Battery storage
A home battery stores electricity, from your solar panels or a cheap overnight tariff, to use later when power is expensive. It suits some homes very well and others barely at all. We help you tell which you are.
Who this suits
- Solar homes exporting a lot of unused daytime generation
- Households with high evening electricity use
- Homes on a time-of-use tariff with a cheap overnight rate
- People who want some backup during a power cut
- Households adding an electric car or heat pump
Who it may not suit
- Low overall electricity use, where savings won't cover the cost
- Homes with modest solar and little evening demand
- Anyone told every solar home needs a battery: that isn't true
Should you add a battery to your solar system?
Not every solar home needs a battery. That’s a sales line, not a fact. A battery is worth having when it moves enough electricity from cheap or free to expensive to pay its way over a sensible period, and that depends on your household, not on a brochure.
When storage tends to make sense
- you have solar and export a lot of unused generation each day
- most of your electricity is used in the evening
- you’re on, or can move to, a tariff with a cheap overnight rate
- you’re adding an EV or a heat pump that will raise demand
- keeping a few essentials running in a power cut matters to you
When it’s weaker
Low total consumption, a small solar array, little evening demand, or a flat-rate tariff with poor export options. In those cases a battery can take a long time to pay back, and we’ll say so plainly.
Power-cut backup is a separate question
A battery on its own does not necessarily keep the lights on when the grid goes down. Backup needs a compatible inverter and a backup gateway wired to agreed essential circuits, and how long it lasts depends on how charged the battery is, what the panels are producing and what you run. We’ll tell you exactly what a given system would and wouldn’t support.
Getting the size right
Too small and you’re importing again by mid-evening. Too big and you’ve paid for capacity that never gets used. Batteries are also quoted two ways: total (“nominal”) capacity and the smaller “usable” capacity. Compare usable figures. We size the battery to your real generation and demand and show you the trade-off before you decide.
Our guide Do you need a battery with solar panels? goes further. Or start your home assessment and we’ll model whether a battery is worth it for you, including if the answer is no.
How it works
A home battery is a lithium unit, usually lithium iron phosphate, connected to your electrical system, often through a hybrid inverter shared with your solar panels. It charges when electricity is cheap or plentiful, such as midday solar or a low overnight rate, and discharges when it's expensive, typically the evening peak. With a backup gateway and agreed wiring, it can keep essential circuits running during a power cut.
Meaningful benefits
- Use more of your own solar instead of exporting it cheaply
- Shift evening use away from the most expensive hours
- Charge cheaply overnight on the right tariff and use it during the day
- Optional backup for essential circuits during a power cut
- Can usually be added to an existing solar system later
What to understand
- It's a significant cost, and payback depends entirely on your usage
- Usable capacity is smaller than the headline figure
- Backup needs the right inverter, a gateway and agreed wiring
- Sizing matters: too big and the top of the battery is rarely used
A clear path from question to decision
- 01
A look at your bills and, if you have solar, your generation data
- 02
Modelling of what a battery would actually shift for your household
- 03
A clear recommendation on size, or a recommendation not to fit one
- 04
Your decision
- 05
Installation alongside new or existing solar, and monitoring set-up
What it costs
£6,250 for solar and battery storage, fully installed
Our current package: up to 8 solar panels, a hybrid inverter and a Hanchu 5.12 kWh battery. Panel make and model depend on stock; the final quantity and specification are agreed after assessment. It does not include power-cut backup.
Power-cut backup for agreed essential circuits: from £1,295 extra, fitted the same day as the system.
Includes standard installation and scaffolding to one elevation. Additional scaffolding or non-standard access will be assessed and quoted separately before you commit. Final specification and price are subject to technical assessment.
0% VAT currently applies to eligible domestic installations until 31 March 2027; scheduled to rise to 5% from 1 April 2027.
Questions
Do I need a battery with my solar?
Not necessarily. It depends on how much you export, your evening usage and your tariff. For some homes it's clearly worth it; for others the economics are weak. We'll show you which.
Can I add a battery later?
Usually, yes. Compatibility depends on your existing inverter.
Will it power my house in a power cut?
Only with backup set up: a compatible inverter, a backup gateway and agreed essential circuits. We'll tell you exactly what a given system supports.
How long do batteries last?
Warranties are typically around 10 years, often with a limit on total energy or cycles. Check the usable-capacity guarantee, not just the years.
Is it safe?
Home batteries using lithium iron phosphate cells, properly installed and protected, are designed for domestic use. Where it goes and how it's ventilated are part of the design.
Get advice for your home
Answer a few questions about your home for a straight answer on what suits it, or send us a short message. No pressure, no obligation.
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