Pairing Battery Storage with a Heat Pump: Is It Worth It?
Yes, pairing battery storage with a heat pump is worth considering if you want to make better use of cheaper electricity rates, particularly if you're on a time-of-use electricity tariff.
By charging your battery when electricity is cheaper and using that stored energy when prices are higher, you could reduce the cost of running your heat pump.
We supply battery storage systems to homeowners across the UK, but installation availability depends on your location. Get in touch and we'll confirm whether we can install a system in your area.
How does battery storage work with a heat pump?
A heat pump runs entirely on electricity which means the price you pay for electricity has a direct impact on your heating costs.
A home battery gives you a better way of managing that electricity.
Rather than paying for electricity when you need it, you can charge your battery when rates are cheaper and use that electricity later.
The principle is fairly simple:
Buy electricity when it is cheaper → store it in the battery → use it when electricity costs more.
Owning a heat pump means you're likely to use more electricity than the average homeowner, making battery storage and a smart tariff an even more effective way to manage your electricity bills.
Can battery storage reduce the cost of running a heat pump?
Yes, but how much you could save will depend on your home's energy use.
There are several factors that will affect the potential benefit:
Your electricity tariff and the difference between its cheaper and more expensive periods
How much electricity your heat pump uses
Your overall household electricity consumption
The size of your battery
How efficiently the battery charges and discharges
How regularly you can take advantage of cheaper electricity periods
We've seen the difference battery storage can make ourselves. For example, our Technical Director used battery storage to reduce his electricity costs by more than £1,000 a year.
Read our case study: How battery storage helped our Technical Director save over £1,000 per year
Using a smart tariff with battery storage
Battery storage is generally more worthwhile when paired with a time-of-use electricity tariff. If you pay the same rate for electricity throughout the day, there may be less financial benefit from adding a battery, unless you have solar panels to capture surplus electricity.
Unlike a standard tariff, a time-of-use tariff has different electricity prices at different times of the day. This lets you charge your battery when electricity is cheaper and use the stored energy when prices rise.
There are tariffs specifically designed for homes with heat pumps. For example, Octopus Energy's Cosy Octopus tariff offers cheaper periods at certain times of the day, alongside a higher-priced period in the late afternoon and early evening.
By the way, if you're considering changing energy providers or want to make the most of your heat pump’s efficiency, we recommend checking out Octopus Energy. Switch to Octopus Energy and you'll get £50 credit once your switch is complete. Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household). Questions about an existing Octopus account or tariff? Contact Octopus at hello@octopus.energy.
Referral disclosure: if you use our Octopus referral link, you may receive a referral credit and we may also receive a referral reward.
Is battery storage worth considering?
If you use a lot of electricity, installing battery storage is something worth thinking about.
Heat pump owners will generally use more electricity than the average household during winter, and if you also use air conditioning to keep your home cool during the summer, your electricity use could be higher throughout the year.
If you're on a time-of-use tariff and can shift some of your electricity use to cheaper periods, battery storage could help reduce your energy costs. You can also add a battery to an existing heat pump system later, rather than installing both at once.
Which Battery is right for your home?
There isn't a single battery that is right for every household. A smaller household with relatively low electricity consumption will need less storage than a larger property with higher heating and hot water demand.
The right system will depend on things such as:
Your heat pump and its electricity consumption
Your household's overall electricity use
How much electricity you want to shift between different times of day
Whether you expect your electricity requirements to change in the future
Choosing the right battery can feel complicated, but it's something we can help you evaluate.
At Alto Energy, we supply Fox ESS battery storage systems, including the EVO AIO, an all-in-one system, and the PowerQ stackable battery, which can be expanded as your energy needs change.
If you're considering adding battery storage to your existing heat pump system, get in touch and we'll help you explore the options for your home.
