How does home battery storage work? (Simple UK guide)
Home battery storage charges up when electricity is cheap or free and powers your home when it's expensive. The battery, an inverter and a smart app do this automatically every day.
Free savings calculatorLive tariff prices for your postcode, saving and monthly finance for every battery.Calculate →The main parts
The battery stores energy, measured in kWh. The inverter converts electricity between the battery (DC) and your home (AC), measured in kW. A meter and app decide when to charge and when to discharge.
Charging
With solar panels, the battery charges from spare daytime power. Without solar, it charges from the grid during your tariff's cheap hours, usually overnight.
Discharging
When electricity is expensive, the battery powers your home first. The inverter size limits how much power it can supply at once, so a bigger inverter covers more appliances at the same time.
In a power cut
Standard systems switch off in a power cut for safety. Systems with a backup or EPS feature can keep chosen circuits running. Ask us which systems support it.
Installation
An MCS-certified installer fits the battery and inverter, usually in a day, and notifies your network operator. Our prices include all of this.
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