UKCA and CE marking transition

UKCA and CE are product-conformity markings. Where the relevant sector rules require a mark, it indicates that the manufacturer takes responsibility for meeting the applicable legal product requirements and has completed the required conformity process.

UKCA is the Great Britain mark. CE is the European mark, but Great Britain continues to recognise CE for many product regimes. As at 22 July 2026, there is no general deadline forcing the mainstream electrical, electronic, machinery and pressure-equipment regimes covered by the 2024 changes from CE to UKCA.

This is not a blanket rule for every product. The product’s sector, market, function and date of placement determine which legislation and marking route apply.

The current Great Britain position

Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales for this regime. The Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment) Regulations 2024 removed the former end date for CE recognition across the covered product regulations.

For a product within those regimes, a manufacturer can normally use:

• CE marking based on the recognised EU requirements and process
• UKCA marking based on the UK requirements and process
• both marks, if all rules for each mark are met
• Fast-Track UKCA, where recognised EU requirements and conformity processes are used as the permitted basis for UKCA

“Indefinite recognition” means the current rules contain no expiry date for this recognition. It does not prevent a future government from amending an individual product regime. Check the live sector table when placing or specifying a product rather than relying on one of the many superseded transition deadlines still found online.

UKCA is not valid for placing a product on the EU market. A manufacturer selling in both Great Britain and the EU may prefer CE because one conformity route can currently serve both markets, provided every applicable requirement is met.

Start with the product, not the logo

Not every product has to bear UKCA or CE marking. Conformity marking is required only where the sector-specific legislation requires it.

Home energy equipment can engage several regimes at the same time. Depending on the design and intended use, relevant rules can include:

• electrical equipment safety
• electromagnetic compatibility
• radio equipment for wireless or connected products
• restriction of hazardous substances
• machinery safety
• pressure equipment safety
• ecodesign and energy-related product rules

The exact set cannot be assigned from a label such as “battery”, “inverter”, “charger” or “heat pump” alone. Voltage range, radio functions, pressure category, supplied assemblies and intended use can change the assessment route.

The manufacturer must identify all applicable product regulations. The conformity mark applies only after the product meets the requirements relevant to it, not merely one convenient regulation.

The mark is not always third-party certification

UKCA or CE marking is not automatically evidence that an independent laboratory has certified the product. Some product regimes and categories allow manufacturer self-declaration. Others require a third-party conformity assessment body.

For example, current government guidance allows self-declaration for all products within the Electrical Equipment (Safety), Electromagnetic Compatibility and RoHS regulations, while other regimes make the route depend on product category and the standards used.

The evidence behind a mark identifies:

1. the product regulations applying to the exact model
2. the conformity-assessment route used for each one
3. the declaration and technical evidence identifying the model
4. any required third-party body and the scope of its assessment

A printed symbol with no matching documentation is weak evidence.

Standards behind the declaration

Product regulations state essential outcomes such as safety, compatibility or environmental protection. Standards provide technical ways of demonstrating those outcomes.

In Great Britain, a standard formally designated by government can give a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements it covers. That presumption can be restricted and can be rebutted by contrary evidence. Use of a designated standard is usually voluntary, and it does not transfer legal responsibility away from the manufacturer.

Under a CE route, the equivalent concept is an EU harmonised standard. Under Fast-Track UKCA, recognised EU requirements and processes can support the UKCA marking as permitted by the 2024 regulations.

The full standard reference and edition matter. A declaration that says only “IEC compliant” or lists a standard family without the relevant part and date is harder to verify.

The declaration and technical file

The manufacturer prepares a technical file. In most cases it can be digital and includes evidence such as design documents, risk assessments and test reports as required by the product legislation.

Once satisfied that the product conforms, the manufacturer or authorised representative creates the declaration of conformity. The content depends on the regime, but it can include:

• manufacturer and authorised-representative details
• model, type or serial identification
• a statement accepting responsibility for conformity
• applicable legislation
• designated or harmonised standards and their dates
• the conformity-assessment body where applicable
• authorised signature and issue date

Ask for the declaration for the exact model and hardware revision. Make sure its product identity matches the equipment, packaging and installation documentation.

The technical file is primarily evidence for economic operators and market-surveillance authorities, not necessarily a public document handed to every buyer. Record retention is set by the applicable legislation and is typically ten years, but that period is not universal.

Manufacturer, importer and distributor duties

The manufacturer carries the main responsibility for design, conformity assessment, technical documentation and marking.

A UK importer bringing a product from outside the UK has its own duties. These include checking the manufacturer’s conformity work, retaining required documentation, providing its identification details and ensuring storage or transport does not undermine compliance.

A distributor also has to check that the manufacturer and importer have met the relevant identification and marking duties. An importer or distributor that sells under its own name, or changes the product in a way that affects conformity, can take on the manufacturer’s responsibilities.

For a buyer, match the legal entities across the product, declaration, manual and supplier paperwork. Direct imports deserve particular care because the buyer should establish which UK economic operator, if any, has accepted the importer obligations.

Marking and labelling

Where UKCA or CE marking is required, current government guidance says the mark must use its standard form, remain proportionate, normally be at least 5 mm high and be visible, legible and indelible. Sector rules can set a different minimum or allow alternative placement where direct marking is not possible.

As at 22 July 2026, current legislation allows UKCA marking to be placed on a label attached to the product or on an accompanying document until 11pm on 31 December 2027 for most sectors. Special sectors have their own rules. The same transition can allow importer details for certain EEA or Swiss imports to appear elsewhere rather than on the product.

This 2027 easement is time-limited and should not be confused with continued CE recognition, which has no current general end date under the covered regimes.

Products also need the identification and instructions required by their sector rules. Government guidance says instructions must be clear, legible and in easily understandable English.

Northern Ireland is different

UKCA marking does not apply in Northern Ireland. Products are placed there using CE, or CE plus UKNI where the relevant rules require third-party assessment and a UK approved body is used.

A CE and UKNI marked product cannot be placed on the EU market. Qualifying Northern Ireland goods can have access to the Great Britain market under the separate unfettered-access arrangements.

Do not use a Great Britain conformity decision as a shortcut for Northern Ireland or the EU. Identify the destination market before choosing the assessment body, declaration and mark.

What the mark does not prove

UKCA or CE marking does not by itself prove that an energy product:

• is on an MCS certified-product list
• has G98 or G99 type-test evidence for the intended grid connection
• is suitable for a particular roof, electrical supply or battery location
• has been installed to BS 7671 or the relevant MCS standard
• meets a grant or tariff rule
• will integrate with another manufacturer’s equipment
• carries a useful product or workmanship warranty
• has been independently tested where self-declaration is allowed

Those are separate checks. A compliant product can still be incorrectly specified or installed, and an MCS-listed or grid-approved product still needs the applicable product-conformity documentation.

A practical document check

For an inverter, battery, EV charger or heat pump, retain:

• a photograph of the rating plate and conformity marking
• the exact model and serial number
• the UK or EU declaration of conformity used for the market
• the regulations and full standard editions listed on it
• details of any assessment body where required
• manufacturer, importer and supplier identity
• the English installation and user instructions
• separate MCS, grid-connection, electrical and commissioning evidence

If those documents conflict, resolve the model identity before installation. A declaration for a related product family is not automatically evidence for the unit being fitted.

Related entries

• BS EN 62109 inverter safety standard
• BS EN 50549 grid-connection standards
• G98 notification pathway
• G99 application pathway
• RoHS and WEEE compliance
• MCS
• PV commissioning pack