Whoever supplies your electricity, you may be able to apply for the Free Home Battery Scheme. Eligible private households can apply for a home battery installed at no cost, with up to £500 per year towards electricity bills, subject to scheme terms.
Check if your home qualifies for a free battery
Homeowners and private tenants can apply. It only takes a few minutes.
The Free Home Battery Scheme described on this website is not a British Gas scheme. Your electricity supplier is separate from the organisation providing and operating the battery programme.
British Gas free battery scheme status
- Our Free Home Battery Scheme
- Applications available
- British Gas’s own free battery scheme
- Not identifiedWe haven’t identified a current British Gas-operated free home battery programme. British Gas’s Store&Reward tariff gives bill credit alongside a battery bought on monthly payments through Sunsave — that is a purchase, not a free battery.
- Electricity supplier
- British Gas
- Last checked
British Gas and home battery storage
Checked 30 September 2026. Tariffs and products change — check with British Gas before deciding.
British Gas (part of Centrica, and trading as Scottish Gas in Scotland) now has three different routes into home batteries:
- Hive Solar Battery — sold through British Gas’s Hive smart-home brand and monitored in the Hive app. It can be added to existing solar panels.
- Sunsave home battery — a partnership launched in July 2026 offering a battery (without solar) with £0 upfront and monthly payments over ten years. The customer owns the battery from the day it’s fitted.
- Battery tariffs — described below, including two where British Gas controls the battery for you.
British Gas battery tariffs
Checked 30 September 2026. Tariffs and products change — check with British Gas before deciding.
British Gas’s home battery tariffs take different approaches:
- Charge Power — half-price electricity from midnight to 5am. You keep control of your own battery and charge it in that window. It needs an existing battery and a smart meter.
- Store&Save — one flat rate all day, fixed for 24 months, with British Gas controlling the battery. At the time of checking it was for Sunsave batteries only.
- Store&Reward — a flat rate plus a monthly bill credit for 24 months, again with British Gas controlling the battery, and without export payments.
Store&Save and Store&Reward had specific eligibility rules when we checked — including being a homeowner, having a smart meter and not already having solar, an EV charger or a heat pump. Check the current terms with British Gas. For the general idea behind these tariffs, read how tariffs affect what a battery can save.
PeakSave and exporting
Checked 30 September 2026. Tariffs and products change — check with British Gas before deciding.
PeakSave gives cheaper electricity at set times on Sundays (as an add-on, or as the fixed PeakSave Super Sunday tariff). A battery could store some of that cheaper electricity for use later in the week.
British Gas’s export tariffs pay a higher rate to its own electricity customers than to others, and its export page says electricity exported from a battery — not just solar — can be paid. Export needs a half-hourly smart meter and installation paperwork such as an MCS certificate.
Took over Rebel or Tomato Energy customers
Checked 30 September 2026. Tariffs and products change — check with British Gas before deciding.
British Gas was appointed by Ofgem as Supplier of Last Resort for Rebel Energy (April 2025) and Tomato Energy (November 2025) customers. If you were moved to British Gas that way, its tariffs above apply to you.
Does my energy supplier matter?
The scheme is open to private households, whether you own your home or rent privately (with your landlord’s approval before installation). Tell us who supplies your electricity in your application — your home’s suitability is then confirmed through the application and the home survey. Read who can apply or how the scheme works.
Free Home Battery Scheme vs buying a battery
Free Home Battery Scheme
- Battery supplied through the scheme
- £0 battery installation for eligible households
- Scheme owner keeps ownership of the battery
- Scheme owner maintains, services and insures it
- Scheme owner replaces it where required
- Scheme owner handles end-of-life disposal or recycling
- Up to £500 a year towards electricity bills, subject to scheme terms
Buying your own battery
Buying a battery generally means you pay for it (upfront or on finance) and own the equipment, subject to the supplier or installer’s terms, warranty and tariff conditions.
Through Hive, British Gas sells a solar battery that can be added to existing panels. A separate Sunsave partnership offers a battery with no upfront cost, paid monthly over ten years, which the customer owns from installation.
Neither route is right for everyone: owning a battery gives you full control over it and any tariff you pair it with, while the scheme removes the upfront cost and ongoing responsibility.
Could your home qualify for a free battery?
It only takes a few minutes to start your application.
British Gas and home batteries: FAQs
Is there a British Gas free battery scheme?
We haven’t identified one. British Gas offers battery tariffs, Hive batteries and a Sunsave battery on monthly payments — none of these is a free battery.
Is the Free Home Battery Scheme a British Gas scheme?
No. It has nothing to do with British Gas, Hive or Sunsave. The scheme owner — not British Gas — owns, maintains and insures the battery.
Can British Gas customers apply for the Free Home Battery Scheme?
Yes. Whether you’re on a standard British Gas tariff, PeakSave or a battery tariff, you can apply. If you already have a Hive or Sunsave battery, say so in your application.
Is the British Gas Sunsave battery free?
No. It has no upfront cost, but you pay monthly over ten years and own the battery. On Store&Reward, the bill credit offsets payments for the first two years only.
What is the difference between Store&Save and Charge Power?
With Charge Power you control your own battery and charge it in a half-price overnight window. With Store&Save, British Gas controls a Sunsave battery and you pay one flat rate.
Does British Gas pay for electricity exported from a battery?
Its export page says exports from a battery can be paid as well as from solar, with a higher rate for British Gas electricity customers. A half-hourly smart meter is required.
More on the scheme: batteries without solar · renting · free home battery FAQs
Complaints about British Gas
Problem with your bill, meter or customer service? See how to complain about British Gas — contact details, your rights and where to escalate.
Sources
- British Gas — home battery tariffs
- British Gas — smart tariffs
- British Gas — Smart Export Guarantee
- Hive — solar battery
- Sunsave — British Gas home battery
- Ofgem — Rebel Energy customers
Supplier information last checked 30 September 2026. We are not affiliated with British Gas.