The Levelise Hub earns UK homeowners an average of £490 per year by unlocking four revenue streams that a standard battery controller cannot access: self-consumption savings, Smart Export Guarantee income, tariff arbitrage, and National Grid flexibility payments.
Key takeaways
- £490/year average — combined earnings and savings across Levelise's 5,000+ installed UK base.
- 94% of customers have exceeded their projected flexibility payments since Levelise launched in 2019.
- £2M+ paid directly to domestic UK customers since inception.
- 4 revenue streams simultaneously: self-consumption, SEG export timing, tariff arbitrage (7p buy / 32p sell), and VPP flexibility income.
- Compatible with 7 battery brands including Fox ESS, GivEnergy, Solax, Alpha ESS and BYD — included in all Alliant Energy solar packages.
- Hub 2 (2025): 80% smaller, 90% lighter, 20-minute installation — current generation device.
What is the Levelise Hub?
The Levelise Hub is a physical device installed alongside your solar battery storage system. It sits between your battery inverter and your electricity meter, giving it real-time visibility of your generation, consumption, grid import and export — and the ability to control when your battery charges and discharges.
What makes the Hub different from the standard battery management system (BMS) built into every battery is what it does with that control. A standard BMS follows simple rules: charge when solar is generating, discharge in the evening, stop at the minimum state of charge. The Levelise Hub replaces those rules with continuous optimisation across multiple markets simultaneously — reacting to wholesale electricity prices, grid frequency signals, your energy tariff, your generation forecast, and your personal consumption pattern, all at once.
Levelise was founded in 2019 and has grown to become the only UK company delivering flexibility services directly to residential customers at scale. Over 5,000 Hubs are installed across UK homes, aggregated into a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) that participates in National Grid ESO's balancing and frequency response markets. The resulting income flows back to each household proportionally.
All Alliant Energy domestic solar and battery packages include the Levelise Hub as standard.
The four revenue streams
The Hub generates value through four mechanisms that stack on top of each other. Standard batteries without the Hub typically access only the first one.
Powers your home from stored solar instead of buying grid electricity at ~25p/kWh. The Hub maximises the proportion of your own generation you actually use, targeting 80–90% self-consumption vs 40–50% without storage.
Your system exports surplus electricity under the Smart Export Guarantee. The Hub times exports to peak-price windows — on Octopus Intelligent Flux, that's up to 32.17p/kWh between 16:00–19:00 vs 4.1p on a standard tariff.
Buys cheap grid electricity overnight (7–10p/kWh on Octopus Intelligent Go) and uses or exports it when prices are highest. The spread is typically 18–25p/kWh, generating £200–£350/year on a 10kWh battery.
By participating in National Grid ESO's Demand Flexibility Service and Frequency Response markets via the Levelise VPP, your battery earns direct cash payments for balancing services — income that does not exist without the Hub.
Revenue figures are indicative annual values from Alliant Energy customers operational 36+ months on the Levelise platform (June 2026). Individual results vary based on system size, energy usage, and tariff. Levelise's platform-wide average across all installed customers is £490/year.
What does the arbitrage revenue look like in practice?
Tariff arbitrage is the revenue stream that most surprises people. Without a Hub, your battery either charges from solar during the day or sits idle overnight. The Hub introduces overnight grid charging: on a tariff like Octopus Intelligent Go, overnight electricity costs approximately 7p/kWh. The Hub fills your battery at 7p, then discharges it the following evening when grid electricity would cost you 25p — an 18p/kWh spread on every cycle.
On a 10kWh battery running one full overnight cycle per day during winter months, that arbitrage alone is worth approximately £180–£260 per year. On tariffs with higher peak rates or greater price volatility — such as Octopus Agile, where prices occasionally spike to 100p/kWh or go negative — the Hub's automated scheduling captures value that no manual approach could replicate.
| Setup | Self-consume | Export | Arbitrage | Flexibility | Total / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar only (no battery) | £600–£800 | £60–£100 | £0 | £0 | ~£700–£900 |
| Solar + battery (no Hub) | £750–£950 | £80–£150 | £0 | £0 | ~£850–£1,100 |
| Solar + battery + Levelise Hub | £800–£1,050 | £150–£300 | £200–£350 | £100–£200 | ~£1,250–£1,900 |
Estimates based on 4kWp solar, 10kWh battery, annual consumption 3,500 kWh, Lancashire household. Assumes Octopus Intelligent Go import / Intelligent Flux export. Source: Alliant Energy modelling, Levelise platform data, Ofgem Q3 2026 price cap.
Get a solar and battery package with Levelise Hub included
All Alliant Energy packages include the Levelise Hub 2 as standard — fixed prices from £5,999
What is the Levelise Virtual Power Plant (VPP)?
A Virtual Power Plant aggregates many small batteries into a single controllable resource that can respond to the grid's needs. Levelise connects its 5,000+ installed Hubs across the UK into one VPP, which participates in National Grid ESO's markets including the Balancing Mechanism, Demand Flexibility Service, and Frequency Response auctions.
For the National Grid, this is valuable: instead of firing up a gas peaker plant to handle a 30-minute demand spike, the Grid can call on thousands of home batteries to discharge simultaneously — smoothing grid frequency and avoiding expensive, carbon-intensive generation. The Grid pays for this service through market mechanisms, and Levelise passes that income directly to each household.
Critically, this income is additional to your self-consumption savings and SEG export payments. A battery without the Hub simply does not participate in these markets — the income does not exist. According to Levelise, the flexibility and frequency response stream adds approximately £100–£200/year to the average household's return.
Which batteries is the Levelise Hub compatible with?
The Levelise Hub is compatible with seven battery manufacturers. Current confirmed compatibility includes:
| Manufacturer | Compatible models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fox ESS | H3-Pro, ECS series | Default in all Alliant Energy packages |
| Solax | X-Hybrid series | Full Hub + Hub 2 support |
| Alpha ESS | SMILE series | Full compatibility |
| BYD | Battery-Box Premium | Full compatibility |
| Afore | Hybrid series | Added in Hub 2 rollout |
| GivEnergy | AIO, EVC-compatible | Compatible — confirm on survey |
If you have an existing battery storage system from one of these manufacturers and want to add the Hub, contact Alliant Energy to confirm compatibility and arrange a retrofit. The Hub must be installed by a qualified electrician.
Levelise Hub vs Hub 1.5 vs Hub 2
Levelise has iterated on the Hub hardware since 2019. Here is the current generation summary:
| Version | When | Key change | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hub (original) | 2019–2023 | Launched VPP concept for UK homes | Legacy installations |
| Hub 1.5 | 2023–2025 | Enhanced metering, wider battery compatibility | Still supported |
| Hub 2 | Sep 2025–present | 80% smaller, 90% lighter, 20-min plug-and-play install | Current generation |
Hub 2 was announced at Solar & Storage Live in September 2025. For homeowners, all three versions deliver the same four revenue streams; Hub 2 simply takes up less wall space and is faster to install. All new Alliant Energy installations use Hub 2.
Is the Levelise Hub worth it — what does payback look like?
When included in an Alliant Energy solar package, the Levelise Hub adds no additional cost — it is bundled into the package price. For retrofits on existing systems, the Hub retails at £599 including VAT (subject to the relief in force until March 2027 for qualifying energy-saving materials).
At £490/year average return, a standalone Hub retrofit pays back in approximately 14–16 months on a well-matched existing battery system. On a new installation where the Hub is included, the incremental payback contribution is immediate from day one.
As half-hourly electricity settlement becomes universal across UK households by 2026, the spread between cheap overnight grid power and expensive peak power is expected to widen — making time-of-use optimisation, the core of what the Hub does, even more valuable.
For a deeper look at battery economics, see our guides on whether solar battery storage is worth it and our comparison of Tesla Powerwall vs GivEnergy vs Fox ESS.
How does the Levelise Hub affect battery life?
A concern with aggressive battery cycling for arbitrage is that it could accelerate capacity degradation. Levelise addresses this through cycle optimisation: the Hub's algorithms maximise economic return while minimising unnecessary deep cycling and thermal stress that would shorten battery life.
Modern lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries — the chemistry used in Fox ESS, GivEnergy, and Puredrive systems — are rated for 4,000–6,000 full cycles. At one cycle per day, that is 11–16 years of useful life. The Hub ensures each cycle is economically optimised rather than wasted on low-value exports at 5p/kWh when 32p/kWh windows exist.
For more on battery longevity, see our guide on how long solar batteries last.
How does the Hub affect Smart Export Guarantee registration?
The Smart Export Guarantee requires an MCS-registered solar installation to register for export payments. The Levelise Hub does not change your MCS certificate or your SEG eligibility — your system remains registered and compliant. What the Hub changes is the timing and volume of your exports: by holding stored energy until peak-price windows, it maximises income from the same MCS-registered installation.
Alliant Energy handles SEG registration as part of every installation. If you are adding a Hub retrofit to an existing system, your existing SEG registration remains in place.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Levelise Hub?
The Levelise Hub is a smart energy management device that connects to your solar battery storage system. It maximises the financial return from your battery by coordinating four revenue streams: self-consumption savings, Smart Export Guarantee income, tariff arbitrage, and National Grid flexibility payments. Over 5,000 Hubs are installed across the UK, and Levelise is the only operator delivering flexibility services directly to households at scale.
How much does the Levelise Hub earn UK homeowners?
Levelise reports average earnings and savings of £490 per year for homeowners across its installed base. 94% of customers have exceeded their projected flexibility payments since 2019. Alliant Energy customers operational for 36+ months report an average of £440/year in combined savings and income, with the breakdown across self-consumption savings (£353), export income (£64), tariff arbitrage (£253), grid flexibility payments (£123), and efficiency gains (£64).
Which batteries is the Levelise Hub compatible with?
The Levelise Hub is compatible with seven battery manufacturers including Fox ESS, Solax, Alpha ESS, BYD, Afore, and GivEnergy. It ships as standard with all Alliant Energy domestic solar and battery packages using Fox ESS H3-Pro hybrid inverters. Contact us to confirm compatibility with an existing battery system.
What is the difference between the Levelise Hub and Hub 2?
The Hub 2, launched September 2025, is 80% smaller and 90% lighter than the original Hub. It features plug-and-play connectors with no hardwiring required, a three-step app-based commissioning flow, and installs in around 20 minutes. Both versions deliver the same four revenue streams. All new Alliant Energy installations use Hub 2.
What is the Levelise VPP and how does it work?
Levelise aggregates thousands of home batteries into a Virtual Power Plant that participates in National Grid ESO's Balancing Mechanism, Demand Flexibility Service, and Frequency Response markets. When the grid needs balancing, Levelise coordinates thousands of home batteries to respond simultaneously. The resulting grid payments are distributed back to each household proportionally. This income stream does not exist for batteries without the Hub.
Do I have to switch energy supplier to use the Levelise Hub?
No. You remain free to choose your own energy supplier. The Hub works across suppliers and tariffs. To maximise arbitrage returns, a time-of-use tariff such as Octopus Agile, Intelligent Go, or Intelligent Flux is recommended — but not required.
Is the Levelise Hub included in Alliant Energy packages?
Yes. All Alliant Energy domestic solar and battery packages include the Levelise Hub 2 as standard at no additional cost. This applies to all three fixed packages (£5,999, £6,999, and £9,000 ). For existing battery owners wanting to retrofit, the Hub retails at £599.
Does the Levelise Hub affect my battery warranty?
No. The Levelise Hub is designed to work within the battery's safe operating parameters. It does not void manufacturer warranties. The Hub's cycle optimisation algorithms are specifically designed to avoid operating patterns that would accelerate battery degradation.
Further reading
- Solar panel installation Lancashire — packages and pricing
- Solar battery storage — Tesla Powerwall, GivEnergy, Fox ESS
- Smart Export Guarantee — how much can you earn?
- Tesla Powerwall vs GivEnergy vs Fox ESS
- Is solar battery storage worth it?
- How to size a home battery
- How long do solar batteries last?
- Savings calculator — see how much your system could earn
