GivEnergy CT Clamp Direction — Inverted Readings & How to Fix Them
- Extremely common installation error
- Diagnosable remotely from portal data
- Physical fix requires a site visit
We can confirm a CT clamp direction error remotely by reviewing your portal's import/export readings and power flow data. We'll tell you whether it's a software fix or requires a physical reversal — before you commit to a site visit.
Book your free remote diagnosticGivEnergy hubNot affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd. Independent diagnosis and configuration.
I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.
When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.
Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them
Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)
Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone
I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.
After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.
Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration (their Trustpilot reviews don't lie!). So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing . If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.
I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!
I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.
When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.
Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them
Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)
Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone
I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.
After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.
Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration (their Trustpilot reviews don't lie!). So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing . If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.
I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!
What is a CT clamp and what does it do?
Understanding what the CT clamp does makes it much easier to spot when it's wrong.
What it is
A CT (Current Transformer) clamp is a small sensor that clips around a live cable — typically the main grid import cable at the consumer unit or meter — and measures the current flowing through it. It sends this reading to the inverter as a small signal voltage.
The GivEnergy inverter uses this reading to understand how much power the house is currently importing from or exporting to the grid at any given moment.
Why direction matters
The CT clamp is directional — it measures both the magnitude and the direction of current flow. If installed facing the wrong way on the cable, it correctly measures the magnitude but reports the direction as the opposite of what it actually is.
To the inverter, import becomes export and export becomes import. The inverter then makes all its decisions — when to charge, when to discharge, when to export — based on this inverted information.
What a backwards CT clamp looks like in practice
A reversed CT produces a consistent, identifiable pattern. The system appears to be working — the battery charges and discharges, the portal shows data — but the behaviour is wrong in ways that only make sense once you understand what the CT is reporting.
Portal symptoms — what you'll see
System behaviour symptoms
Confirming a CT clamp direction error from portal data
You do not need to be at the property to confirm this fault. The GivEnergy portal's power flow diagram and daily energy graphs contain everything needed to identify a reversed CT with high confidence.
Three-step diagnostic test
Check the portal power flow at any time during the night when solar generation is zero and the battery is not charging or discharging. At this point, the house is running entirely from grid import. The grid reading should show a positive import figure — typically 100W–500W for a house with basic standby loads.
Check the power flow on a clear day around midday when solar generation is at its peak and the battery is full. If the system is generating more than the house is consuming, there should be grid export. If the battery is still charging or the house is still consuming, there should be zero export or slight import.
In the portal's energy summary, check the total grid export figure for the past month. If the system has a backwards CT and is on a self-consumption mode, it may show implausibly high export figures — far more than the solar array could realistically generate after self-consumption. Conversely, an installed system that appears to have never exported anything is also suspicious.
Software fix — CT orientation setting in the portal
Some GivEnergy inverter models include a CT orientation or CT direction setting in the portal that can invert the reading in software — correcting a backwards CT without a site visit. This is worth trying first before arranging a physical fix.
How to find the CT orientation setting
After a software fix — verify readings
After changing the CT orientation setting, the portal readings should immediately correct. Verify using the night-time test: check the grid reading at night with no battery activity — it should now show a small import figure rather than export.
Also check whether the battery behaviour has corrected — it should now charge from solar when generation exceeds consumption, and stop importing from the grid unnecessarily during solar hours.
Physical fix — reversing the CT clamp on site
If the software CT orientation setting is not available on your model, or if you prefer to correct the physical installation, the CT clamp must be physically reversed on the cable. This requires a qualified engineer to attend the site.
What the physical fix involves
The CT clamp clips around the main grid cable — typically the live (brown) cable on the meter tails or at the consumer unit. An engineer isolates the relevant section, opens the clip, reverses it so the directional arrow faces the correct way, and clips it back onto the cable.
The job itself takes 15–30 minutes on site. The engineer then verifies the corrected reading in the portal before leaving.
Why this needs a qualified engineer
The CT clamp sits on the main grid supply cable, which is live and cannot be fully isolated by the homeowner — the section between the meter and the consumer unit remains live even when the main switch is off. Working on or near this cable requires a qualified electrician.
Additionally, confirming the direction correction requires someone who knows what correct readings should look like in the portal and can verify the fix properly before leaving.
Verifying the fix and understanding the financial impact
Once the CT direction is corrected — by software or physical reversal — the system needs to be verified and in some cases reconfigured.
Verification checklist
System mode may need reconfiguring
If the system has been running with a backwards CT for a significant period, the energy history in the portal will show incorrect data — high export figures that didn't actually happen, or import figures that were really exports. This data cannot be corrected retroactively.
Also check your system mode settings — the inverter's scheduling decisions were based on wrong data, so it's worth reviewing whether the current mode and charge windows are still correct for your usage after the fix. See the battery charging configuration guide.
The financial impact of a backwards CT
A backwards CT silently undermines the entire point of having a battery. On a time-of-use tariff like Octopus Go or Agile, the battery is meant to charge during cheap overnight periods and discharge during expensive peak hours. With the CT reversed, the inverter's decisions are based on the wrong data — the system may discharge during cheap periods and charge during expensive ones, or simply fail to optimise at all.
A backwards CT is one of the most common reasons charging fails on a time-of-use tariff.
Another configuration setting that affects what the portal reports and how the system behaves.
Understanding what GivEnergy portal readings should look like on a correctly configured system.
All GivEnergy fault guides, configuration pages, and services.
CT clamp direction questions
Suspect a backwards CT? We'll confirm it remotely.
Share access to your portal data and we'll review the import/export readings to confirm whether the CT is reversed, whether a software fix is possible for your model, and whether a site visit is needed. Written report included.
- Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd
- Free remote diagnostic · no fix, no fee — confirms fault before you book a site visit
- Written report supports installer workmanship complaint if applicable
Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.