Can you have a home battery without solar?
Jason Hawthorne, CEO at ESME
Rates checked October 2026 · 6 min read · Last updated 22 October 2026
In short
Yes. A battery can charge from the grid on a cheap overnight rate and power your home in the evening, when electricity costs the most. It saves most for homes with an electric car, because they get the cheapest tariffs. Payback is often 6 to 15 years, so the price you pay matters.
For your house
Would a battery pay back at your house?
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Key facts
Works without solar
Yes, it charges from the grid on cheap hours
How it saves
Buys power at about 7p to 10p, uses it instead of 26.32p power
Tariff it needs
A time of use tariff and a smart meter
Typical payback
About 6 to 15 years, depending on price and tariff
Best for
Homes with an electric car, or high evening use
How does a battery save money without solar?
It works as a store for cheap electricity. Overnight, on a time of use tariff, the battery fills from the grid at a low rate. In the evening, when the price is at its highest, the house runs from the battery instead of the grid.
The saving is the gap between the two prices, less a little energy lost on the way in and out. Batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall 3 return about 89% of what goes in.
Which tariff do you need with it?
You need a time of use tariff with a cheap overnight rate. The cheapest, such as Intelligent Octopus Go at about 8p, need an electric car. Without a car, British Gas Charge Power gives half price power from midnight to 5am to homes with a battery, and Agile Octopus is open to anyone with a smart meter.
See which tariff is best with a home battery for the full list.
How long does it take to pay back?
Take a typical home using about 2,500 units a year, around 6.8 a day. A 5kWh battery on an 8p overnight rate can cover most of the evening.
The sum, for a 5kWh battery used fully each day
Power replaced
5kWh at 26.32p
Cost to charge
5.6kWh at 8p
Saved a day
87p
Saved a year
£316
At £2,000 to £4,600 for a 5kWh battery, that is about 6 to 15 years to pay back. Batteries usually last 10 to 12 years, so a high price or a small saving can mean it never pays back. Your own use decides it.
When is it worth adding solar later?
Solar fills the same battery for free on sunny days, so the two work well together. If you may add panels, ask for a battery and inverter that can take solar later. A hybrid inverter does both jobs.
There is no VAT on batteries or solar until 31 March 2027, so if you plan both, doing them before then saves 5%. See solar first, or a battery.
Questions people also ask
Do I need permission to fit a battery?
You do not usually need planning permission for a battery inside your home or garage. Your installer must tell your local network operator about it, under rules known as G98 and G99.
Can I add solar to the battery later?
Yes, if the battery and inverter support it. Ask before you buy, because some batteries only work with their own inverter.
What happens in a power cut?
Most batteries switch off in a power cut for safety, unless they have a backup feature. If you want power during cuts, ask for backup, sometimes called EPS, and check what it covers.
Sources
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Figures are for Great Britain and were checked on the date above. Prices change, so check the latest before you decide. This is general information, not financial advice.
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