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With electricity costs soaring, home batteries have never looked so attractive. Whether you want to store the excess generated by your solar panels or simply buy electricity at the cheapest possible rate to use later when power is most expensive, a home battery can help. It’s never been easier to get a home battery installed, but this rapidly expanding market can be confusing, and there are several things to consider before you buy.
I’ve spent months researching home batteries, chatting to folks who use them, and then having one installed myself, and I have tips for anyone interested in getting a home battery of their own.
Why Would You Want a Home Battery?
There are several reasons you might want to invest in a home battery, and they are not mutually exclusive:
- You want to store excess power from your solar panels.
- You want to live off-grid.
- You want to guard against power outages.
- You want to buy electricity at a cheap rate and store it for use later.
Home batteries are a win-win, potentially benefiting power companies too, because battery storage is an essential part of grid balancing and can help manage and make the most of the intermittent power generated by renewables (solar, wind, waves).
How Do Home Batteries Work?
A home battery is like a big power bank for your home. But rather than lithium-ion, they tend to be lithium iron phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4), because it is safer, more durable, and less prone to thermal runaway. In other words, less likely to overheat and burst into flames. There are a few manufacturers working with sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries, which are potentially cheaper, more environmentally friendly (they don’t require lithium), and perform better in the cold, but they are also larger and don’t last as long.
Home battery technology is often the same as you’ll find in electric vehicles. Some folks have even suggested employing EV batteries as home batteries. But there are potential issues with that, not least finding your car battery drained in the morning. EVs are also driving the technology forward toward solid-state batteries, which are smaller for the same capacity, safer as they don’t have liquid electrolytes inside, and longer lasting.
Many home batteries come in modular systems, so you can add the capacity you want, but they require an inverter to convert the DC (direct current) power stored to AC (alternating current) power you can use. Folks with solar panels, or those who plan to add them in the future, should opt for a hybrid inverter, which can also convert the power from the panels for use or storage.
Inverters have different power ratings in kilowatts (kW) that dictate how much power you can draw at any given moment. Households with modest needs may get by with a 3.6-kW inverter, but that limits your continuous draw to 3.6 kW. They usually have a peak load capability that goes higher, enabling you to pull more for a brief period. If you have high-demand appliances like an EV charger or heat pump, you will want at least 5 kW, and folks with larger demands or larger batteries will want to go higher (6 to 10 kW).
What Should I Look For?
There are several things to watch out for when buying a home battery:
- Capacity: Measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), this tells you how much total energy the battery can hold.
- Power output: Measured in kilowatts (kW), this shows how much energy the battery and inverter can deliver at any moment.
- Depth of discharge: This is how much of the battery's capacity you can safely use without damaging it.
- Efficiency: This is the percentage of the power you put into the battery that you can actually use, because some energy is always lost in the storage process.
- Warranty: This is a guarantee about the minimum performance you can expect before a battery degrades (they all degrade over time), and it’s often stated in years and charging cycles (whichever comes first). For example, EcoFlow promises at least 70 percent capacity after 15 years or 6,000 charging cycles.
How Much Home Battery Do You Need?
It can be tricky to calculate how much battery capacity you need, and it depends on your use case. If you want to guard against outages or live off-grid, you must consider how much power you use over time and also the sum of your maximum power usage at any given moment to ensure your capacity in kWh and output in kW are enough. If the output is not high enough you may not be able to run power-hungry appliances at the same time, so you’ll have to think about how you use your power.
For folks like me, simply looking to buy at a cheaper rate to use when power is more expensive, any capacity will benefit you. But if you have a cheap six-hour rate overnight, for example, then you ideally want it to last for the other 18 hours. It makes sense to get as much as you can up-front because the installation costs are high. Even adding to modular systems later often requires professional installation to avoid voiding your warranty.
Do You Need Upgrades or Permission?
The home battery will connect to your main electrical panel via a cable, and it may require some upgrades. There was no room on my fuse board when I got a home battery installed, so they had to install a second breaker box.
Some inverters may require permission from your electric distribution utility or local distribution company. Here in Scotland, the distribution network operator must approve your inverter, but you can install and then notify up to 3.6 kW, whereas larger inverters require prior approval.
Permits can take time to get, and there may be associated costs in some places, so it’s a good idea to make enquiries early. Most reputable installers will offer advice and guidance, and may even complete the process for you.
Home Battery Installation Tips
Here are a few extra tips on what to consider before your installation.
- Shop around for installers with the right certification (MCS in the UK), read reviews, and get at least three quotes to compare.
- Scope out a good spot for your battery and double-check the dimensions.
- Remember that the installers will need to run cable from the electrical panel to the battery; this could be disruptive and may involve drilling and pulling up floors. My installation required one site visit beforehand for planning and was then completed in a day.
- While many home batteries are weatherproof, it is often better to tuck it away in your garage or basement. That's not just for aesthetic reasons. Batteries don’t operate as efficiently in cold temperatures. Some home batteries have built-in heating for this reason, but that will use power.
Many home batteries come with a tablet-style display, sometimes as an optional extra. It’s easier and potentially cheaper to just use an app on your phone.
How Much Does It Cost?
A good chunk of the cost is tied to the professional installation of these systems. If that puts you off (or if you rent your home), there are alternatives to consider, such as plug-in balcony solar panels and portable power stations. But these DIY systems can only generate, store, and use a limited amount of power, and the current rules vary across states and countries. A fixed home battery is likely to be more capable.
There are several factors involved in working out how much your system will cost and what your return on investment (ROI) might be. My EcoFlow PowerOcean system with a 6-kW hybrid inverter and 10-kWh battery would cost you £6,500 (additional 5-kWh batteries are between £1,000 and £1,500). A typical 10 kWh to 15 kWh system fully installed in the US is likely to cost between $8,000 and $15,000, depending on electrical work.
It’s worth checking if there are any incentives still available. There could be local tax credits, government grants or loans, or regional utility rebates. Installers will generally be able to tell you about any schemes that might reduce the cost. You may also get a better deal by combining your home battery installation with solar panels or a heat p
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After nearly four months of war, does your wallet feel lighter?
Since the war started, Americans have spent an additional $33 billion on gasoline, according to a Brown University estimate. Increased gas prices have resulted in higher monthly expenses for individuals — anywhere from less than $20 to more than $300 for a driver who fills up twice a month, according to an NBC News analysis of AAA’s average national gas price data.
Just how much has the spike in gas prices bitten into your budget? Use our calculator to estimate your additional expenses at the pump since the start of the war in Iran. The calculator updates with the latest data daily.
The cost model used in the calculator takes a sample of the average daily gas price in the U.S. since the start of the war, simulating how gas prices vary depending on which day you fuel up. The results you get will fall in a range of average costs and change slightly as you use the tool.
Since Feb. 28, when the U.S. first struck Iran, average gas prices nationally have risen 34%. A recent peace deal announcement and subsequent memorandum of understanding have indicated the war could finally be close to the finish line.
Gas prices hit the 10th-highest weekly rate in the past 10 years the week of May 11, at an average of $4.63 per gallon nationally, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The average gas price last topped $4 in 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Faced with higher prices, some Americans are driving less, or at least filling up less often. An analysis by the location analytics company Placer.ai found gas station visits across the U.S. were down 5% in May compared with May 2025.
Consumers’ spending habits are also changing; April data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found consumers expect to spend more on transportation and utilities over the next 12 months and less on vacations, homes and electronics.
At the state level, an NBC News analysis finds Wyoming residents are feeling the greatest strains since the start of the war, with gas prices up more than 50% since February, averaging $4.70 per gallon Wednesday.
Utah and Wisconsin, in addition to Wyoming, have experienced the highest rates of change, with prices up at least 50% from four months ago. Indiana’s gas prices have remained the most resilient, up only 57 cents since February.
To alleviate pain at the pump, some states have paused their gas taxes or postponed increases. Members of the Trump administration discussed pausing the federal gas tax, but they have yet to act on the initiative.
Methodology
This is how the NBC News gas cost calculator estimates the added costs:
- The calculator inputs the number of gallons in a refueling and the number of fill-ups per month, as provided by the reader, as well as average per-day national gas costs from Feb. 28 to today.
- Based on the number of fill-ups, particular days’ per-gallon prices are sampled, reflecting how often a person may be going to the pump (every 10 days, 15 days, 30 days, etc.).
- The extra costs are calculated by subtracting the Feb. 28 per-gallon price from the average of the sampled prices. The result is then multiplied by the number of fill-ups and multiplied again by the number of gallons in the gas tank.
Data is sourced from AAA’s daily posted national gas price averages and dates to Feb. 28. It updates with new daily numbers each morning.
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Here's how much the Iran war cost — and how its effects will linger
As conflicts go, the Iran war, should a loose framework and ceasefire deal hold, was relatively short in duration. But its costs and aftereffects will likely linger for years.
The months-long conflict, which pitted the world's most powerful military against a far weaker, yet strategically adept, adversary cost the lives of 13 U.S. service members and more than 3,300 Iranians, according to state media. Another 3,826 have been killed in Lebanon, nearly 60 in Israel and dozens across Gulf states, according to authorities in those countries.
It also led to higher oil prices and spiked inflation and mortgage rates in the U.S. -- and made the job of incoming Federal Reserve chief Kevin Warsh more complicated. And it roiled global energy markets, paralyzed a key waterway, led to fuel rationing in countries in Asia and Africa, disrupted supply chains of everything from semiconductors to fertilizers, while hitting the economies of key Middle East nations particularly hard.
While the framework provided little in-depth detail, here are some of the key areas where the war's costs are already clear:
Domestic costs
Moody's Analytics estimates the war has cost U.S. consumers and taxpayers about $132 billion so far, and the meter is still running.
The most visible piece of that cost is higher energy prices, resulting from the near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. Gasoline prices, which averaged just under $3 a gallon when the war began, soared as high as $4.56 a gallon after that vital artery for crude oil was cut off, according to AAA.
U.S. motorists use between 360 million to 380 million gallons of gasoline every day, according to the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the Energy Department. So at the peak, Americans were paying more than half a billion dollars a day in higher prices at the pump. While gas prices have cooled in recent weeks, the wartime surcharge is still adding more than $360 million a day in higher gasoline costs.
Similarly, diesel fuel prices jumped from $3.76 a gallon on the eve of the war to a peak of $5.69 in early April, according to AAA. That raises transportation costs for everything that travels by truck or train. The price of airline tickets has also jumped nearly 27% in the last year, largely as a result of higher jet fuel prices.
(Not everyone is a loser when energy prices soar. Oil companies have profited from the higher prices.)
Other commodities that usually travel through the Strait of Hormuz have also seen dramatic price increases. A survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation in April found that fertilizer prices had climbed up to 47%, and about 70% of U.S. farmers said they were unable to afford all the fertilizer they need. That may or may not affect the price that consumers ultimately pay for food, since farmers are often unable to pass along their input costs. But it will certainly add to persistent challenges in the agricultural economy.
The war has also contributed to a jump in mortgage rates, making it more expensive to buy a home. Home sales have been in a slump for the last several years, but forecasters had been hoping for a modest rebound when mortgage rates briefly dipped below 6% earlier this year, just before the war began. Wartime uncertainty is not the only factor pushing mortgage rates higher, but it's a significant cause. By last week, the average interest rate on a 30-year home loan had risen to 6.52%, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. For someone buying a $400,000 home with a 20% down payment, the higher interest rate will raise the mortgage payment by about $110 every month. And higher costs will also keep some would-be buyers out of the market.
Global costs
The Iran war has delivered a tumultuous blow globally. This month the World Bank cut its 2026 global economic growth forecast to 2.5%, the lowest since the coronavirus pandemic.
Slowing economic growth and rising inflation have hit Europe, while shortages of fertilizer and cooking gas have caused problems in India and elsewhere. But Middle Eastern countries particularly bore the brunt of the bank's growth cuts. The World Bank estimates the Gulf economies' gross domestic product to expand just 1.3% this year, down from 4.5% in 2025.
The bank did not offer a new forecast for Iran, citing "exceptionally high uncertainty." In a sign of the scale of war damage in Iran, the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran includes a plan for $300 billion toward Iran's reconstruction and development after the war, according to the deal as read to reporters Wednesday by the Trump administration.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April also slashed its global forecast. It said Qatar saw its steepest revision, by almost 16 percentage points down from October. Iranian attacks heavily targeted Qatar, especially its energy hub, Ras Laffan Industrial City, knocking off the country's liquefied natural gas export capacity and billions in lost revenue.
Iran's blockade on the Strait of Hormuz choked oil and gas exports, forcing Middle East producers to lower crude oil production by more than 11 million barrels a day in May compared to pre-conflict levels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Saudi Arabia was able to reroute much of its oil exports via its East-West pipeline. As the war drove up oil prices, Saudi oil company Aramco's profits surged, reporting a 26% increase in earnings in the first three months of 2026 compared to the previous year.
The war also pummeled the region's aviation sector, with flights out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a global hub for air travel, reduced by two-thirds and those out of Doha, Qatar, by three-quarters, according to the IMF. It devastated the lucrative tourism industry, with conferences postponed and hotels emptied.
A United Nations assessment said a shift in perception about the safety of Gulf states, which have for years billed themselves as safe and luxurious destinations for investors, could endure for years after the Iran war.
The war and disruptions to supply chains have also contributed to global poverty and hunger, according to U.N. agencies.
Military costs
The latest tally on the Iran war is $29 billion for operational costs, according to Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst, who cited that figure during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on May 12. That estimate was $4 billion higher than the administration's figure in April. Hurst told the committee that the increased number was for repair and replacement costs of equipment.
He conceded that the Pentagon is not factoring in the cost to repair its bases in the Middle East, including those in Kuwait and Bahrain, which were attacked by Iranian drones and missiles. More than a dozen military facilities were attacked in the region with damage to aircraft, radars and buildings, according to U.S. officials not authorized to speak publicly. Thirteen U.S. servicemen were killed in those attacks. Pentagon officials could not come up with an estimate on those repairs, partly because there are uncertainties about what future U.S. military presence in the region will look like.
The Trump administration is expected to ask lawmakers for a supplemental appropriation to cover the war costs.
Politics
Lawmakers question Pete Hegseth about rising cost of U.S. war against Iran
Lawmakers question Pete Hegseth about rising cost of U.S. war against Iran
Political costs
The political cost of the U.S. and Israel-led war in Iran has been tangible, at least in terms of polling. As of Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran, President Trump's net approval rating stood at -15 percentage points, according to The New York Times polling aggregate, meaning his disapproval (56%) was 15 points higher than his approval (41%) rating. That gap had already been slowly growing throughout his second term, and it only widened after the war started. By the end of
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