GivEnergy Settings Changing Themselves — Why It Happens and How to Stop It
You set your GivEnergy charge schedule or system mode, confirm it's saved — and within hours, days, or after the next firmware update, it has reverted. This is one of GivEnergy's most frustrating recurring issues and it almost always has an external cause: a smart tariff API, a GivBack programme enrolment, a third-party integration, or a firmware reset. This guide walks through each cause and how to stop it.
The GivEnergy portal keeps a log of API write events — every time a setting is changed and by what source. We can review this audit trail remotely and identify exactly what is overriding your configuration.
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Use the timing to identify what's changing your settings
The timing and pattern of when settings revert narrows down the cause significantly. Before diving into each cause, use this to focus your investigation.
An active API connection is overriding your settings in near real-time. The most common cause is a smart tariff integration (Octopus Intelligent, Agile, Flux) that currently has control, or a GivBack demand response event in progress. Start with Smart Tariff API.
A scheduled automation is running at a set time and writing settings to the inverter. Check for GivTCP or Home Assistant automations that run at a fixed time, or check the GivBack programme schedule for planned demand response events.
The firmware update reset your settings to defaults. This is a known GivEnergy behaviour. See Firmware Reset for which settings are affected and how to prevent it recurring.
The portal or app is showing settings as locked or uneditable. This is a Smart Tariff Lockout — the energy provider has exclusive write access to certain settings. See our dedicated Smart Tariff Lockout guide.
Your energy provider has API access to your inverter
Smart tariffs like Octopus Intelligent, Agile, and Flux work by giving the energy provider API access to compatible devices — including GivEnergy inverters. When you signed up for one of these tariffs and connected your GivEnergy account, you authorised the provider to read and write your inverter settings automatically.
Which tariffs have GivEnergy API access
The most common cause. Octopus Intelligent dispatches charge sessions during off-peak periods and may override your charge window times and system mode. The system is designed to optimise overnight charging — but it actively pushes settings to the inverter, which means your manual settings are overwritten whenever Octopus runs a dispatch.
Flux uses a three-period day (cheap, expensive, export) and sets charge and discharge windows to align with the price periods. If connected, Flux overrides your manual schedules to manage battery charge and discharge in line with its pricing model.
Agile integration is less aggressive than Intelligent but can still set charge windows during cheap rate periods. The degree of control depends on whether you opted in to smart charging features within the Octopus app.
How to confirm it's API-caused — and check who's making the changes
Navigate to: givenergy.cloud/inverter/YOUR-SERIAL/remote-control — replace YOUR-SERIAL with your inverter's serial number (printed on the unit or in your installation docs). Alternatively: My Inverters → click the cog icon next to your inverter.
The Control Logs table shows every settings change. The VIA column tells you how each change was made: API = an external third-party integration (tariff provider, GivTCP, Home Assistant). SERVER = a GivEnergy platform automation (Smart Tariff card). Adjust the date range to show the period when changes occurred.
VIA SERVER: A GivEnergy platform automation is active. Go to your Dashboard → Smart Tariff card and check whether any automations are enabled. Disable them to stop the changes.
Go to givenergy.cloud → Account Security → Connected Services. Each entry shows the API token and provider name. Remove any tokens you no longer want. Note: if the integration is linked to a smart tariff with a lockout, you must contact the provider first before removing the token — see our smart tariff lockout guide for the correct process.
GivBack demand flexibility programme enrolment
GivBack is GivEnergy's demand flexibility service. Enrolled systems receive payments in exchange for GivEnergy being able to temporarily adjust battery charge and discharge during grid demand response events. If your system is enrolled — which your installer may have done at commissioning — GivEnergy will override your settings during events.
How GivBack affects your settings
How to check and manage GivBack enrolment
Third-party integrations writing to the inverter API
GivTCP, Home Assistant with the GivEnergy integration, and similar tools communicate with your inverter via the GivEnergy API. If any of these tools have automations that write settings on a schedule, they will overwrite manual changes made through the portal or app. This is a common issue for homeowners who set up smart home integrations and then try to manage settings manually.
Common third-party tools that write GivEnergy settings
A popular open-source local interface to GivEnergy inverters. GivTCP can both read and write inverter settings. If configured with write automations (e.g., to set charge windows based on Agile pricing), it will push those settings on its schedule — overriding anything you set manually in the portal.
Home Assistant's GivEnergy integration, combined with automation scripts, can write charge/discharge settings based on time, price, or consumption patterns. If an automation is configured to set a specific system mode at a certain time, it will do so regardless of what you set manually.
Some installers set up remote management access to your GivEnergy system for ongoing support. If the installer's monitoring platform has write access, they — or their automated systems — can modify settings. This is common on newer installations where the installer retains portal access.
How to identify if a third-party tool is responsible
The GivEnergy portal event log records all API write events — including which API key made the change. Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Event Log. If settings changes are logged at regular intervals (e.g., every night at 23:00) from an API key you do not recognise, a third-party integration is responsible.
Firmware update reset settings to defaults
GivEnergy inverters receive over-the-air firmware updates that can run automatically. Some firmware versions reset certain settings to default values — a well-documented pattern that catches GivEnergy owners off guard. The fix is straightforward: re-enter your settings after any update.
Settings commonly reset by firmware updates
Settings greyed out or inaccessible — how to identify and remove energy provider control.
Full guide to GivEnergy schedule types, the midnight rule, and common configuration mistakes.
What to do when a firmware update breaks behaviour or resets settings.
All GivEnergy fault guides, configuration pages, and services.
GivEnergy settings questions
The most common cause is a smart tariff connection — if you're on Octopus Intelligent, Agile, or Flux and connected your GivEnergy account, your energy provider has API access and can change settings automatically. The second most common cause is the GivBack demand response programme, which your installer may have enrolled the system in. Check givenergy.cloud → My Account → Third-Party Access and revoke any connections you didn't deliberately set up.
Yes, this is a known and recurring GivEnergy issue. Firmware updates occasionally reset specific settings to defaults — most commonly the charge window times, reserve SoC, and system mode. After any firmware update, check all your settings in givenergy.cloud and re-enter any that have reverted. This is a configuration reset, not a hardware fault.
Yes — revoke the smart tariff API connection from givenergy.cloud → My Account → Third-Party Access. Once revoked, your energy provider can no longer write to your inverter. However, smart tariff integrations are often required for the discounted rate benefits of tariffs like Octopus Intelligent. Revoking access may affect your tariff pricing — check your provider's terms before disconnecting. If you want to keep the tariff benefits but regain manual control, contact your energy provider about their override options.
If there are no smart tariff connections or GivBack enrolment, check whether a third-party tool like GivTCP or Home Assistant is writing to the inverter API on a schedule. Also check if another household member or the original installer still has portal access and is making changes. Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Event Log — this records all API write events with timestamps. If settings change at a specific time each day, a scheduled automation is responsible.
Can't work out what's changing your settings?
The GivEnergy portal event log records every settings change and its source. We can review this audit trail remotely and identify exactly which service or integration is overriding your configuration — then advise on the best way to resolve it without losing tariff benefits.
This is a brand-specific version of our general battery not charging guide, which covers all brands.