Distribution Use of System (DUoS) charges are banded by time of day, and the red band, weekday late afternoon into early evening, is far more expensive per kilowatt-hour than green or amber. A battery charges in the cheap bands and discharges across the red band and your demand spikes, so your metered import stays flat while operations continue as normal.
How peak shaving and red-band duos avoidance saves a business money
We model the red-band half-hours and the capacity-chargeable window against twelve months of your half-hourly data, then size power (kW) to the peak you need to clip and energy (kWh) to how long it lasts, most sites land at 1.5-2.5 hours of duration. Charging happens overnight on a cheap tariff or from surplus solar.
The value stack is deliberately built on savings you control, red-band DUoS avoidance, demand-charge reduction, and, where solar is present, lifted self-consumption instead of export at a low Smart Export Guarantee rate. Any frequency-response or Balancing Mechanism income is treated as upside, never the foundation. We model it all from your data and hand over the full spreadsheet.
What this looks like on your site
- Discharges across the weekday red DUoS band and your demand peaks, cutting both unit charges and capacity-based standing charges
- Trims Capacity Market and residual-charge exposure tied to your agreed peak
- Charges overnight on a cheap tariff or from surplus solar
- Strongest fit for spiky, predictable profiles: process plant, refrigeration, EV hubs, single-shift manufacturing
Who it suits
Strongest fit for spiky, predictable demand: process plant, refrigeration, single-shift manufacturing, and EV-charging hubs.
Typical peak shaving and red-band duos avoidance system
| Power / capacity | 100 kW / 200 kWh - 1 MW / 2 MWh |
| Project value | £110,000-£1.3m |
| Payback | 6.5 years |
| Annual CO₂ saved | varies tonnes |
| Capital allowances | 100% AIA to £1m, then 50% FYA |
Indicative. Your figure is modelled from twelve months of half-hourly meter data. See cost and payback by size.
Compliance and safety
G99 connection agreement. Half-hourly metering already in place on most qualifying sites. DSEAR/ATEX where sited near hazardous zones. Enclosure fire separation to PAS 63100:2024 principles and your insurer's requirements.
Every system is designed to PAS 63100:2024 fire-safety principles with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells, BS EN 62619 cell safety, and BS EN/IEC 62933 system safety, with your insurer engaged up front.
No obligation, no phone hard-sell
Every number is built from your half-hourly data and handed over so your finance team can pull it apart. Installation is by MCS-certified, NICEIC-registered engineers, with a 10-year insurance-backed workmanship warranty and a fixed price agreed in writing. And if a battery will not pay on your profile, we say so rather than sell you one.
Common objection we hear: battery payback is always ten years. It is not, for the right profile it is six to eight, and we prove it from your own data or walk away. See the battery storage myths we debunk, or read whether commercial battery storage is worth it.
Get a free peak shaving and red-band duos avoidance feasibility
Responds within one working day
- 1. Free desk feasibility from your meter data and roof, no obligation.
- 2. Site survey and a fixed-price proposal, itemised in writing.
- 3. Install and aftercare by MCS-certified engineers.
- MCS Certified
- NICEIC
- RECC
- TrustMark
Common questions
How much does battery storage for a business cost in the UK?
As a 2026 rule of thumb, fully installed commercial battery storage lands at roughly £400-£700 per kWh of usable capacity for behind-the-meter systems, falling toward £250-£400/kWh at multi-MWh scale. A typical 250 kW / 500 kWh peak-shaving system is around £150,000-£300,000; a 100 kW / 200 kWh resilience system around £75,000-£140,000; a 1 MW / 2 MWh system £600,000-£1.2m. Cost turns on the power-to-energy ratio, chemistry, switchgear, and any grid-connection works. Qualifying plant attracts 100% AIA on the first £1m and a 50% first-year allowance on the balance.
What payback should a business expect on battery storage?
For behind-the-meter systems doing peak shaving and solar self-consumption, simple payback in 2026 typically falls between six and eight years, faster where red-band DUoS exposure or solar surplus is high. We build the number from your half-hourly meter data and share the full spreadsheet so your finance team can stress-test it. We treat any frequency-response or Balancing Mechanism income as upside, not the foundation of the case.
What is peak shaving, and how does a battery cut DUoS charges?
DUoS (Distribution Use of System) charges vary by time-of-day band, the red band, typically weekday late-afternoon into early evening, is far more expensive per kWh than green or amber. A battery charges in cheap periods and discharges across the red band and your demand peaks, cutting both the unit charges and the capacity-based standing charges. It also reduces exposure to the Capacity Market and residual charges. The saving is largest for sites with spiky, predictable demand.
What happened to Triads, is peak avoidance still worth it?
The old Triad regime, three winter-peak half-hours that set transmission charges, has been replaced by fixed banded residual charges, so classic Triad avoidance no longer exists in its old form. The value has shifted to DUoS red-band avoidance, demand-charge reduction, capacity-market exposure, and solar self-consumption, all of which a battery captures. We model the current charging structure, not the old Triad approach.
How is a business battery maintained, and what does it cost to run?
Through a planned O&M contract: remote 24/7 monitoring with automated alerts, periodic electrical inspection, firmware updates, thermal-management checks, and cell-balancing oversight through the battery management system. Most clients sign a ten-year-plus O&M agreement aligned to the cell warranty. Software-led optimisation, choosing when to charge and discharge against tariffs and DUoS bands, is usually included so the system keeps capturing maximum value as prices move.