A common misconception is that you need solar panels to have a home battery. The truth? Standalone battery storage is one of the fastest-growing energy upgrades in the UK — and it works perfectly well without a single solar panel on your roof.
How Home Battery Storage Works Without Solar
You don't need to generate your own power to save money — you just need to buy it smartly. This concept is called load shifting or grid trading.
The electricity grid has variable pricing throughout the day. At night, when demand is low, energy is cheap. In the evening peak (roughly 4pm–7pm), when millions of homes are cooking and watching TV, energy is expensive. A standalone battery exploits this difference:
- Charge cheap: Your battery charges from the grid overnight on a time-of-use tariff like Octopus Go or Octopus Agile, often at 7p–9p per kWh.
- Discharge at peak: During peak hours your home runs off the stored battery power instead of the expensive grid supply.
- Save money: You effectively pay night-time rates for your daytime usage, cutting your electricity bill significantly.
The Financial Case: Real Numbers
Standard electricity rates sit around 24.5p/kWh (February 2026 price cap). With a smart tariff, overnight rates can drop to 7p/kWh or even lower on Octopus Agile.
- Using 10 kWh per day at standard rates costs £2.45.
- Charging a battery at 7p and discharging the same 10 kWh costs £0.70.
- Daily saving: £1.75 — over £630 per year without any solar panels.
Systems with larger battery capacity can shift more usage and save more. A 10 kWh battery covering the majority of a home's daily consumption can pay for itself in as little as 7–9 years at current tariff spreads.
Home Battery Costs UK: 2026 Price Guide
Battery storage costs have fallen sharply. Here are typical installed prices for a standalone battery system in the UK in 2026:
| Battery Size | Typical System | Installed Cost (inc. 0% VAT) | Est. Annual Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kWh | GivEnergy 5.0 / Fox ESS ECS5.12 | £3,500–£5,000 | £300–£400 |
| 10 kWh | GivEnergy 10.0 / Anker SOLIX 10 | £5,500–£7,500 | £550–£700 |
| 13.5 kWh | Tesla Powerwall 3 / Fox ESS ECS15 | £7,500–£10,000 | £700–£900 |
Prices include installation and DNO notification. Larger systems attract volume discounts. All prices include 0% VAT as of February 2026.
Which Battery Brands Work Without Solar?
All major UK battery brands support grid-only (AC-coupled) operation. Here are the most popular options:
Fox ESS
Fox ESS batteries are one of our most-installed brands. The ECS range (5.12 kWh to 15.36 kWh) offers strong software integration with time-of-use scheduling built into the app. The Fox ESS All-in-One unit also provides whole-home backup during power cuts.
GivEnergy
GivEnergy is a UK-founded company with a strong support network. Their batteries pair with the GivTCP app and integrate natively with Octopus Energy for automatic smart charging. Available in 2.6 kWh modules, so you can start small and add capacity later.
Anker SOLIX
Anker, best known for consumer electronics, entered the home energy storage market with the SOLIX range. Competitive pricing and a slick app make this a popular choice. The SOLIX C1000 (9.6 kWh) and C1000 Pro (13.5 kWh) are well suited to UK grid-only installations.
Tesla Powerwall 3
The Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) is the market-leading premium option. It supports backup power and has a growing integration ecosystem. Higher upfront cost, but strong resale value and brand recognition.
Best Tariffs for Standalone Battery Storage
To maximise savings, you need a time-of-use electricity tariff that charges different rates at different times of day. The two most popular in the UK are:
Octopus Go
A simple overnight tariff: 7p/kWh between midnight and 5am, standard rates the rest of the day. Ideal if you want predictable cheap charging with no complexity. Your battery simply charges in the cheap window every night.
Octopus Agile
Half-hourly pricing that tracks the wholesale electricity market. Rates can drop to 0p or even negative during periods of high wind generation — the grid literally pays you to use power. With a smart battery controller or the Octopus API, your battery can automatically charge whenever the price drops below a set threshold. Higher potential savings, slightly more complexity.
Both tariffs are available to any UK home with a smart meter, regardless of whether you have solar panels.
How a Standalone Battery Install Works: Step by Step
- Site survey: We assess your consumer unit, available wall space, and connection point. Most installs take 4–6 hours.
- DNO notification: We notify your Distribution Network Operator (UK Power Networks for East Sussex homes). This is a regulatory requirement — we handle it for you.
- Installation: The battery is wall-mounted in a utility room, garage, or outdoors (weatherproof enclosure). The inverter/charger connects to your consumer unit via a dedicated circuit.
- Tariff setup: We help you switch to or set up Octopus Go/Agile and configure the battery's charging schedule in the app.
- Handover: You receive the G98/G99 DNO approval certificate, warranty documentation, and a walkthrough of the app.
0% VAT on Standalone Battery Storage
Since February 2024, the UK government extended the 0% VAT relief to standalone battery storage systems — no solar required. Previously, you only qualified for the tax break if you installed solar at the same time. Now, installing a battery on its own still costs you zero VAT, saving 20% on the total cost compared to a pre-2024 install.
Backup Power: Keep the Lights On During Outages
Beyond bill savings, a home battery provides resilience during power cuts. Systems like the Fox ESS All-in-One and GivEnergy AIO can automatically switch to backup mode within milliseconds of a grid failure, keeping your lighting, internet router, fridge, and phone chargers running. This is particularly valuable in rural East Sussex where outages can last several hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add solar panels later?
Yes. All the batteries listed above are compatible with solar in an AC-coupled configuration. When you're ready to add solar, the panels connect to a separate solar inverter that feeds into the same battery system.
Do I need planning permission for a battery?
No. Battery storage systems inside or attached to a home fall under Permitted Development in the UK — no planning application is required.
How long do home batteries last?
Most manufacturers guarantee 80% capacity retention after 10 years (typically 6,000–10,000 charge cycles). In practice, well-managed lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries often last 15+ years.
Does it work during a power cut if I don't have solar?
Yes, if the system includes a backup output circuit. Not all inverters offer this — check the spec sheet or ask your installer. Fox ESS and GivEnergy both offer backup-capable standalone units.
What size battery do I need?
A rough rule: your battery should cover your home's peak usage (typically 4pm–11pm). For an average UK home using 8–10 kWh per day, a 10 kWh battery is a good starting point. We size every system based on your actual smart meter data.
Ready to see how much you could save? Get a free quote from our team — we'll review your smart meter data and recommend the right battery size for your home.
Eastbourne Energy Team
Solar Energy Specialist at Eastbourne Energy