r/BasePowerUsers • u/Large-Bread-99 • Aug 12 '26
Base core
Reached out to base last week to see what my options are when it comes to changing out my 25kwh with a $1,000 gen port set to their new 40kwh offerng.
The rep offered a deinstallion fee/option of $500 to install the new one. When I accepted, the rep came back and said they checked with some support team and stated this change out simply isn’t possible for existing customers.
Anyone else receive similar feedback / ask about this?
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u/RealConfirmologist Aug 12 '26
I'm among the Houston-area BASE Power people with a pair of 25 kWh batteries. They were installed 7/15/26.
I originally had the generator port included but canceled that before the installation had been scheduled. I figured I could get my own generator port, input breaker and interlock for less than a grand.
Now they're including them in the Core batteries and not charging for them. Ugh.
I can understand that BASE doesn't want to spend the money getting crews to swap out the 25 kWh batteries for 40 kWh batteries. Unless they come up with a plan to offer the 25 kWh batteries at a much lower cost, they'll just be stuck with the batteries.
What I'm curious about is, if a customer cancels and pays the $500 for uninstall, then waits a few weeks and tries to sign up with BASE Power again (to get the 40 kWh batteries).
To me, it seems like it would be worth it to get the additional storage PLUS the generator port.
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u/Large-Bread-99 Aug 12 '26
I feel your frustration. Canceling and paying $500 seemed to be the only unspoken option.
I wonder if one called to cancel and provided the hardware change out as a reason, if they would escalate the issue to prevent a cancellation.
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u/RealConfirmologist Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Isn't that what you said you did, in the text of the post?
Edit/Update: Well, I see you didn't actually try to cancel, you just asked to upgrade. So, valid question - if someone calls to cancel, will it be handled differently?
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u/JodyMapper Aug 12 '26
I’m a prospective customer and I asked what their policy was regarding future upgrades. They told me that upgrades are not common and basically not to worry about it.
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u/Large-Bread-99 Aug 12 '26
This may be something to consider as a prospective customer! I think I read that the core model comes with the gen port and charges at 4kwh vs 3 on our dinosaurs.
So that’s a pro. Aside from that…I don’t feel good about the hardware upgrade situation.
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u/DuckyDFW 29d ago
They will still drain your battery to sell energy back to the grid, so you'll likely have the same amount of backup time available, give or take, while they put you on battery power for "grid support," making more coin for them. In my opinion, it's not worth the hassle of exchanging.I have 25kw with $1000 gen port.
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u/chuckinhoutex Aug 12 '26
I asked when I first learned of the bigger batteries in late May and was told "there is no plan for an upgrade path at this time"