Rising energy bills are never far from making headlines. A recent public opinion poll revealed that a significant majority of Brits believe that tackling high energy bills should be the government’s top priority as the country prepares for winter. 
But suggested fixes are frustratingly short-term for the billpayer. Get a government energy bill discount, and yes, you can keep your home running cheaply for a winter. But where’s the long-term protection from constant price hikes and peak charges? Where’s the control to keep your home running cheaply for life?
That empowerment lies in solar battery storage. Brian Beaver, Director at energy storage specialist GivEnergy, explains.
What is solar battery storage?
Solar battery storage allows you to run your home on solar – long after the sun has stopped shining. While solar panels can generate energy, they have no means of storing it. In fact, much of the energy produced by solar panels goes to waste.
And, even when it’s not being wasted, that solar PV generation can only power your home for so long.
Let’s look at daily electricity usage. Hour-by-hour data in the UK shows that electricity demand spikes at around 8am. It then stabilises during the middle of the day, before spiking even higher between around 4-8pm.
In other words, mornings and evenings are the times when you need electricity the most. Unfortunately, these are not necessarily the times when your solar panels are generating the most electricity.
So, without a storage battery, a solar panel array is only useful to an extent. Solar won’t protect you from peak costs, and it won’t provide hour to hour supply.
Enter solar battery storage
Solar battery storage is the means through which solar panel owners can bridge the gap between supply and demand.
In other words, a solar battery storage system can store energy when solar generation is high. Then, you can discharge your battery storage system to power your home, as and when required.
Let’s take a classic scenario
• A typical 3-bedroom household with a solar array generates lots of energy during the day. However, this high generation window occurs when household members are out at work and school.
• When members of the household return home in the late afternoon and early evening, electricity usage (and prices!) go up, while solar generation goes down.
• The household can make the switch to battery power. Even in the night time, the free, green energy stored up in their solar battery can power their home. No peak charges, plus protection from price hikes!
Battery storage and reduced energy bills
Solar panels and battery storage are the ultimate means to take control of your energy spend. In fact, with a battery-powered property, you can typically reduce your energy bills by ~85%.
It’s a super simple concept. Generating your own renewable energy means you draw less energy from the grid. And, in turn, drawing less energy from the grid means you pay less in electricity bills. (Particularly when you switch to battery power during those expensive peak hours.)
What about battery storage without solar?
Make no mistake: solar panels plus battery storage is the ideal combination. You generate your own renewable energy, and you have somewhere to store it for 24/7 use.
But let’s imagine you don’t have the means – financial, practical, or otherwise – to install solar panels. Perhaps, you can’t afford the upfront cost. Or maybe, you don’t have the roof space for an installation.
What about a standalone battery storage system without solar? Unbeknownst to many, a standalone battery storage system can also help you save money on your energy bills.
Imagine you’re on a time-of-use (TOU) electricity tariff. Here, electricity is priced differently, depending on the time of day.
This could be:
• A static TOU tariff – peak and off-peak hours are fixed day-to-day
• A smart TOU tariff – prices can fluctuate every 30 minutes, depending on wholesale energy prices
Let’s say you can get electricity cheaper between the hours of midnight-7am. During this time, you can charge your home battery storage system with cheap energy from the grid. Then, when the more expensive peak hours roll around, you can discharge your battery to power your home.
In effect, this helps you avoid peak electricity charges and in turn, helps you save on your bills.
The fishing rod, not the fish
‘Give someone a fish and they’ll eat for a day. Teach someone to fish and they’ll eat for life.’
This phrase is apt when it comes to energy bills.
For those struggling to afford their bills in recent years, government handouts have been the order of the day. Namely, these have come in the form of the Winter Fuel Payment.
Temporary handouts can help consumers over the short term. But instead, wouldn’t it be better to give consumers the tools they need to help them reduce energy bills over the long term?
‘Give someone a Winter Fuel Payment and they’ll cope with energy bills over the winter. Give someone a solar battery system, and they’ll have a means of getting cheaper energy bills for the next 20 years.’
It might not quite roll off the tongue, but it hits the nail on the head nonetheless.
Affordable option
The government has already made battery storage systems more affordable by abolishing VAT on the installation of all systems. Meanwhile, smart tariffs and grid flexibility schemes are speeding up the payback period on home batteries faster than ever before.
Yes, a home battery is an investment in your property. But it’s also one that makes you money within a few short years.
So, if, like most billpayers right now, you’re frustrated with energy bill prices, then there’s a prime means to empower yourself. Turn your attention to a home storage battery.
