If you've configured the schedule and the battery still isn't charging or discharging as expected, a remote session reviewing your settings, active slots and portal monitoring data usually pinpoints the issue within an hour.
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Wow... a firmware update to my inverter sent the whole system into meltdown – the battery discharged, and the house seemed to be drawing power, and the solar, who knows where that was going? Aghhh... A short email exchange with Roland and Solar Tech Support sorted the problem... the firmware had reversed a setting (from when it was installed), and the CT clamp needed to be reversed. As soon as I had done that, the world returned to normal. Thanks, Roland; there is no way I would have come to that conclusion. Would I recommend them? You bet! Worth the fee? You bet, again!
Ronald was able to organise a brilliant electrician with extensive experience of GivEnergy systems local to me in the SW. I have now got a fully functioning system and suspect that my electricity bill will be substantially reduced or in credit over a year. Also when said electrician discovered an overvoltage in the my local grid, Ronald prepared a very lucid and comprehensive report of the situation which I have now supplied to my local grid. Cannot recommend Ron and Dan enough.
Called back within a day and gave good advice.
My 3-year old GivEnergy Solar/Inverter/Batteries installation went down with all generated electricity going to the grid and absolutely no help available from the Administrators! Thankfully, I found Solar Tech Support and Ron, who used to be a GivEnergy installer. His knowledge and ability are phenomenal and he sorted everything out remotely. I cannot recommend him more highly and a really pleasant guy to deal with! Very many thanks Ron!!
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There are four settings to know. Eco mode is the everyday setting and stays on. Timed Charge is a window you add alongside it. Timed Discharge and Timed Export are separate timed settings. Most owners on a cheap-rate tariff need Eco mode plus one Timed Charge window.
The everyday, solar-first setting. Surplus solar charges the battery, and the battery covers the house when solar is not enough, with the grid as a last resort. On its own it does not charge from the grid. Leave it on: a Timed Charge window works alongside it. More on Eco mode
Charges the battery from the grid during a set window, to fill it at a cheap rate (overnight, Economy 7, Octopus Go). Set a start time, end time and target SoC. The battery charges from the grid until it reaches the target. Outside the window the system reverts to Eco. Set it up
Controls when the battery supplies energy to your home. In the window the battery reacts to load: it covers the house's demand down to the target SoC you set, and the grid makes up any shortfall. It does not push power out to the grid. Timed Charge and Timed Export both override it.
Discharges the battery at full power, or at the power you set, depending on the inverter generation. That output covers the house load first, and the excess goes to the grid. Used on export tariffs (the Octopus Flux peak export window, high-rate export periods) to sell stored energy.
Eco mode is the GivEnergy default and the setting your system runs on day to day. GivEnergy's manuals describe it as putting solar and battery power to the home first, with grid power as a last resort.
When solar generation is more than the house is using, the surplus charges the battery. When solar is not enough, after dark for example, the battery covers the house load and cuts grid import. The battery works as a buffer for your solar.
Eco mode on its own does not charge the battery from the grid. If you have Octopus Go, Economy 7, Agile, Cosy or any other tariff with a cheap window, add a Timed Charge window for it. You do not switch Eco off to do this.
Eco stays on alongside the Timed Charge window. Inside the window, the battery charges from the grid up to the target SoC you set. Outside it, the system goes back to Eco: surplus solar charges the battery and the battery meets the house's demand.
On a flat-rate tariff, with the same price all day and no cheap window, Eco mode on its own is usually all you need. There is no cheaper rate to charge from.
In givenergy.cloud: My Inverters, then open your inverter, go to its Settings tab and choose Timed Charge. In the app: tap the cog icon at the top right of the home screen to open the inverter settings, then Timed Charge. Eco mode stays on: you are adding a window, not changing mode.
You do not need to pay to change these settings. Since version 4.0.5 (May 2026) the free GivEnergy app controls the inverter locally when your phone is on the same home network, with no login. The web portal and changing settings away from home are part of GivEnergy Premium.
Start and End time should match your cheap rate window exactly. Target SoC is the battery level to charge to: 100% for a full charge, or lower if you want to leave headroom for solar in the morning (80–90% is common for systems with good solar production). If your window crosses midnight, see the midnight rule below.
The slot must be enabled: a slot can be created and saved but still be inactive. In the portal each setting has its own Submit button, and nothing is saved until you press it. Confirm the slot shows as active. Inside the window the battery charges from the grid until it reaches the target. Outside it, the system reverts to Eco, charging from surplus solar and meeting demand.
Timed Discharge controls when the battery supplies energy to your home. In the window the battery reacts to load: it covers the house's demand, down to the target SoC you set. It does not force power out to the grid. Timed Export does that.
It is in the same settings area as Timed Charge. Timed Discharge slots are separate from charge slots, and you can set both. You can use more than one discharge window, each with its own target: GivEnergy's own example covers the day in three windows, with a higher target in the daytime one to keep charge back for the evening.
Start Time: when you want the battery to start powering the house (typically 16:00, after solar production drops). End Time: when you want it to stop (typically 23:00 or 23:30, before your overnight cheap window starts). Target SoC: the lowest level the battery discharges to in this window. Set 10–15% for maximum use, or 20–30% if you want to keep a small EPS reserve.
GivEnergy's own guide says “Timed Discharge is overridden by Timed Charge or Timed Export”, so an overlap means the battery charges when you meant it to power the house. Leave a gap between your Timed Discharge end and your Timed Charge start. If the Octopus Go cheap window starts at 00:30, end the Timed Discharge at 23:59.
During a Timed Export window the battery discharges at full power, or at the power you set, depending on the inverter generation. That output covers the house load first, and the excess goes to the grid. Export stops when the window ends or the battery reaches the export target you set. Timed Export overrides Timed Discharge where the two overlap. Keep Timed Export windows clear of your Timed Charge windows too: do not let the two overlap.
Timed Export pays when the export rate in the window is worth more than the cost of filling the battery, once you allow for losses and battery wear. It suits tariffs with a high export rate at set times, such as the Octopus Flux peak export window, or a variable export tariff when the price spikes.
For most homes on a fixed export rate, keeping stored energy for your own evening use usually saves more than exporting it. For tariff-by-tariff guidance, see the tariff optimisation guide.
GivEnergy's own guide is clear: charge times must sit within a single day, and charge slots cannot cross midnight. If your cheap rate starts before midnight (23:30, for instance), split the window into two slots. This applies in both the app and the portal, and it catches out many owners on time-of-use tariffs.
A single slot cannot cross midnight, so this will not give you the overnight charge you expect. Split it into two slots instead.
Two slots with the same target SoC create a continuous charge window from 23:30 to 05:30, correctly spanning midnight.
These are starting-point configurations. In every example Eco mode stays on alongside the Timed Charge window: the window fills the battery at the cheap rate, and outside it the system goes back to Eco. The Octopus times are the windows Octopus published as of October 2026, on UK clock time all year. Older agreements can have different hours, so use the ones on your own. Adjust based on your household consumption and solar production.
Agile prices change every half hour, and the cheapest slots move from day to day. Octopus publishes the next day's prices between 4pm and 8pm. A fixed Timed Charge window will not follow them. Update the window to the cheapest slots each day, or use an automation, such as GivTCP with Home Assistant, that sets it for you. Eco mode stays on alongside it.
Cosy's cheap windows are 04:00–07:00, 13:00–16:00 and 22:00–00:00, with a peak from 16:00 to 19:00. Set a Timed Charge slot for each cheap window you want to charge in, with Eco mode left on. End the late-evening slot at 23:59, because slots cannot cross midnight (see the midnight rule). Cosy is for homes with a heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators.
No Timed Charge window is needed, because there is no cheaper rate to charge from. Eco mode charges the battery from surplus solar and uses it to meet the house's demand.
Economy 7 hours vary by region and supplier. Check your bill or supplier portal for your exact cheap-rate window. Octopus windows were checked on Octopus's own pages on 25 October 2026; tariffs change, so check yours. For rates and full per-tariff configuration guides, see Tariff optimisation →
A Timed Charge and Timed Discharge slot active at the same time. Charge takes priority, so the battery charges from the grid during your intended discharge window. Review all slots across both schedule types for any time overlap.
The slot is saved and the time is set, but the slot is not enabled. The schedule view looks correct but nothing happens. Check every slot is enabled, and in the portal press Submit to save each setting.
Timed Discharge target SoC set to 80% when the battery starts at 85%, leaving only 5% usable capacity. The battery stops discharging almost immediately. Set the target to 10–15% for a full evening discharge.
Firmware updates can reset schedule slots to inactive, and can switch Eco mode back on. Eco being on is fine. After an update, check that every slot is still enabled with the right times and target SoC.
There is no need to choose between them. Leave Eco mode on and add the Timed Charge window. Outside the window, Eco charges the battery from surplus solar and meets the house's demand.
A single charge slot such as 23:30 to 05:30. Charge slots cannot cross midnight, so split it into 23:30 to 23:59 and 00:00 to 05:30. See the midnight rule.
Schedule is correct but battery still doesn't charge — causes and fixes.
See battery not charging overnight →Discharge schedule active but battery not powering the house.
See battery not discharging →Energy provider is overriding your charge schedule — how to identify and stop it.
See smart tariff lockout →All GivEnergy fault guides, configuration pages, and services.
See GivEnergy hub →If you've followed the steps above and the battery still isn't charging or discharging on schedule, a remote session reviewing your portal settings and overnight monitoring data usually resolves it in an hour. We can also optimise your schedule for your specific tariff and consumption pattern.
I’ve worked on hundreds of GivEnergy systems and know the kit inside out. If yours is playing up, my promise is simple — no fix, no fee: just £125 if we fix it, free if we don’t.
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