Battery FAQ's

Quick answers to common questions

Home batteries fall under permitted development rights, and planning consent is not required to install one. If your property is located in a conservation area, listed, or a building of historical interest then you’ll need to seek approval from the relevant authorities before placing an order.

Most likely, yes. However the Heatable team will apply for this on your behalf and manage the process as part of your order and the installation process.

There are a range of different energy providers who offer 'off-peak' tariffs, for cheaper night time charging. We would recommended you look in to your tariff options prior to purchase. Heatable takes no responsibility for the tariffs which you may, or may not be able to get.

OFGEM have issued guidelines which approves installing a battery system to a property which is receiving payments from the FIT scheme to recover and store excess energy from your solar system. You wont be able to register for or claim SEG (smart export guarantee) for battery power exported to the grid if you’re already receiving FIT payments. Doing so could breach your FIT agreement.

A typical battery installation takes one working day. More complex installations, however, may take slightly longer.

Yes, we offer a 5 year workmanship warranty on all battery installations which is backed by IWA.

Yes, you can. You’ll need to have it uninstalled and re-installed by an approved technician. Heatable are able to assist with this.

The minimum warranty for all the batteries we install is 10 years. Some offer extended warranty cover. Details of individual product warranties can be found in the product details.

All of our batteries are fully IP rated for internal, or external installation. Your installation engineer will discuss your preferred location with you ahead of the works. If you have any specific requests, please contact the office ahead of ordering. New guidelines have recommended that batteries are not installed in main loft spaces.

At Heatable, we only install battery storage systems from the best home battery brands.

Our most popular being the all-mighty Tesla Powerwall 3 (we’re one of the UK’s largest installers of Powerwalls, and currently hold a Tesla Premium installer status).

We’re also proud installers of SigEnergy, and Alpha ESS battery storage systems.

If there's a particular battery you’d like to discuss, ask our team.

There's a few different types of battery storage systems, but one clear winner.

In terms of the actual battery technology:

Lithium-ion batteries
The most popular and widely recommended. They offer high efficiency, long lifespans, compact size, and deep usable capacity, but come with a higher upfront cost.
Lead-acid batteries
Cheaper but larger, heavier, less efficient, and have much shorter lifespans.
Other battery technologies
Such as solid-state, flow, sodium-sulfur, nickel-cadmium, and zinc-bromine exist but are not suitable for domestic use and are mainly used in commercial or grid-scale projects.

And, installation types:

DC-coupled systems
Connect directly to solar panels and are more efficient but cannot charge from the grid and are less suitable for retrofits.
AC-coupled systems
More flexible, work well with existing solar setups, allow grid charging, and don’t affect feed-in tariffs, though they cost more.