英国能源研究机构Regen呼吁政府推进插入式家庭电池系统的合法化[1]。这一呼声源于政府已宣布将在2026年3月前推出插入式太阳能面板，但未同步公布相应的电池政策[1]。插入式电池可直接插入标准插座使用，无需专业安装，安装成本为零[1]，相比之下传统固定式电池系统的安装成本通常为1000-1500英镑[1]。
插入式电池系统能覆盖英国约1200-1400万户传统固定式系统难以服务的家庭，包括约900万租赁住户和600万公寓住户[1]。这些家庭通过使用插入式电池可获得显著的电费节省，其中低能耗家庭10年可节省约900英镑，中能耗家庭约1500英镑，高能耗家庭约2400英镑[1]。若配合分时电价关税使用，插入式电池约2.5年即可收回成本[1]。
实现这一政策需要监管层面的调整。现行英国电气规范BS 7671不允许电池向家庭电路反向放电，需要更新以支持800瓦限制下的插入式设备[1]。德国已在这一领域积累了先发经验，自2013年起就有插入式太阳能系统可用，现已超过100万套[1]。按快速普及情景估算，到2030年英国插入式电池可达到近1吉瓦放电容量和超过4吉瓦时储能容量[1]。
Britain's energy research organization Regen is urging the government to legalize plug-in home battery systems to complement the announced rollout of plug-in solar panels [1]. The government has committed to launching plug-in solar panels by March 2026, yet has not simultaneously introduced regulations for plug-in batteries [1]. These portable battery units plug directly into standard household sockets without requiring professional installation, making them accessible to approximately 12 to 14 million households currently unable to use traditional fixed battery systems [1].
The financial case for plug-in batteries is substantial. Installation costs are zero, compared to 1,000 to 1,500 pounds for conventional fixed systems [1]. Over a ten-year period, households could save between 900 pounds for low-energy consumers, 1,500 pounds for moderate users, and up to 2,400 pounds for high-energy households [1]. When paired with time-of-use tariffs, plug-in batteries can recoup their costs in approximately 2.5 years [1]. The target market includes approximately 9 million rental households and 6 million apartment residents in Britain who cannot install traditional battery systems [1].
To enable this technology, current British electrical regulations must be updated. The existing BS 7671 standard prohibits batteries from discharging back into household circuits, requiring modification to permit plug-in devices operating under an 800-watt limit [1]. Germany has already demonstrated the viability of this approach, offering plug-in solar systems since 2013 with over 1 million units now installed [1]. By 2030, rapid adoption of plug-in batteries in Britain could deliver nearly 1 gigawatt of discharge capacity and over 4 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity [1].