National Grid offers free batteries to up to 125 Fall River households

National Grid is launching BackupBattery+, a pilot that will give up to 125 income-eligible households in the Fall River area of Massachusetts no-cost home batteries of up to 45 kWh, the utility announced on November 6, 2026. Haven Energy will own, operate and maintain the systems for ten years, after which customers can work with Haven to take over ownership.

Households get backup power and a small annual payment. The batteries provide at least four hours of backup, with more held in reserve when severe weather is predicted, per the release. The program page adds $150 a year for the first five years, $750 in all, and says energy the battery exports during grid events is reimbursed on the customer's electric bill.

Where the batteries go is the point. National Grid says Fall River was selected for "identified local reliability and capacity needs," and eligibility is limited to customers served by the Bates Street substation who are on a National Grid discount rate or within income limits that run from $53,585 for one person to $142,207 for a household of eight. The roofs already making power are left out: homes with solar panels cannot join, because participation would mean forfeiting their credits for exported solar energy.

Haven, which builds virtual power plants from home and small-business batteries, will manage the batteries' participation in grid-service programs; its CEO, Vinnie Campo, said the company has built more than 10 MW of installed battery capacity. National Grid, Haven and the local nonprofit Citizens for Citizens will contact select customers directly; Haven's sign-up page lists 125 spots. Enrollment runs until the spots are filled, with initial installations targeted to begin in spring 2027.

The pilot is funded through National Grid's Electric Sector Modernization Plan. The utility says it will measure adoption, battery performance and cost-effectiveness to judge whether coordinated home batteries can complement traditional grid investments and whether access could expand to other Massachusetts communities. Its statewide ConnectedSolutions program already includes thousands of home batteries, the release says, and ConnectedSolutions+ pays more in select regions; this pilot narrows the map to a single substation.