UK Home Battery Installs Nearly Double in 2026

UK home battery installations are on course to break their annual record before the end of 2026. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) says 36,000 batteries were certified between January and June 2026, almost matching the 40,000 installed in the whole of 2025 and almost double the same half-year a year earlier. Here is what the figures say, why batteries are growing faster than solar itself, and what it means if you are thinking of adding one.

What the MCS figures show

Batteries grew fastest. MCS reports 36,000 certified battery installations in the first half of 2026, against last year's full-year record of 40,000. Of all the technologies it tracks, battery storage had the biggest growth compared with 2025.

Nearly all go with solar. 92% of battery installations so far this year went onto properties with solar panels. Very few households are buying a battery on its own, which fits with how most people size one: see our guide on what size home battery you need.

Solar is still setting records too. MCS counted 148,531 certified rooftop solar installations from January to June 2026 and says the scheme total to date is over 2 million. Its figures put one certified installation of any kind at roughly every 74 seconds in the first half of the year. We cover the solar side in our report on the record year for UK solar installations.

Heat pumps moved the other way. MCS puts heat pump installations 17% lower than the same period in 2025, at just over 25,000, with about three quarters funded through schemes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Why batteries are growing faster than solar

MCS does not publish reasons for the jump, so the following is our reading rather than a finding. Three things line up for a household that already has panels:

• Bills. With an energy price cap that has been rising, storing a daytime surplus to use in the evening is worth more than exporting it. Our guide to the UK energy price cap explains how the cap moves.
• Time-of-use tariffs. A battery can also charge on cheap overnight rates, which we cover in home battery on a flat-rate tariff.
• The VAT clock. Batteries installed with solar are currently zero-rated for VAT, and that relief is due to end on 31 March 2027, after which the rate is 5%. Whether that has pulled forward demand is a fair question, but the MCS data cannot tell us.

What it means if you are considering a battery

A rush is not a reason to buy. A record number of installations does not mean a battery pays back for every home. The answer depends on how much of your solar you already use, your tariff and the price you are quoted. Work through what a home battery costs in the UK and the best home batteries for 2026 before you sign anything.

Check the installer is certified. The MCS count only covers certified installs, and certification is what lets you claim export payments through the Smart Export Guarantee. Ask for the certificate once the job is done.

Mind the VAT date. If you are planning to add a battery, the tax point rules decide which VAT rate applies, not the date you sign. Our explainer on the VAT rise to 5% in April 2027 sets out how timing works.

Capacity matters more than headline numbers. Demand this strong can stretch installer lead times, so get several quotes and compare like for like rather than accepting the first available slot.