them and pushing them into fire-risk scenarios. That’s the same category of test used for other battery products before they’re allowed on general sale, and nothing about a recommendation on UK rules gets made before it’s done.
What would actually have to happen for the rules to change
A recommendation from the safety review isn’t the same as a rule change. Any change to UK wiring or product safety regulations would have to follow from whatever the review finds. That puts the earliest plausible shift sometime after the June 2027 phase one report, not before it, and the full 16-month contract doesn’t wrap up until March 2028 regardless.
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Frequently asked questions
When was the plug-in battery safety review contract awarded?
6 November 2026, for a 16-month contract starting 25 November 2026.
What does the safety review actually test?
Plug-in battery products already sold in markets like Germany, through both a desk-based review and physical lab testing that deliberately pushes units into fire-risk scenarios.
When will the safety review finish?
The contract runs to March 2028. The first phase, covering products already on sale elsewhere, is due to report around June 2027.