Why get a battery-only installation with Octopus?

Green home tech

With home battery storage, you can save hundreds on your energy bills each year and boost your property’s value. In this blog, we’ll explain how to unlock the full potential of your home with a battery, whether you already have solar panels, if you’d like to opt for battery-only installation or get an additional battery – we’ve got you covered.

What are the benefits of getting a battery?

With battery storage installed at home, you gain the ability to store your own solar power and / or the cheapest and greenest electricity from the grid, by purchasing it at off-peak times. This means you can utilise this free or cheap energy to power your home, before selling any unused electricity back to the grid at times when prices are higher for a profit. The highlights:

Save up to 126% on energy bills with solar and battery power, and a smart tariff like Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Get greater energy flexibility: optimise your energy usage by importing and strategically to make your energy work smarter.
Coverage for new tech and higher usage: easily handle extra energy needs —whether it’s charging your EV, running a heat pump, or just using more electricity at home.
Home back-up protection: with the Tesla Powerwall 3 you can ensure that your power stays running even in the event of a power cut.

How much could you save with a battery?

By pairing a battery with existing solar panels, you could boost your energy bill savings by £466 a year (based on a 10 panel system with and without a 13.5kWh battery). Check out the table below to get an idea of how much you could save with solar panels and different sized batteries.

	Total annual electricity cost	% energy bill saving
No solar (elec only) Flexible Octopus	£921	-
10 panels, no battery Flexible Octopus + Outgoing Fixed	£227	75%
10 panels, 5kWh battery Flexible Octopus + Outgoing Fixed	£76	92%
10 panels, 5kWh battery Intelligent Octopus Flux	£-150	116%
10 panels, 10kWh battery Intelligent Octopus Flux	£-201	122%
10 panels, 13.5kWh battery Intelligent Octopus Flux	£-239	126%

Check out our solar savings blog for more on tariffs and savings, and a full explanation for how we came to these numbers.

How much does a battery cost?

At present, our prices start at £4,199 for a 5kWh battery, £6,599 for a 10kWh battery and £7,499 for a 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall 3 battery.

For a personalised quote, head to our solar explorer:

Explore battery costs

When is a battery-only installation the right choice?

If you already have solar panels installed at home ✅

Unlock the full potential of your solar panels with a battery, and make your PV work harder for you.

Take back control: store your energy, skip peak prices, and reduce your reliance on the grid after dark.
Earn more on your export: by having more flexibility to sell electricity when prices are higher.
Take advantage of smart tariffs: almost half of customers make a profit on electricity with Intelligent Octopus Flux - the smart tariff that does all the legwork for you.

We can install if:
You have a valid MCS certificate, and can provide the information linked in this FAQ. So even if we didn’t install your panels, you’ll be able to get a battery with us.

If you already have solar panels and a battery installed ✅

Adding more battery storage to your home is a great idea if you’re looking to match increased energy usage, or if you’re looking to maximise your returns.

Run tech on cheaper energy: if you’re looking to get a heat pump or EV charger installed, increased battery storage = the ability to store and use more low-cost electricity to power your home.
Get greater flexibility: take better advantage of time-of-use tariffs by not having to choose between self-consumption and export.
Spread the load: Reduce stress on the existing battery and potentially extend your battery life.

We can install if:
Your current system was installed by Octopus and you’re happy to have a battery from the same manufacturer as your existing one. If your battery and panels weren’t installed by Octopus, we’ll instead put you in touch with one of our Octopus Trusted partners.

If you’d like battery storage without solar panels ✅

You can take advantage of a battery at home, even without solar panels, by storing energy when it’s cheap, and using it when prices spike.

Load up on cheaper, greener energy: store energy from off-peak periods to avoid peak-rate prices with a smart tariff like Agile Octopus.
Get smarter with your energy: take greater control over your home’s power and get better protection from increased energy prices.

We can install if:
We can install a stand-alone battery for most homes and we can add more battery storage in future if you choose to increase battery capacity.

Frequently asked questions

What battery size should I choose?

In most cases we recommend matching the size of your battery to your home's energy consumption – you can use our solar explorer to help calculate this.

If you have the budget, it can be worth getting a bigger battery as you'll be able to benefit from the highest savings on the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff, and you'll have more capacity if you're looking to get an EV or heat pump in the future. For tailored advice, get a full quote and our solar team will recommend the perfect battery for your lifestyle. You can also check out our tech page for more detail on installation options.

What is the installation process?

Head to our solar explorer and fill out the form to get a quote for a battery-only installation. Our team will be back in touch in no time to run through the process and confirm prices with you.

We’ll then take a £200 advance payment which is fully refundable until the day before scaffolding installation, if you change your mind.

Next we’ll ask you to fill out a remote survey form to ensure your solar design is spot-on before installation. If you’re not able to complete the remote survey, we will arrange a date for a surveyor to visit your property.

Finally we’ll find a suitable date for your installation. The once installation is complete, we’ll request the remainder of the total cost.

We’ll be here to answer any questions or concerns that you have throughout the process, and our aftercare team will be available by phone 7 days a week once your installation is complete.

What batteries do Octopus install?

Our expert team is committed to choosing the best quality products for our customers, to ensure that you get the best efficiency, and ultimately make the best savings with your battery installation.

For all battery installations, we will offer the industry-leading Enphase IQ Battery 5P as standard, or the Tesla Powerwall 3. For a 5kWh system, we will install one Enphase battery, and for a 10kWh installation, we will install 2 batteries.

However battery installation is subject to DNO approval, and if we find that this product isn’t suitable for your home, we will offer a suitable alternative, without ever compromising on quality.
Find out more about panels and inverters here.

Eligibility requirements for getting a battery installed with existing PV panels

Already have solar panels? No problem. We'll be happy to install a battery, whether you had your panels installed by Octopus or not. However if they were fitted by someone else, you will need to supply us with a few details. This includes:

An MCS certificate for existing solar PV systems
An existing inverter specifications (required for DNO application)
FIT customers may need to notify their FIT provider of the intention to add a battery.
We may also request the last 12 months of performance