Will my Fox ESS battery work in a power cut?

Whether your Fox ESS system keeps anything running when the grid goes down, and what to do during a power cut.

A Fox ESS battery can keep some of your home running in a power cut, but only if your system was fitted with backup. Fox calls this EPS (emergency power supply).

Does my system have backup?

Your system	In a power cut
Fitted with EPS backup	The circuits wired to the backup keep working from the battery. This is often a single socket or a few circuits, not the whole house, unless a whole-home backup gateway was fitted.
Without EPS backup	The inverter and battery switch off along with everything else. This is a legal safety requirement, not a fault.

Your handover pack and design show what was fitted. If you're not sure, ask us and we'll check your installation records.

What happens when the power goes off

The inverter disconnects from the grid straight away, so no electricity flows back into the power lines while engineers work on them.
With EPS, your backed-up circuits carry on from the battery. FoxCloud may show a Grid Lost alarm. That's expected during a power cut.
Without EPS, solar generation stops too, even in bright sunshine. It starts again by itself a few minutes after the power comes back.

During a power cut

Report it to your network operator by calling 105.
If you have backup, switch off anything you don't need on the backed-up circuits so the battery lasts longer.
Don't open or touch the inverter or battery.

Keeping some charge for power cuts

The battery stops discharging at its minimum level, set in FoxCloud, so there's usually something left when the power goes. The Back Up work mode keeps the battery full and doesn't use it day to day, which some people switch on when bad weather is forecast. Switch back to Self-use afterwards, or you'll lose the everyday savings. See Why does my battery stop at 10%?.

Want backup added?

If your system doesn't have backup and you'd like it, get in touch. It needs a design check and a quote.