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Configuration guide · GivEnergy GivBack

GivEnergy GivBack Programme

GivBack is GivEnergy's grid services programme that pays battery owners to export power during high-demand events. Eligibility requires a working smart meter, a GivEnergy battery, and being in England, Wales, or Scotland. Sign up via the GivBack app — NOT through the main GivEnergy app.

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About the programme

What is GivBack?

GivBack is GivEnergy's grid services programme. It's a permanent scheme that enrolls your battery in automated grid service events — periods when the national grid operator needs to balance electricity supply and demand.

How it works: When the grid is under high demand, GivEnergy remotely controls your battery to export stored energy back to the network. In return, you earn payments from GivEnergy. Events typically occur between 4 PM and 8 PM but can happen at any time.

You can join anytime if eligible. There's no annual commitment. However, once enrolled, your battery will participate in all scheduled grid events automatically — participation is mandatory, not optional.

Completely automated. No manual intervention required during events. Your battery responds to remote signals and handles all charging and discharging automatically.

Eligibility (all required)

Working smart meter at property

SMETS2 or equivalent for your energy supplier

GivEnergy battery installed and commissioned

Includes GEN 2, GEN 3, and Hy models

Battery NOT already managed by another flexibility service

Cannot run Octopus Intelligent Flux simultaneously

Property in England, Wales, or Scotland

NOT Northern Ireland or crown dependencies

Cannot run other flexibility programmes simultaneously

GivBack only — one programme at a time

Important compatibility warning

GivBack is NOT recommended if you're on Octopus Intelligent Flux or a similar smart tariff that controls your battery.

Both GivBack and smart tariff controls issue automated commands to your battery. Running both simultaneously causes scheduling conflicts, unexpected charging patterns, and erratic battery behaviour. If you're on Octopus Intelligent, use Octopus's own grid services scheme instead. Contact your energy provider first.

Getting started

Sign-up process

1

Download the GivBack app

Available on App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). This is separate from the main GivEnergy app.

2

Register your account

Use the same email address as your main GivEnergy account for seamless linking.

3

Connect your smart meter

Required for NESO (National Electricity System Operator) compliance. You'll need your MPAN and postcode.

4

Connect your GivEnergy battery

Authorise GivBack to remotely control your battery for grid service events.

5

Specify your tariff window

If on a time-of-use tariff, enter your cheap-rate window (e.g., 11 PM–7 AM for Economy 7). GivBack uses this to optimise charging and event scheduling.

Address verification problems

"No devices at this address" error:

• Enter your address exactly as it appears on your energy bill (including any apartment/flat numbers)
• Check your postcode is correct
• Try signing up anyway — registration failure often triggers an email follow-up from GivBack support

Still unable to verify? Email GivBack support at givback@givenergy.co.uk with:

• Your full address (as on energy bill)
• Your MPAN (from energy bill or smart meter)
• Screenshot of the error message
Payments & rewards

How payments work

First payment: You'll receive your first GivBack payment approximately 3 months after your first grid event. This delay covers initial NESO settlement and payment processing.

Bank details: GivEnergy will contact you (via email or in-app notification) to request your bank account details for direct payments. Keep an eye on your inbox once events start.

Payment frequency: Subsequent payments arrive monthly via direct bank transfer to the account you provide.

Additional to FiT/SEG: GivBack payments are entirely separate from your Feed-in Tariff or Smart Export Guarantee payments. This is additional income, not a replacement.

Tariff rates unaffected: Participating in grid events does not change your electricity import or export rates. You pay the same tariff whether you participate in GivBack or not.

What happens to your schedule during events

When GivBack runs a grid service event, the system temporarily adjusts your battery's charge and discharge schedule for that event day. Here's what happens:

Algorithm temporarily adjusts charging/discharging to optimise export availability during the event window
Schedule automatically reverts after the event — your normal Timed Charge and Eco settings resume
Battery still charges from solar during events — household self-consumption is prioritised first
Only spare capacity is exported — the system never exports energy needed for your household demand
If on cheap-rate tariff: battery still charges normally during your cheap window, before and after the event
Opt out

Opting out of GivBack

Step 1: Email GivBack to opt out

Send an email to givback@givenergy.co.uk

Subject: Opt Out

Body: Your name + full address

GivBack will process your opt-out within 1–2 working days.

Step 2: Revoke OAuth token in portal (recommended)

1. Log into givenergy.cloud
2. Go to My AccountConnected Apps
3. Find the GivBack OAuth entry
4. Click Revoke

This immediately removes GivBack's remote control access to your battery.

After opt-out: Your system no longer responds to GivBack control signals. It will follow your own Eco Mode and Timed Charge schedules exclusively. You're immediately excluded from all future grid service events.

When to call STS

Call STS if:

System behaviour changed unexpectedly after signing up for GivBack (unexpected charging patterns, mode changes, etc.)
You cannot find the GivBack OAuth token to revoke in the portal's Connected Apps menu
Battery is discharging erratically with no explanation in the GivBack event log
Both GivBack and Octopus Intelligent Flux are controlling your system simultaneously (causing conflicts)
Common questions

Frequently asked questions

It's not recommended. Octopus Intelligent has its own automated battery control that conflicts with GivBack's remote dispatch signals. If both are running simultaneously, you may experience scheduling errors, unexpected charging patterns, and battery behaviour that neither system intended. Octopus runs its own separate grid services scheme — if you're on Octopus Intelligent, use theirs instead.

GivEnergy doesn't publish fixed rates — payments depend on how many grid events run, how much your battery exports during each event, and the market rate at the time. Users typically report earning £50–£200 per year, but this varies significantly based on grid demand, battery size, and usage patterns. GivBack sends a detailed earnings summary after each event.

For most events, no — grid events typically run in the afternoon/evening (4–8 PM), well before your overnight cheap-rate charging window. The system automatically reverts to your normal schedule after an event. If an event runs unusually late and your battery is lower than expected by morning, check your charge schedule still starts in time to fill the battery before peak hours.

Yes. During grid events, the system uses any spare battery capacity beyond what's needed for your household's solar self-consumption. If your panels are generating and covering your home load, the battery will export its charge to the grid. The system is smart enough not to export energy you need — it prioritises household self-consumption first.

First, check the portal event log for any "Grid Service Demand Response" entries — if none appear, your system may not have been dispatched yet (events are not guaranteed every month). Second, check the GivBack app for your participation status. Third, confirm your smart meter is still reporting correctly. If 3+ months have passed with zero events, contact givback@givenergy.co.uk to check your registration status.

Two steps: (1) Email givback@givenergy.co.uk with subject "Opt Out" including your name and address. (2) Log into the GivEnergy portal → My Account → Connected Apps → find the GivBack OAuth entry → click Revoke. Once revoked, GivBack no longer has remote control access and your system returns to following your own schedule exclusively.

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