Guide · Batteries
Can you have a home battery without solar panels?
Checked by our MCS-certified installers · Updated October 2026
Short answer
Yes. A home battery doesn't need panels.
It charges from the grid when electricity is cheapest — usually overnight on a time-of-use tariff — and runs your home in the evening. Add panels later and the same battery stores your solar too.
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MCS-certified installer · Cert. no. NAP/79987/26/1
How it works, every day
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1
Charges overnight
On your tariff's cheapest hours, automatically.
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2
Runs your evening
Cooking, lights and TV come from the battery when prices are highest.
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3
Repeats by itself
The app sets the times; you can change them on your phone.
Who it suits
Shaded, north-facing, too small or in a conservation area.
Already on an overnight tariff for the car — the battery uses the same cheap hours.
Fit the battery now; panels plug into the same system when you're ready.
Families who use most of their electricity after work.
A battery without panels needs its own inverter — that is included in the price above. Which size do I need? →
Battery-only questions
Can I add solar panels later?
Yes. We fit a hybrid inverter, so panels can be connected to the same system later without replacing anything.
Which tariff do I need?
A time-of-use tariff with cheaper overnight hours, from your energy supplier. We set the battery's charging times to match it.
Where does the battery go?
Usually a garage, utility room or outside wall — never a loft. Where can a home battery go? →
Will it keep my power on in a power cut?
Only with a backup feature. Batteries in a power cut →
Get started
A battery, no panels needed.
A free survey confirms the battery and inverter for your home, with a fixed price — usually within 24 hours.
0% VAT on solar & battery until March 2027