Home batteries are emerging as the newest form of green technology that Britons are using to cut their energy bills, with households reporting savings of up to £70 per month. 

Rising energy bills following the war in the Middle East have prompted many people to look to green energy solutions as a way to manage their spending, with the number of solar installs rising to record-breaking highs in recent months. 

Interest in home batteries is also surging, both for people who want to maximise the savings from their solar panels and for those whose homes are not suitable for solar.

Those in the latter category are able to make savings by charging their battery overnight when electricity is cheap and using that cheaper energy during the day. 

The i Paper spoke to two people who are doing this to find out how much they are saving.

‘We have independence over our energy use’

Riaz Akhtar, 45, purchased a home battery in June. He had bought an electric vehicle one year earlier and wanted to maximise the amount of off-peak electricity he could use.

Akhtar, who lives in Manchester, is on a variable tariff with Octopus Energy, which means electricity costs roughly 6.5p overnight compared to 28p during the daytime. 

“You start realising how much energy costs you can save by utilising the off-peak rate,” he said. 

Akhtar paid just over £4,000 for his battery, including install, from a company called Sunsave. The device is around one metre squared and is attached to an external wall behind his wheelie bins. 

He estimates he is currently saving around £70 per month on his electricity. He also makes an additional £20 per month by being signed up to Sunsave’s “virtual power plant”, which groups the battery with other small renewable power generators and sells energy to the grid. 

Akhtar, who has two children, said having the battery gives him the freedom to use high-power devices, such as his washing machine and air fryer, whenever he wants. 

While he is interested in green technology, he said that “the volatility of fuel and petrol” has been a major motivator in his investments, which have given him “independence” over his energy use.

‘I wish I’d done it sooner’ 

Damien Schofield, 54, purchased a home battery in July and said it has already made “a huge difference to the bills”.

He lives with his wife, as well as his adult son and girlfriend, and his electricity bill was £61 last month, which includes charging a hybrid car. 

This is compared to £97 for the same period last year, however, the cost of electricity has risen since then. 

Schofield purchased his battery using Sunsave’s subscription scheme, which is a minimum of £39 per month. 

Under schemes like this you end up paying more for the battery in the long term due to interest, but have the benefit of no upfront costs. 

Schofield said he was motivated by “the cost of electricity” and “the way my bill kept going up”. 

“I spent a long time umming and ahing about it and I wish I’d done it sooner,” he said. 

How much does a battery cost – and who benefits the most?

The cost of a home battery ranges from around £1,500 to £10,000 depending on the size. 

They are particularly useful for households with solar so they can store the excess electricity their panels generate.

However, they are also useful for people who don’t want to install solar, but want to take advantage of cheap overnight electricity rates. 

Households with high electricity use, for example those with heat pumps, should particularly consider purchasing a battery. 

Various finance options are emerging for home batteries, including subscription models or low-interest loans. If considering these options, it’s important to calculate whether the savings you expect to make will offset the interest payments. 

The Government currently provides grants for batteries via its Warm Homes Programme, however, these are only available for low-income households who are also installing solar. 

Ministers are expected to announce details of low-interest loans for green upgrades in the coming months, and is considering making these available for home battery installations.