How To Reduce Your Energy Bills This Winter (2025)

Did you know that you can install battery storage without solar panels to help you reduce your energy bills in 2025? Many homeowners assume that batteries only work alongside solar PV, but that’s not the case. A standalone battery system can be installed to store cheaper electricity from the grid overnight and use it during the day when prices are higher, especially useful through the winter months when sunlight is limited.

How Battery Storage Works Without Solar

Battery storage systems connect directly to your home’s electrical system. Instead of charging from solar panels, they charge using electricity from the grid, typically at off-peak rates. When electricity prices rise during the day, your home automatically draws power from the battery instead of the grid.

This simple shift allows you to take advantage of time-of-use tariffs, cutting your energy costs without changing your lifestyle.

Using the Octopus Energy Flux Tariff

The Octopus Energy Intelligent Flux tariff rewards smart energy use with variable rates depending on the time of day:

Night rate (cheap charging): around 11p/kWh

Day rate (normal usage): around 36p/kWh

With a battery, you can charge during the cheap 11p window overnight and use that energy during the 36p daytime period, saving 25p per kWh.

Example Case Study: 10 kWh Battery System

Let’s look at a real-world example.

Battery size: 10 kWh

System cost: £5,000 installed

Tariff: Octopus Energy Intelligent Flux (11p/kWh night, 36p/kWh day)

Daily cycle: 1 full charge and discharge per day

Daily saving:

10 kWh × (36p - 11p) = £2.50 saved per day

Annual saving:

£2.50 × 365 = ~£912 saved per year

At that rate, the system would pay for itself in just over 5 years and continue saving for many more after that.

Plus, if you decide to get solar installed in the future, the same battery can integrate seamlessly into your new solar system.

Added Benefits: Backup Power During Outages

For extra peace of mind, many battery systems can be paired with a gateway, a device that keeps your home powered during a grid outage by automatically switching to battery supply.

At Eco Mirage, we often recommend the Sigenergy Gateway (https://www.sigenergy.com/en/products/gateway), which integrates seamlessly with Sigenergy systems to maintain power continuity and protect sensitive electronics during power cuts.

Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Install

Winter is often when homeowners feel the pinch of higher energy usage, with longer nights, more heating, and less sunlight for solar generation. Installing battery storage now means you can immediately:

Store cheaper off-peak energy overnight

Use that stored energy during expensive daytime hours

Protect your home against power cuts

Future-proof your setup for solar panels later

Final Thoughts

Battery storage isn’t just for solar homes, it’s for anyone who wants to save money and gain energy independence.

At Eco Mirage, we’re qualified to install a wide range of standalone and hybrid battery systems, designed around your usage patterns and local tariff. If you want to start reducing your energy bills this winter, get in touch today and let your home start working smarter.