Imagine this: the lights flicker, your Wi-Fi drops, and the whole street goes dark.
You’ve got solar panels and a shiny new home battery sitting quietly in the garage — but does that mean your home will stay powered when everyone else is scrambling for candles?
It’s one of the most common questions we get from homeowners around Basingstoke, Hook, Tadley, and Alton, and it’s a really important one to understand.
The answer depends on how your system is set up — so let’s walk through what actually happens during a power cut, and how you can make sure your battery helps when you need it most.
First, a quick reality check
By default, most standard solar and battery systems automatically shut down during a power cut.
That might sound surprising — but it’s for a very good reason: safety.
When there’s a power outage, the grid engineers working to fix the fault need the lines to be completely dead. If your solar system kept exporting electricity, it could send power back into the grid and put workers at serious risk.
So, unless your system is designed for backup power, it will temporarily turn off during a power cut — both the panels and the battery.
When the grid comes back on, everything automatically restarts.
But there is another option…
If you want your battery to keep powering your home during an outage, you’ll need a system with backup capability — sometimes called islanding or off-grid mode.
These systems include extra safety features and control gear that isolate your home from the grid when a power cut occurs.
That means your solar panels and battery can continue working independently, supplying electricity to your key circuits until the mains returns.
In simple terms, your home becomes its own little power station — safe, self-contained, and still running.
What does that look like in real life?
Here’s how it typically works for our customers across Basingstoke and Hampshire:
- The grid goes down.
- Your backup system detects the loss of power in less than a second.
- It safely disconnects your home from the grid (so no power leaks back).
- Your battery instantly takes over, keeping essential circuits live — things like lighting, fridge, Wi-Fi, and sockets in key rooms.
You probably won’t even notice the switch — other than a quick blink from the lights.
Once the grid is stable again, your system automatically reconnects, and your battery recharges as normal.
How long can a battery keep your power on?
That depends on your battery size and what you’re running.
A smaller 5kWh battery might keep the essentials going for 3–5 hours.
A larger 10–15kWh system could keep key appliances powered all night — especially if paired with solar panels that recharge it during the day.
The goal isn’t usually to run your whole house as normal — just to keep the lights on and the essentials running until the mains is back.
Can I add backup capability to my current system?
In many cases, yes.
If you already have a solar and battery system installed, our engineers can check whether your inverter and battery support backup operation.
Some systems (like GivEnergy, Tesla Powerwall, or SolarEdge) can be upgraded with a backup gateway or isolation switch, so you can enjoy outage protection without replacing everything.
During your home energy survey, we’ll explain your options clearly — what’s compatible, what’s worth upgrading, and what it would cost.
Is it worth it?
That depends on how often your area experiences outages and how much peace of mind you want.
Here in Basingstoke, we’re lucky that power cuts are rare and usually short. But for some homeowners — especially those working from home, running freezers, or relying on medical equipment — even an hour without power is a major disruption.
For them, the upgrade is well worth it. It’s not just about convenience — it’s about security, comfort, and staying in control when things go wrong.
How GU Solutions helps
At GU Solutions, we’ve been helping local families make their homes safer and more efficient for over 20 years.
We’re not here to sell you the biggest system — we’re here to design the right one.
We’ll help you decide whether backup power is worth it for your home, explain the options in plain English, and fit everything neatly, safely, and to the latest NICEIC standards.
We’ve already helped homeowners across Basingstoke, Hook, and Tadley add reliable battery backup systems — so they’re ready for whatever the weather (or the grid) brings.
Ready to stay powered — even in a power cut?
Book a free home survey with GU Solutions today and find out how a backup-ready battery system could protect your home and lower your energy bills.
Call 01256 473326 or send us a message — and let’s make sure the next time the lights go out in Basingstoke, yours stay on.
