My GivEnergy battery used to discharge fine and has suddenly stopped — what changed?

Sudden behaviour changes are almost always caused by one of three things: a firmware update that reset settings (check your system mode and reserve SoC — they may have reverted to defaults), a smart tariff or energy provider API that has gained control (check if settings are greyed out), or a BMS protection event that has locked the battery into a safe state (check the portal event log for fault codes). A remote diagnostic can identify which it is from the monitoring data.

Fault guide · GivEnergy battery

GivEnergy Battery Not Discharging — Diagnostic Guide

Q: Why is my GivEnergy battery full but my house is still importing from the grid?

The most common cause is that the system is in Eco Mode. In Eco Mode, the GivEnergy inverter manages discharge intelligently based on solar and demand patterns — it does not always actively discharge to cover house load. The battery can show as full while the house imports small amounts from the grid. Switching to Timed Discharge with a window covering your peak usage hours forces the battery to power the house during those periods.

Q: My GivEnergy battery discharge schedule is set correctly but it still won't discharge — why?

If a Timed Discharge schedule is active and the battery still won't discharge, check these in order: (1) the reserve SoC setting — if reserve is set to 80% and the battery is at 83%, it will only discharge 3%. (2) A conflicting Timed Charge window at the same time — charge windows override discharge. (3) Export First or Timed Export mode overriding the discharge schedule. (4) Discharge power limit set to a very low value or zero under Battery Settings.

Q: Can someone remotely take control of my GivEnergy battery and stop it discharging?

Yes — this is called a Smart Tariff Lockout. If you are on an Octopus Intelligent, Agile, or Flux tariff and have connected GivEnergy's smart tariff integration, your energy provider can temporarily override discharge to protect the grid during high-demand periods. Your settings may appear greyed out or revert after you change them. See our GivEnergy Smart Tariff Lockout page for how to identify and manage this.

Your GivEnergy battery shows as charged — or even full — but the house is still importing from the grid and the battery isn't powering anything. In most cases this is a configuration issue: the wrong system mode, a reserve SoC set too high, or a discharge schedule that isn't active. This guide covers every cause in order of likelihood so you can fix it without a site visit.

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Battery charged but the house still uses grid?

If you've checked the obvious settings and the battery still won't discharge, the portal event log and settings history usually tells us exactly why — whether it's a mode conflict, a tariff override, or a BMS protection event. We review this remotely.

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13 Trustpilot reviews

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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.

Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot

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

Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot

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)

Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot

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

Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot

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

michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

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.

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

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!

Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot

Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot

Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot

Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot

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

Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot

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

michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot

Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

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.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

⚡ Safety Warning

Do not open your inverter or interfere with DC cabling. Solar panels produce live DC voltage whenever exposed to light. Always use your DC isolator switch and contact a qualified solar engineer for hands-on fault diagnosis.

Battery not charging Battery not discharging CAN comm fault Settings changing Tariff lockout Portal offline Charge schedule Firmware CT clamp Fault codes →

WHAT YOU SEE

Charged battery, grid importing

The portal shows the battery at 80%, 90%, or even 100% SoC. But when the house needs power — in the evening, overnight, or any time solar isn't producing — the inverter draws from the grid instead of discharging the battery.

WHY IT HAPPENS

Usually a configuration issue

GivEnergy batteries don't discharge automatically in all modes. The system mode, reserve SoC setting, and active schedules all control when the battery discharges. If any of these are misconfigured — or were reset by a firmware update — the battery holds its charge unnecessarily.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT

Not discharging vs can't discharge

There's an important distinction: a battery that won't discharge (mode/schedule issue) vs one that can't discharge (BMS fault, hardware failure). The first is fixed in settings. The second requires a diagnostic. This guide starts with configuration — hardware faults are covered at the end.

ℹ

Normal grid blips are not a fault. It is normal for a GivEnergy system to briefly pull 50–200W from the grid even when the battery is full. This is inverter lag — the inverter reacts to demand in real time and there is always a small window before it adjusts. Sustained grid import of 500W+ when the battery is charged and no discharge schedule is active is the issue this guide addresses.

Start here

Quick checks

Two checks before anything else

Confirm the basics before adjusting any settings — these catch the most common misunderstandings immediately.

Confirm the battery is actually charged above its reserve level

Open givenergy.cloud or the GivEnergy app and check the live battery State of Charge (SoC) percentage. Then go to Settings → Battery → Reserve SoC and note the reserve value. If the battery SoC is at or below the reserve, the inverter is working correctly — it is protecting the reserve. The problem is either that the reserve is set too high (covered in Cause 2) or that the battery isn't charging properly.

Example: reserve SoC is set to 75% and the battery shows 78%. The battery will only supply the 3% above the reserve — you'll see minimal discharge and most load drawn from the grid.

Check whether the battery has been manually paused

In the GivEnergy app there is a pause/resume button that can temporarily suspend all battery activity. This is easy to activate accidentally. Open the app, navigate to the battery status screen, and confirm the battery status shows as Active (or similar) rather than Paused. If it shows paused, tap the button to resume. This is more common on newer app versions that have a prominent pause control on the home screen.

Cause 1 — most common

System mode

Wrong system mode — battery won't discharge in Eco Mode

The most common cause of a GivEnergy battery appearing not to discharge is that the system is in Eco Mode rather than Timed Discharge or a mode that actively discharges. Eco Mode uses the battery intelligently based on solar production and consumption patterns — it does not force the battery to discharge on demand.

GivEnergy system modes and how they affect discharge

Eco Mode

The inverter manages charge and discharge automatically based on solar availability and household demand. The battery does not discharge continuously — it conserves charge for periods when solar is unavailable. Many homeowners in Eco Mode expect the battery to run the house all evening but see the house importing instead. This is the mode working as intended, not a fault. To force discharge, switch to Timed Discharge.

Timed Discharge

The inverter discharges the battery during a defined time window, down to a target SoC. This is the mode to use if you want the battery to actively power the house during peak hours. Set the window to cover your evening usage (e.g., 16:00–23:00) with a target SoC of 10–15%.

Timed Export

The inverter discharges the battery to the grid (not the house) during a defined window. If Timed Export is active during your evening peak, the battery discharges to the grid while the house imports from the grid — appearing as though the battery is not powering the house even though it is discharging.

How to switch to Timed Discharge

Open the GivEnergy app or portal and go to Settings

In the app: tap the inverter → Settings → System Mode. In the portal: My Inverter → Settings → System Mode.

Select Timed Discharge and set a discharge window

Enter a start time and end time covering your peak usage hours (typically 16:00–23:00 for most households). Set the target discharge SoC to 10–20% — this is the minimum battery level the inverter will discharge to before stopping.

Confirm the schedule is active and saved

After saving, return to the settings screen and confirm the Timed Discharge window appears as active. Wait until the start of the window and check the portal to confirm the battery is discharging. Battery discharge is shown as a negative flow in the battery power reading on the portal dashboard.

Midnight boundary note: If your discharge window crosses midnight (e.g., 22:00–00:30), you must create two separate time slots — one ending at 23:59 and one starting at 00:00. GivEnergy schedules do not automatically span the midnight boundary.

Cause 2

Reserve SoC

Reserve SoC too high — battery won't discharge below the threshold

Every GivEnergy installation has a Reserve SoC setting — a minimum battery level that the inverter will not discharge below. This is intended to protect the battery cells from deep discharge and to maintain a power cut reserve. If this is set too high, the battery appears to stop discharging early — or barely discharges at all.

Common reserve SoC problems

→Reserve set to 75–80% by installer at commissioning — never adjusted. Battery only uses the top 20–25% of capacity.

→Reserve reset to default (often 50–75%) after a firmware update. Battery performance suddenly appears worse than before the update.

→Reserve set high intentionally for EPS backup but homeowner not realising it also restricts daily discharge.

→Smart tariff integration changing the reserve setting automatically — check if value reverts after manual adjustment.

What reserve SoC to set

→

No EPS requirement: 10–15%. This maximises daily discharge while protecting cells from deep discharge cycles.

→

EPS backup required: Set to the minimum SoC needed to run critical loads for your target duration. 20% of a 9.5kWh battery = ~1.9kWh backup.

→

Smart tariff (e.g. Octopus Flux): Your energy provider may override this value during certain periods. If the reserve resets, check whether smart tariff control is active.

ℹ

Finding Reserve SoC in the portal: Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Settings. Look for Battery Reserve, Reserve SoC, or Backup Reserve — the label varies by firmware version. The value is a percentage. If you cannot find it in the app, it may be under Advanced Settings or behind a settings PIN.

Cause 3

Configuration

Export First mode or discharge power limit set to zero

Two less obvious settings can cause a GivEnergy battery to appear not to discharge to the house even when the battery is full and a Timed Discharge schedule is active.

Timed Export / Export First mode

In Timed Export mode, the inverter discharges the battery to the grid at the export rate, rather than supplying house load first. During a Timed Export window your battery will show as discharging in the portal — but the house is still importing from the grid, because the battery output is being directed to the meter export clamp, not the house circuit.

Is this intentional? Timed Export is intentional if you are on a smart export tariff (Octopus Flux, Agile) and want to sell stored energy at peak rates. If you did not set this up deliberately, switch the mode to Timed Discharge to redirect battery output to the house.

Discharge power limit set too low

In Settings → Battery there is a Discharge Power Limit (sometimes labelled AC Charge Rate or Battery Power Limit — label varies by firmware). This sets the maximum rate at which the battery discharges in kilowatts. If this is set to 0 kW or 0.1 kW, the battery will appear to do nothing even when a discharge schedule is active.

→Check: Settings → Battery → Discharge Power Limit

→Expected value: should match your battery's rated output (e.g., 3.6 kW for a standard GivEnergy 9.5 kWh unit, or 6 kW for stacked units)

→If it reads 0 or 0.1: increase to the battery rated output and save

Cause 4

Schedule

Discharge schedule not active or conflicting with charge windows

Even when Timed Discharge mode is selected, the battery will only discharge if the time slot is active, the target SoC is below the current battery level, and no conflicting Timed Charge window overrides it.

Confirm the discharge slot is enabled, not just created

In Settings → Timed Discharge, each time slot has an on/off toggle. Creating the slot and setting a time does not automatically enable it. Confirm the toggle next to the slot is switched on. Slots saved in a disabled state look correct in the settings view but have no effect.

Check the target SoC is below the current battery level

If the discharge target SoC is set to 80% and the battery is currently at 75%, the inverter has already met the target and will not discharge further. Set the target to 10–15% so there is headroom for the battery to discharge meaningfully through the evening.

Check for overlapping Timed Charge windows

If a Timed Charge window overlaps with the Timed Discharge window, the charge instruction takes priority and the battery will charge from the grid instead of discharging. Review all active time slots in Settings → Timed Charge and Timed Discharge and ensure the windows do not overlap. A common mistake is having an afternoon Timed Charge slot from a previous configuration that was never removed.

Settings reset after firmware update: GivEnergy firmware updates sometimes reset Timed Discharge schedules to their default state (inactive), while Timed Charge schedules — if present — remain active. After any firmware update, review all four schedule types: Timed Charge, Timed Discharge, Timed Export, and Timed Import.

When to escalate

Escalate

When the battery genuinely can't discharge — not a settings issue

If you have worked through all the configuration checks above and the battery still won't discharge, there is likely a hardware or BMS fault that requires a diagnostic review. These are the signs that point beyond configuration.

Signs of a BMS or hardware fault

→Battery SoC shows 0% or N/A despite the system being powered on

→Portal event log shows STORAGE_ERROR_ fault codes

→Battery is discharging according to the portal but house power consumption doesn't drop

→Settings are correct but behaviour changes day to day without explanation

→Red light flashing on battery unit

Smart tariff control — settings reverting

→Settings change correctly but revert within minutes or hours

→Discharge window appears greyed out or locked

→Reserve SoC resets to a high value repeatedly

→Energy provider or GivBack programme has API control

See Smart Tariff Lockout guide →

Remote diagnostic — we review your portal data

If the above checks haven't resolved the problem, we can review your monitoring history, event log, and settings remotely to identify the exact cause. Most GivEnergy battery discharge faults are resolved remotely — no site visit required.

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Related GivEnergy pages

🔒

Smart tariff lockout

Settings reverting or greyed out — how to identify and remove energy provider control.

⏰

Charge schedule setup

Full guide to Timed Charge, Timed Discharge, Timed Export — and how schedule conflicts cause unexpected behaviour.

🔀

Settings changing themselves

Why GivEnergy charge schedule or system mode keeps reverting — and which external service is causing it.

⚡

GivEnergy hub

All GivEnergy fault guides, configuration pages, and services.

This is a brand-specific version of our general battery not discharging guide, which covers all brands.

FAQ

GivEnergy battery discharge questions

Why is my GivEnergy battery full but my house is still importing from the grid?

The most common cause is Eco Mode. In Eco Mode the GivEnergy inverter manages battery output intelligently based on solar and demand patterns — it doesn't force constant discharge. The battery can sit at 90% while the house pulls 200–500W from the grid because the inverter has decided not to discharge at that moment. To force the battery to power the house, switch to Timed Discharge with a window covering your peak usage hours and a target SoC of 10–15%.

My GivEnergy discharge schedule is set correctly but it still won't discharge — what next?

If a Timed Discharge slot is active and correctly configured but the battery still won't discharge, check in this order: (1) reserve SoC — if set to 75% and battery is at 78%, it will barely discharge; (2) an overlapping Timed Charge window that overrides the discharge at the same time; (3) the discharge slot toggle — slots can look active but have the enable switch off; (4) discharge power limit under Battery Settings — check it hasn't been set to 0 kW. If all of these look correct, a remote diagnostic of your portal event log will identify the cause.

Can someone remotely take control of my GivEnergy battery and stop it discharging?

Yes — this is a Smart Tariff Lockout. If you are on Octopus Intelligent, Agile, or Flux and have connected the GivEnergy smart tariff integration, your energy provider can temporarily override discharge settings to manage grid demand. Your settings may revert after you change them, or the discharge window may appear greyed out. This is a contractual feature of those tariffs, not a fault. See our Smart Tariff Lockout guide for how to identify and manage this.

My GivEnergy battery stopped discharging after a firmware update — is that related?

Almost certainly yes. GivEnergy firmware updates sometimes reset schedule settings and mode configurations to defaults. A common pattern: after an update, the system reverts to Eco Mode, Timed Discharge windows become inactive, or the reserve SoC resets to 50–75%. After any firmware update, go to Settings and review your system mode, all four schedule types (Timed Charge, Discharge, Export, Import), reserve SoC, and discharge power limit. Recreating your schedules after an update usually restores normal discharge behaviour.

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Battery still not discharging? We'll find out why.

Tell us what you're seeing — your system mode, the portal overnight data, and what settings you've already tried. We review the monitoring history and event log and come back with a clear diagnosis, usually same day.

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