Home batteries and their inverters/transformers are normally fixed to your wall, need costly installation by an electrician, and can't (cheaply) be taken away with you when you move house. So, if you live in rental accommodation, it's pointless putting in batteries, even though they could reduce your electricity bill by a third or more.
A UK power utility, Octopus Energy, has launched a plug-in home battery. So, no separate transformer. No drilling. No electrician. No planning permit. A plug which you push into a socket and then the battery charges and discharges according to your programming. Octopus's batteries will charge from the national grid when electricity is cheap, and discharge into the dwelling's grid when it is expensive. According to Octopus, in the UK, it will pay for itself in 3 years, even if you don't have solar. And when you move house, you can take it with you. That's how simple it is.
Combining plug-in batteries and plug-in solar will dent your electricity bill while simultaneously reducing emissions and stabilising the grid.
It's a brilliant idea. Let's get the regulations up and running as soon as possible. Everywhere.
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