Ministers May Drop Battery Requirement From New Homes

Ministers look set to allow new-build homes in England to go ahead without batteries, a move critics call a retreat after pressure from the housebuilding industry. The government’s future homes standard — due to be published early next year — will still push for solar panels, better insulation and widespread use of heat pumps, but is unlikely to force the fitting of home battery storage. Energy experts warn that omitting batteries will weaken the long-term savings and grid benefits of greener homes. Batteries help households use more of the power they generate, reducing bills and the need to buy energy from elsewhere, say analysts. Estimates put the upfront cost of a battery at roughly £2,000–£5,000 per home, yet research suggests a package of a heat pump, solar panels and a battery could save an average three-bedroom semi about £1,350 a year. There’s also a system-level argument. If millions of new homes were built with batteries and smart controls, they could act as a large, flexible store for the grid, smoothing out intermittent wind and solar output. Building the 1.5 million homes Labour has pledged without that storage would mean foregoing that potential resource, experts say. Housebuilders have lobbied against mandatory batteries, citing the extra cost at the point of construction. The industry body favours alternatives such as diverting surplus solar energy into hot water or fitments like “switch valves” — measures that capture energy in different ways but do not store electricity or help balance the grid. Builders point to progress already made: new homes emit around a third of the carbon of equivalent older properties and cut running costs for residents. But critics say developers have a history of resisting stronger energy-performance rules, and that adding batteries during construction is cheaper and less disruptive than retrofitting them later. Ministers are also expected to publish a “warm homes plan” alongside the future homes standard, outlining how to tackle poorly insulated housing. Campaigners argue the government must be clearer on how it plans to move away from gas heating and to give confidence to the renewables sector. A ministry spokesperson said the future homes standard will be published early next year and aims to make new homes warmer and more affordable while helping meet the UK’s net-zero goal by 2050. The debate now comes down to whether short-term building costs should trump longer-term household savings and grid resilience. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article