Home battery calculator
Home battery storage calculator for the US
Estimate home battery payback from time-of-use shifting, lower export credits, and outage backup value.
Battery payback depends on useful cycles and the price gap between stored power and grid imports.
Before
Without storage
After
With storage
Your battery payback
Change capacity, installed cost, cycles, tariff spread, and outage value.
Decision signal
Not worth it yetThe default case does not recover the upfront cost. Use this as a negotiation or wait signal.
Annual battery value
$756
Simple payback
20.2 years
10-year net
-$7,672
This does not pay back with these assumptions. Try a lower upfront cost, higher usage, or better tariff spread.
Annual value captured
higher is better| Decision number | Default | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront / net cost | $15,228 | The amount the savings must recover. |
| 5-year net | -$11,450 | Useful if you may move or replace equipment early. |
| 10-year net | -$7,672 | The long-run money signal after upfront cost. |
Annual value = usable shifted kWh x avoided price spread + backup value.
Default values are source-backed planning benchmarks, not quotes. For the most accurate result, replace them with your own bill, tariff, vendor quote, grant, and usage numbers.
Before you buy
Use the calculator as a quote filter
1. Enter your real tariff
Use your bill or supplier app, not a sales estimate.
2. Add the actual quote
Net of grants, rebates, discounts, and installation extras.
3. Share the link
Keep everyone comparing the same assumptions.
Trust layer
- -No signup wall before the answer.
- -Sources are visible at the bottom of every calculator.
- -The result warns users when the math does not pay back.
Quick answers
Common questions
Is this home battery storage calculator exact?
It is a planning estimate, not a quote. Replace the defaults with your actual quote, tariff, usage, and incentive numbers before buying.
Why does payback change so much when I move the sliders?
Big energy purchases are sensitive to usage, local energy prices, upfront cost, and incentives. A small change in those assumptions can move payback by years.
Should I use this before talking to vendors?
Yes. The calculator gives you a neutral baseline so you can compare vendor claims against source-backed math.
Sources for this page
- EnergySage home battery guide, US battery cost per kWh and Powerwall-size installed benchmark.
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, US residential electricity benchmark: 18.11 cents/kWh year-to-date through May 2026.