Home battery storage has moved from luxury to serious consideration. With electricity prices elevated and Octopus Agile offering sub-5p overnight windows, the ability to store cheap grid electricity and your own solar generation is genuinely valuable.
The market splits into two categories: plug-in batteries (designed for plug-in solar kits, no electrician required) and whole-home batteries (integrated with hybrid inverters, requiring installation).
Best plug-in batteries
1. Anker SOLIX Solarbank 2 Pro — Best Plug-in Battery
Price: £599–£699 · Capacity: 1.6kWh LFP · Best for: plug-in solar owners who are out during the day
Sits in-line between your panels and socket. Stores midday solar, discharges in the evening. No electrician needed. The most practical plug-in battery on the market.
2. Zendure SolarFlow Hub 2000 — Most Expandable
Price: £699–£899 · Capacity: 1.92–7.68kWh · Best for: technically confident buyers who want to scale
Modular — accepts up to four battery packs. AC grid charging for Agile arbitrage. Home Assistant compatible via local MQTT. The ambitious choice.
Best whole-home batteries
3. Pylontech US5000 — Best DIY Home Battery
Price: £900–£1,100 · Capacity: 4.8kWh LFP · Best for: serious DIY solar builders with hybrid inverters
6,000 cycle life, CAN bus integration with Sunsynk/Growatt/SolaX, proven across thousands of UK installs. The default recommendation for anyone building a proper home solar system.
| Battery | Price | Capacity | Needs electrician? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solarbank 2 Pro | £599 | 1.6kWh | No | Plug-in solar owners |
| SolarFlow Hub | £699 | 1.9–7.7kWh | No | Expandable plug-in storage |
| Pylontech US5000 | £900 | 4.8kWh | Yes (hybrid inverter) | Serious DIY builds |
The bottom line
Plug-in solar owners should start with the Anker Solarbank. If you want more capacity or Home Assistant integration, upgrade to the Zendure SolarFlow. If you're building a full hybrid system, the Pylontech US5000 is the default. Don't buy more capacity than you can reliably cycle daily — battery lifespan is measured in cycles, not years.
