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Resources · Battery guide

Is a solar battery worth it for your home?

Straight answers on what a battery costs, who it suits and who it doesn’t, whether you’re adding one to existing solar or getting both at once.

Illustration of two solar batteries and an inverter mounted on the outside wall of a house

What a battery actually does

A battery lets you use your solar after dark.

Solar panels make most of their power around midday, which is exactly when most people are out. A battery stores that power so you can use it in the evening, when you’d otherwise be buying electricity at full price.

  • It keeps the solar you’d otherwise export. Without a battery, anything you don’t use during the day goes to the grid, and your export tariff pays you less for it than you pay to buy it back later. A battery holds on to it for teatime instead.

  • It can charge on cheap overnight electricity. On a time-of-use tariff, the battery fills up overnight at the cheap rate and runs your home through the pricey evening peak. That still works in winter, when your panels aren’t doing much.

  • It can sell back at the right time. Some export tariffs pay more during the early evening peak. With a battery you can choose when to export rather than just when the sun happens to be out.

  • It’s what gets you to the top of the savings range. A typical Hampshire home with solar saves £850 to £1,200 a year, and the higher end usually means a battery and a smart tariff. The Energy Saving Trust is honest that the savings won’t always cover the cost of the battery on their own, which is why it’s worth getting real numbers for your home.Source: Energy Saving Trust & Federation of Master Builders, 2026 figures.

Is it right for you?

Who a battery suits, and who it doesn’t

A battery is a great fit for some homes and a slow payback for others. It mostly comes down to when you use your electricity.

Good fit

Out all day, busy in the evening

If the house is empty while your panels are at their best and everyone’s cooking, washing and watching telly after 5pm, a battery moves that daytime power to when you actually need it.

Good fit

You have an EV or a heat pump

Big electricity users get the most from cheap overnight charging. The Energy Saving Trust’s research found batteries pair especially well with heat pumps on the right tariff.

Good fit

You already export a lot of solar

If your panels send most of what they make to the grid, a battery lets you keep more of it. Check your export rate first though. A good export tariff narrows the gap, so the numbers need to stack up for your home.

Worth a second look

Low usage, or home all day

If you’re already using most of your solar as it’s made, or your bills are low to begin with, a battery can take a long time to pay for itself. We’d rather you knew that now than after you’ve paid for one.

What it costs

Rough battery costs

These are for the battery on its own, not solar panels. Prices vary a lot with the brand, the size and your home’s wiring, so use them as a rough guide rather than what you’ll be quoted. Your installer will give you the real number after a survey.

Battery only

A wide range

The Energy Saving Trust puts a battery installed on its own at anywhere from around £1,500 to £10,000. That’s the battery and fitting, without any panels.

Around 5 kWh

Smaller homes, lower usage

Enough to cover a typical evening for a smaller household. These sit towards the lower end of the range.

10 kWh and up

Bigger homes, EVs, heat pumps

More storage for homes that use more. These sit towards the higher end, especially with extras like power cut backup.

Worth knowing

0% VAT, and cheaper with solar

Batteries are VAT free until 31 March 2027 (5% after that). Fitting one at the same time as new panels usually costs less than adding it later.

Getting panels and a battery together? For a typical 3 bed home, the whole system usually comes to somewhere around £8,000 to £14,000 installed. Bigger roofs, bigger batteries and extras like EV chargers push it up, so your quotes may land higher or lower.

Sources: Energy Saving Trust battery storage guidance, 2026; HMRC VAT Notice 708/6.

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Takes about 2 minutes

Tell us about your home

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We match you with installers who fit batteries

We look at every enquiry ourselves and pick vetted local installers who do the kind of job you need. Usually two or three.

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Solar batteries · FAQ

Things people ask about batteries

Can I add a battery to solar panels I already have?
Usually, yes. Most existing solar systems can take a battery. Depending on your setup, the installer will either fit a battery with its own inverter alongside what you’ve got, or swap in a hybrid inverter if yours is getting on anyway. They’ll check your inverter and consumer unit on the survey. Pick “Battery only” on our form and we’ll match you with installers who do retrofits.
Do I need solar panels to have a battery?
No. On a time-of-use tariff, a battery can charge overnight when electricity is cheap and run your home through the expensive evening peak. It works best if you use a fair bit of electricity in the evenings. With solar as well, you also get free charging during the day.
Will a battery keep my power on in a power cut?
Not always. Many batteries shut off with the grid for safety unless the system has a backup function, and some only back up a few circuits rather than the whole house. If backup matters to you, say so up front so installers quote the right kit.
Where does the battery go?
Usually a garage, utility room or an outside wall. Current UK installation guidance (PAS 63100) keeps batteries out of lofts, bedrooms and escape routes like hallways and stairs, so your installer will talk through the options on the survey.
How long does a solar battery last?
Most come with a 10-year warranty. That’s shorter than solar panels, which tend to last 25 years or more, so expect to replace the battery at some point over the life of your panels. Ask each installer what the warranty covers and what capacity it guarantees by the end.
Is there VAT on batteries?
Not right now. Batteries are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, whether they’re fitted with new solar, added to existing panels, or installed on their own. From 1 April 2027 the rate goes up to 5%.
Is it free to get battery quotes through EcoCompare?
Yes, completely free for homeowners. You don’t pay anything to use EcoCompare, and there’s no pressure to go ahead with any of the quotes you get.

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