Combining solar and storage can cut energy bills by two thirds

A groundbreaking study has shown that installing solar panels and a battery in a UK home can cut bills by almost two thirds.

Analysis of smart meter data by the Centre for Net Zero tracked consumption in properties which were given free solar panels and a battery.

It is the first time researchers have used energy bill data to test what happens when a large number of ordinary homes get solar panels combined with a storage battery.

The two-year study by the London-based Centre for Net Zero found homes with solar panels plus a battery drew 77 per cent less net energy from the grid, reducing the need to for fossil fuel generation and new grid infrastructure.