We took the initiative to launch the Battery Storage pilot program to reduce overall peak electric usage and shift some of that demand to lower usage times. This has the potential to save customers money. The battery will also serve as a backup power source in the event of a power outage.

The battery is programmed by Liberty to charge at off-peak times when rates are low, and it will provide energy for your home during the times of highest demand, when rates are high.

When Liberty is experiencing what we believe is our highest demand for electricity for the month, we will activate the installed batteries that have excess power available, and send that excess to the electric grid. Customers will be compensated for the energy sent to the grid at Net Metering rates.

There are many factors that determine if you will save money. Your usage will play a big role as well as the time that you use the majority of your power.

A significant charge that all of our customers pay is for Transmission. This is the cost to move the electricity we buy, across very high voltage transmission powerlines to our service area. Transmission cost is passed directly on to our customers. Liberty is charged for transmission based on our highest peak usage. If we are able to shift some of that peak usage to lower demand times, we will be charged less for transmission. This will be a direct savings to all customers.

The cost to participate in the program is set at $25 per battery, per month, or $50 total, for ten years. Customers will have the option to pay $4,866 upfront, rather than pay over a period of ten years. Each customer will be required to use two batteries. The installation, service and maintenance will be provided at no additional cost to customers.

Phase One will be limited to 200 batteries (100 customers). Once Phase One is proven successful, the pilot will move to Phase Two, where Liberty will install up to an additional 300 batteries (150 customers).

There are four main eligibility requirements:

• You must be the owner of the property or have permission from the owner to sign up
• You must have reliable cellular service and Wi-Fi at your location
• You must be a Liberty Utilities electric customer in New Hampshire
• Your account must be in good standing with no disconnect notices in the last 12 months

Yes!  In the event of a power outage, the battery will turn on automatically and provide backup power for 8-12 hours (depending on charging level and the amount of devices drawing on it).

No. When we take control of your battery, we will always leave a minimum of 20%. This will ensure customers have at least some energy to draw from in the event there is a power outage.

The batteries will power your home if the solar is not generating enough power between the hours of 3p – 8pm.

Not at this time. The program is designed to allow our customers to receive a battery owned by Liberty with a contribution to the cost.

However, once a “Bring-Your-Own-Device” program is defined by a working group and approved by the PUC, customers will also have the option to work with an approved provider for more information about a home storage battery system.

The agreement would allow the opportunity for third party battery vendors to participate in the pilot program through a competitive bid process. They would provide an additional 2.5 megawatts of battery capacity, which is equivalent to approximately 500 batteries, to customers who wish use a third party to purchase their battery storage system.

Yes. Participating customers are moved to Time-of-Use rates (TOU).

Time-of-Use rates (TOU) is a rate category where customers pay a different rate based on what time of day they are consuming electricity. Rates will be highest during times of the day when usage is highest (typically when a lot of customers are using energy at the same time) and lowest during the times of the day when very little consumption is going on, such as in the middle of the night. There are three components to this rate; Off-Peak, On-Peak and Critical-Peak. The cost per kWh will vary based on what season it is, and what time you are using electricity. 

For a printable PDF file explaining Time of Use rates, click Time of Use Rates

During off peak hours, the Tesla Powerwall will be charged at a very low rate. Then, during peak electricity consumption hours when rates are high, the power stored in your battery will be used to supply your household. This will take some demand off of our electrical grid, and may also allow you to energize your home at a lower cost.

If Liberty switches your power supply to draw from your battery during peak hours and you use more energy then what you have stored, the energy you use will be charged at Critical Peak Rates. 

At this time, we are not accepting new applications.