What Manchester's seasons mean for a battery
Take a 3.5 kW system on the best-placed roof in central Manchester. PVGIS gives its output month by month (PVGIS 5.3). Dividing each month by its days gives a rough daily average, set here against Ofgem's typical household use of 2,500 kWh a year, about 6.8 kWh a day (Ofgem).
| Month | kWh a day | Against typical daily use (6.8 kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3.2 | less than the home uses |
| March | 8.9 | more than the home uses |
| May | 12.6 | more than the home uses |
| June | 12.7 | more than the home uses |
| August | 10.8 | more than the home uses |
| October | 6.5 | less than the home uses |
| December | 3.4 | less than the home uses |
Through the summer the system makes more than the house uses, and much of it arrives while people are at work. That surplus is what a battery stores. From November to February the panels make less than the house uses, so almost everything is used as it is made and the battery has little to do. A battery bought only for the winter would disappoint in Manchester.
Some households also charge a battery from the grid on a cheaper overnight tariff, which gives it a job in winter. That depends on the tariff you choose, so set any such plan against your own supplier's rates.
Choosing a size
A battery larger than the evening use it can cover, or than the summer surplus that can fill it, adds cost without adding much. For a typical Manchester home with a 3 to 4 kW roof system, the summer surplus on a sunny day and the evening use are both a few kWh, which is why the worked examples on this page run from 5 to 10 kWh. The right figure depends on your own use: look at your smart-meter data, which shows how much you use after the sun goes down.
A bigger battery can also push the system over the G98 limit and into the G99 process described below. Our roof yield explorer gives your roof's monthly output to set against your bills.
What batteries cost
DESNZ publishes official statistics on what home batteries cost when fitted to existing homes. In 2025/26 the median installed prices per kWh of storage were:
| Battery size band | Median per kWh | Worked example (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| under 6 kWh | £1,300 | 5 kWh: about £6,500 |
| 6 to 11 kWh | £890 | 10 kWh: about £8,900 |
| 11 to 30 kWh | £630 | 15 kWh: about £9,450 |
Source: DESNZ battery installation statistics. The price per kWh falls as batteries get larger, so the bands are a guide, not a formula: a battery just over 11 kWh does not cost less in total than one just under. Installed batteries carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, then 5% (HMRC). Adding a battery at the same time as the panels usually saves a second visit; our cost guide shows what the panels themselves cost in the North West.
The grid connection
SP Electricity North West, the network operator for Manchester, applies the national rules for connecting small generators (ENWL). Under G98, equipment up to 16 amps per phase, 3.68 kW on a single-phase supply, can be connected by the installer and notified afterwards. A battery's inverter counts towards that limit along with the solar inverter.
If the combined capacity is higher, the installer applies under G99 before connecting (ENWL G99). Some systems avoid this by limiting how much can be exported at once. Ask any installer which route your system needs and how long they expect it to take; our guide to connecting to the grid in Manchester explains both.
Where the battery goes
A home battery is a large electrical unit that needs a safe, ventilated location away from escape routes. The British Standards Institution's PAS 63100 sets out fire-safety guidance on where batteries may be placed in homes, and an MCS installer should follow it (BSI, PAS 63100).
That matters in Manchester's housing. Many terraces have no garage and a narrow hall that is also the escape route, so the battery may need to go outside in a suitable enclosure or in a utility space. In flats, which house 28.1% of Manchester households (Census 2021), the lease and the building's fire strategy add further limits. Ask the installer to show where the battery will go and why that spot meets the guidance.
Households on lower incomes should know that battery storage is a listed measure under GMCA's Warm Homes: Local Grant, for eligible homes only: owner-occupied at EPC D to G with a qualifying route such as gross income below £36,000 (GMCA). See funding for solar in Manchester for the full rules.