Gerard Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Explains what the MCS certification scheme and the RECC consumer code do, and the gaps between them. General information, not legal advice. Scheme rules change; check the schemes’ own published requirements before relying on a detail. Two acronyms dominate British home energy quotes. MCS is a certification scheme for products … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Explains what an insurance-backed guarantee is, what it covers and where it fails. General information, not insurance or legal advice; the policy wording you are given governs, and it is the thing to read. An insurance-backed guarantee, usually shortened to IBG, is a policy that steps in when the company … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. How to read a domestic battery warranty document before you sign. General information, not legal advice; the terms that bind you are the ones in your own document, which is why this page is about how to read it rather than what it says. A battery warranty is a promise … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. A vetting checklist for domestic battery installers in the UK. We are not installers, we do not put readers in touch with installers, and we take no commission from any of them — see how we make money. The single most important decision in a battery purchase is not the … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Explains the constraints that decide where a domestic battery can go. Siting is ultimately determined by the manufacturer’s installation manual, the installer’s assessment and the applicable building standards — this page is general information to help you have that conversation, not a substitute for it. Buyers choose a battery and … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. A comparison of the two lithium chemistries used in British domestic storage. We describe the engineering trade-offs qualitatively; we do not publish cycle counts, energy densities or thermal thresholds as numbers, because those are product-specific and we have not verified them for any UK product. Ask an installer which chemistry … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Explains what determines a domestic battery’s working life and how to read the numbers manufacturers publish. We do not quote lifetimes for named products, because we have not tested any and manufacturer figures are measured under conditions that do not match a British utility room. “How long will it last” … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Explains the arithmetic of tariff arbitrage with a home battery. Tariff rates change constantly and we do not publish rates for named tariffs; the price cap figures quoted are Ofgem’s for 1 October to 31 December 2026. A home battery makes money in two quite different ways, and only one … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. The requirement to notify removal comes from the Government response of July 2026 that accompanied the plug-in solar rules. Process details vary between distribution network operators; the principle does not. Almost nobody does this. You told your network operator when you plugged the kit in, because the manual said to … Read more
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026. Practical maintenance guidance for a compliant plug-in kit. Nothing here involves opening equipment or working at height; if a task needs a ladder, it needs a professional or a different mounting position. A plug-in solar kit is close to maintenance-free, and the marketing is right about that. What it is … Read more