How Much Do Solar Batteries Cost?

✔ A solar battery costs start from £2,500, and they average around £4,500

✔ You should expect to pay around £900 per kWh of storage capacity

✔ The typical home will make £642 in annual profit from a solar-plus-storage system

A solar battery is an excellent way for you to cut your energy bills while helping to save the planet.

You typically only use half of the electricity your solar panels generate – but with a solar battery, you could use practically all of that free, clean energy.

In this guide, you’ll find out how much you’d pay for a solar battery, how it would impact your solar panel costs, and what else to consider before making your decision.

To find out how much a new solar-plus-storage system will cost you, just fill in this free form, and our expert installers will be in touch.

Want to get a better idea of how much a solar battery could save you if paired with solar panels? Head to our solar panel costs page to get a breakdown of figures.

How much does a solar battery storage system cost?

A solar battery storage system costs £4,500, on average.

The amount you pay will depend on the amount of electricity the battery can store, also known as its capacity.

Prices start at around £2,500 for the smallest storage systems.

This is the average cost you'll pay for a 4 kWh solar battery, which will generally be able to hold the excess electricity created by a six-solar panel system – the one used by the average one or two-bedroom house.

The precise amount you’ll pay will depend on the battery’s capacity, type, and brand, but the great majority of purchases are in the £4,500-£8,000 range.

As a rough guide, you should expect to pay £900 per kWh of storage capacity. The larger the solar PV system, the larger the battery you'll need – and the lower the price you'll pay per kWh.

Want to learn more about the price of solar panel systems? Head to our solar panel cost page.

How many solar batteries are needed to power a house?

You’ll only need one solar battery system to power your house.

However, that system might be made up of several batteries, to make sure you can store excess solar electricity during the day that will power your home at night, after the sun goes down.

At the same time, don’t buy too big a battery system, as you’ll be paying over the odds for capacity that isn’t used much.

These are just average prices, so use them to give you an idea of potential costs, then get at least three quotes from professional installers.

Solar battery cost calculator

Are solar batteries worth it in the UK?

Solar batteries are worth it in the UK, as they can significantly reduce your dependence on the grid – especially in the summer – meaning you won’t have to rely as much on an increasingly expensive, volatile supply.

You’ll also save 28 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over your solar array’s lifespan – the same amount as four people’s annual emissions.

And though it’ll take you longer, you’ll still break even on your solar panel system.

Without a battery, the average three-bedroom house will break even on its solar panels within 15.1 years, by using half of the solar power generated and selling the rest back to the grid through a Smart Export Guarantee tariff.

Solar batteries typically last between 10 and 15 years, meaning you’ll need to buy two over your panels’ 25-year lifespan.

This £9,000 expense will typically raise your overall break-even point on your solar setup to 26.3 years.

That’s a lot longer to wait, but you’ll still save a total of £642 on your solar + battery array over its lifespan.

You can learn more about this on our helpful guide Are Solar Batteries Worth it in the UK?

Additional solar battery costs

If you already have solar panels, you may have to purchase an additional inverter so you can get an AC (alternating current) battery, which is easier to fit into an existing system.

An inverter typically costs £800, and lasts for around 10 years. With any luck, you won’t have to replace it before you buy a new battery.

And don’t worry about maintenance costs.

Lithium-ion batteries, the most popular type of solar battery among homeowners, require barely any upkeep – just a bit of light dusting, and the occasional check-up to make sure they’re still holding charge properly.

If you want to get all return on investment that your money deserves, check out our guide to the best solar batteries.

Advantages and disadvantages of solar batteries

Here are the main pros and cons of solar batteries, with more details included under the table.

Advantages

You’ll be much better protected from energy price rises, as nearly all of your electricity will come from solar power.

When you consider the average household is currently paying 71% more for electricity than it was a year ago, that sounds like an excellent idea.

A three-bedroom property with a solar panel system and a 5 kwh battery will save £642 per year on average, plus you'll become less dependent on the grid for your energy.

A solar battery can also help you stop 28 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere – one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Some battery systems can also be configured to provide power during a power-cut, though this will add to the cost.

With a solar-plus-battery system, you also don’t have to worry about reselling your property.

69% of respondents told our latest National Home Energy Survey they'd buy a house with solar panels, up from 65% last year.

Disadvantages

The typical initial cost of £4,500 is steep when you’ve already spent around £7,860 on solar panels, as the average three-bedroom house would.

It’ll also push back your break-even point a further 14 years (26.3 years), and take up roughly the same amount of space as a washing machine or combi gas boiler.

And it’s almost certainly pointless to get a battery if you already have an electric vehicle or are planning to get one that will be plugged in at home during the day, as you can just use your excess solar energy to recharge your car.

Should you get a solar battery?

If you want to take a significant step towards full energy independence, getting a solar battery is the right choice.

You can make your household immune from electricity price rises and power cuts, which is a temptingly high level of security.

Likewise, if you want to do your part in fighting climate change, a solar battery can save a colossal amount of greenhouse gases.

And you can still save money, around  £642 a year for 25 years, the end of your solar panels’ lifespan.

However, if your main concerns are affording the upfront cost and breaking even as soon as possible on your solar setup, stick with solar panels alone.

And if you have an electric vehicle, don’t get a solar battery, as you already own a big battery to send all that extra solar power: your car (as long as your car is plugged in at home during the day).

Next steps

By now, you’ve made up your mind on solar batteries.

The next step is to compare quotes on a solar PV system, whether it includes a battery or not.

Just complete this free form, and you can get free quotes from qualified installers. You’ll be taking advantage of solar power in no time.

Frequently asked questions