Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has taken recent steps to help (a) reduce the insurance premium for lithium-ion battery energy storage systems and (b) encourage development of fast and reliable methods of fire prevention in battery energy storage systems.

Lithium-ion batteries must comply with the relevant product safety legislation. OPSS is carrying out a programme of activities to understand better the specific safety risks these products present. Users are encouraged to follow available guidance, including from Electrical Safety First and the London Fire Brigade, and the manufacturer’s instructions on safe use, including safe charging. Insurance premiums are a matter for industry.

The Government is also working with the industry-led Storage Health and Safety Governance Group to support the development of a product and installation standard (known as a “Publicly Available Standard”) for domestic/small-scale battery storage and developing guidance for grid-scale storage.