is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years.
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Pila Energy’s home batteries are now available to preorder with deliveries expected to begin in February 2026. These power stations are meant to be seen, unlike most batteries in this class that are better suited for job sites than designer lofts. Pila’s home batteries are designed to keep critical devices like a fridge running during a blackout, while also helping to reduce daily energy costs.
It’s a similar idea to Backup by BioLite, which was announced in 2024 but still hasn’t shipped.
With Pila, you could plug one battery unit, measuring 15.0 × 26.5 × 3.3 inches (380 × 675 × 85mm) and 45lbs (20.4kg), into a standard 120V kitchen wall outlet and keep the fridge permanently plugged into the Pila home battery — no electrician required. When there’s an outage, the fridge will automatically failover to protect your food. The battery can also be configured to charge when energy rates are low and then power the fridge when rates are high to save a few bucks each month on your utility bill. Units can be stacked for more capacity, or distributed around the home to power a window air conditioner, sump pump, or office. Everything is centrally managed over either Wi-Fi or onboard cellular via the Pila App.
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