National Grid BackupBattery+
Limited offer for eligible customers in Fall River, Massachusetts
Qualifying customers in Fall River, MA can receive a battery storage system at no-cost through our new BackupBattery+ pilot program. Participation in this program provides seamless backup power during outages while helping keep the local grid reliable during times of peak electricity demand. We are partnering with Haven Energy to bring this program to Fall River.
Benefits of participating
Reliable backup power
Keep your home powered for at least 4 hours during outages
No upfront costs
Receive installation and maintenance of a battery storage system at no cost
$150 per year for 5 years
Receive $150 per year for the first 5 years you participate in the program, for a total of $750
Support local grid resilience
Reduce grid strain during peak demand and support local grid reliability
How to get started
1
Confirm program eligibility
Complete a brief form and our partners at Haven will confirm your eligibility.
2
Receive a custom proposal
Once eligibility is confirmed, you will receive a proposal for your recommended battery system. If you approve of the proposal, Haven will conduct a site visit to finalize your system’s design and send your project agreement.
3
Approve plan & schedule installation
Once the agreement is signed, Haven will handle the rest – permitting, installation, and ongoing maintenance. Most systems are installed and operational within 10 to 16 weeks of signing, depending on how quickly required approvals and sign-offs are completed.
How it works
Once your battery system is installed, Haven will be your go-to for ongoing support and system maintenance.
During times of high electricity demand (“peak demand events”), your battery will automatically join others to help ensure reliable power in the community. No action required from you.
You won't see an impact on your electric bill. Haven works with National Grid to offset costs associated with charging for peak demand events.
Eligibility and income requirements
- Must be a National Grid electric customer
- Must be on a National Grid discount rate or meet income requirements
Must be served by the power substation on Bates St
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You may be eligible if you are on a National Grid discount rate or if your pre-tax income and household size meet the guidelines in the chart below based on annual household income.
| # of household members | Annual Household Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | <= $53,585 |
| 2 | <= $70,073 |
| 3 | <= $86,561 |
| 4 | <= $103,049 |
| 5 | <= $119,536 |
| 6 | <= $136,024 |
| 7 | <= $139,116 |
| 8 | <= $142,207 |
Frequently asked questions
BackupBattery+ is a grid services program run in partnership with Haven Energy to bring no-cost home batteries to qualified customers in Fall River, MA. This program will help keep the local grid reliable during times of peak electricity demand. The program supports the power substation on Bates Street.
In order to qualify for the program, you must be a National Grid electric customer, live within the eligible area, and be on our discount rate or meet the income requirements.
Homes with solar panels cannot participate in the program because participation would require forfeiting credits earned for exporting excess solar energy to the grid.
When you participate in the BackupBattery+ program, your battery will join others to help stabilize the grid during times of high demand. These events typically last a few hours and happen seamlessly in the background. You’ll be reimbursed for any energy discharged during these events on your electric bill. Events typically last between 2 to 3 hours.
Our partners at Haven manage this automatically for you. You don't need to do anything.
In the event of a power outage, your battery will automatically switch to backup mode and start powering your home. There's no manual switch, no generator to start, no fuel to buy. Depending on your usage, a fully charged battery can keep your essentials running for hours – lights, phones, refrigerator.
Your battery always maintains a minimum 4 hours reserve for your home's use. During periods of severe weather, when outage risk is highest, that reserve increases to 100% – meaning your full battery capacity is protected for you. And if an outage does occur, your battery will not dispatch to the grid. Your stored energy stays home.
We make sure that your energy costs are not negatively impacted. You will be reimbursed for any energy that is exported by your battery system to the grid during demand response events, which you will see as payments to your National Grid account.
Once we've confirmed your eligibility and you've signed your Haven agreement, we'll get started on your project. This is a timeline of next steps:
- A licensed local surveyor visits to assess battery placement and electrical compatibility at your home. Then, Haven will submit the information to National Grid to verify your electrical setup meets the program.
- We handle permitting and paperwork – at no extra cost to you.
- Installation typically takes one day (4-6 hours).
- After inspection and utility approval, your system goes live.
The timeline from signing to getting your system up and running typically takes 10-16 weeks, and depends on how quickly the necessary approvals and sign-offs are completed.
The battery and any future participation payments would remain tied to the house. The new homeowner would receive the same system benefits and participation payments moving forward. For example, if you had the system for three years and had already received three of the five annual Participation Payments, then the new homeowner would receive two more Participation Payments assuming they moved in immediately.