You have had (or you are about to have) a shiny new battery fitted to the wall of your garage. It quietly saves you money every night by storing cheap off-peak power. So do you actually need to ring your home insurer about it — or is that just admin nobody really bothers with?
Here is the honest answer: yes, you should tell them, and it is one of those five-minute jobs that feels pointless right up until the day it isn’t. The good news is that for most people it costs nothing and, once it is done, you can forget about it. Here is everything you need to know.
Do you actually need to tell your insurer?
Yes. Think of your home insurance as a deal built on a snapshot of your home at the moment you took the policy out. When you change that snapshot in a meaningful way — an extension, a new roof, a big electrical system on the wall — the insurer wants an updated photo. In insurance-speak that is called a “material change”, and a home battery counts as one.
You do not need to read the small print like a lawyer. Almost every UK home insurance policy has a condition tucked away in it saying you must tell them about changes to your property or its risk. A battery storage system — a decent chunk of powered kit wired into your home — is exactly that kind of change.
What is a “material change”, and why should you care?
A material change is anything that would affect an insurer’s decision to cover you, or the price they would charge. Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, you have a duty to take reasonable care to keep your insurer in the picture.
Here is why it matters more than it sounds. If you carelessly or deliberately fail to mention something material, the insurer can treat the policy as if it were never quite what you both agreed. In practice that can mean a claim gets scaled back — or, in the worst case, refused outright and the policy cancelled. And that can apply to any claim, not just a battery-related one. A kitchen flood or a break-in could get tangled up in it.
So the battery itself is not the scary part. The scary part is an unrelated claim falling over because of a box you never ticked. Ticking it is cheap insurance on your insurance.
Will it push your premium up?
This is the worry that stops most people picking up the phone — and it is usually unfounded. If your battery was fitted by a properly accredited installer to recognised industry standards (the kind of thing schemes like MCS exist to certify), most mainstream insurers treat it the same as any other professional electrical work. Plenty of homeowners report their premium did not change at all.
Why? Because a professionally certified, standards-compliant install is a lower risk, not a higher one. It is the dodgy, uncertified jobs that make underwriters nervous. Turning up with your certification pack is like turning up to buy a used car with a full service history — it makes the whole conversation easier.
That said, be honest with yourself: it can vary. A handful of insurers are still getting comfortable with home batteries, and a few may nudge the premium or ask extra questions about where it is sited. If yours is being awkward, that is a nudge to shop around at renewal — not a reason to stay quiet.
Buildings or contents — what actually covers the battery?
This one trips people up. Roof-mounted solar panels are usually treated as part of the building, so they slot under buildings cover fairly neatly. A battery is less clear-cut — it is often not spelled out in a standard policy, which is exactly why you need to declare it and ask the question directly.
Depending on your insurer and where the battery lives, it might sit under buildings cover, contents cover, or need a specific mention on your schedule. You do not have to figure this out yourself — that is the insurer’s job once you have told them. Your job is simply to make sure it is named somewhere and not floating in a grey area.
Don’t forget your sum insured
Here is the bit people skip. Your “sum insured” is the amount your home is covered for. If you have spent several thousand pounds adding solar and a battery, your home now costs more to rebuild and re-fit — so your sum insured needs to rise to match, or you are quietly underinsured.
The maths is simple. If your buildings rebuild cover is £300,000 and your solar-and-battery system cost £12,000, you would nudge your sum insured up to around £312,000. Adjust to your own figures — the point is just to keep your cover in step with the value now sitting on your wall.
Where the battery is installed matters
This matters more than most people realise. There is a UK standard, PAS 63100:2024, that governs where domestic batteries can safely go. Some spots are off-limits — on an escape route, in a loft, or in certain under-stair cupboards, for example. A good installer knows these rules cold and sites your battery accordingly, usually in a garage, utility room or on a suitable external wall.
Why does your insurer care? Because if the worst happens and they investigate a claim, a battery sitting in a prohibited location is a red flag — it suggests the install did not follow the rules. A compliant position, on the other hand, quietly strengthens your case. It is one more reason to use an installer who does this properly rather than the cheapest van on the internet.
The 2026 wiring rules, briefly
If you are getting a battery fitted around now, there is a fresh bit of rulebook worth a mention. Amendment 4 to BS 7671 (the UK wiring regulations) was published in April 2026, with a transition period running to 15 October 2026. After that date, every new domestic install needs to comply with it, alongside PAS 63100:2024.
You do not need to memorise any of this. You just need one thing in writing: ask your installer to confirm the design complies with BS 7671 Amendment 4 and PAS 63100:2024. That single email is gold dust if an insurer ever asks questions — and any reputable installer will hand it over without blinking.
Pro tip: Tell your insurer before the installer arrives if you can, not after. Some insurers now ask where the battery will be sited, and it is far easier to sort that at the planning stage. Keep a simple “battery folder” too — your certification, the compliance confirmation, the kit spec and the install date — so any insurer question takes thirty seconds to answer.
How to tell your insurer, step by step
It really is a quick job. Here is the whole thing, start to finish:
- Check your policy. Look at your schedule for wording about “material changes” or alterations to the property.
- Gather the details. Your installation certification, the battery’s make and capacity, where it is fitted, and the total system cost.
- Call or email your insurer. Before the install if you can, or as soon as it is done. Say the magic words below.
- Update your sum insured. Add the system’s value so your cover keeps pace with your home.
When you get through, you do not need to overthink it. Just say: “I’ve had a home battery storage system installed and I’d like to declare it as a material change to my policy.” That one sentence puts you exactly where you need to be.
Here is what is handy to have in front of you before you call:
| Have this ready | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Your installation certification | Proves the system was fitted professionally to standard |
| Make, model and capacity (kWh) | The insurer’s first questions about the kit |
| Where it is installed | Some insurers ask about the location specifically |
| Total system cost | So you can set your sum insured to the right figure |
| BS 7671 / PAS 63100 confirmation | Answers any compliance question in one line |
The bottom line
Telling your home insurer about a battery is a small job with a big payoff: it keeps every claim you might ever make watertight, it usually costs nothing, and it takes about fifteen minutes. The only real mistake is staying quiet and hoping it never comes up.
And most of the reassurance comes down to who fits it. A fully accredited, standards-compliant install — sited correctly, with all the paperwork handed to you — means the insurance conversation is short and boring, which is exactly how you want it. As an NICEIC-approved installer, that is the paperwork we give every customer as standard on our battery storage installs.
Thinking about home battery storage, or want an installer who hands you everything your insurer could ask for? Book a free, no-obligation survey and we will design, site and certify your system properly.
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