Very very helpfuland so quick. Made sure that a non expert like myself understood what the problem was and how to resolve it.
Declan S · Jun 2026 Trustpilot
Fault guide · GivEnergy battery
GivEnergy Battery Not Charging Overnight — Diagnostic Guide
Battery stays empty overnight despite cheap-rate electricity being available. This is the most common GivEnergy support call — and in most cases the cause is a settings error, not a hardware fault. This guide covers every cause in order of likelihood. If it won't charge from solar during the day instead, see GivEnergy battery not charging from solar.
Free remote diagnostic £125 only if we fix it remotely
- Written from real diagnostic experience
- Covers LV and HV GivEnergy battery systems
- Octopus Go, Agile, Intelligent and flat-rate tariffs
Worked through this and still not charging?
Battery charging faults are hard to diagnose without access to monitoring logs. We review your charge/discharge data, CT clamp readings, and schedule settings to find the exact cause — most are fixed remotely.
Book your free remote diagnosticGivEnergy hubNot affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd. Independent diagnosis and repair.
Ron is truly a gem. Logged into my GivEnergy system remotely, dignosed a faulty cell in the battery, providing clear explanation, including screen grabs. Offered advice of companies I could use to fix battery. All completed over WhatsApp with clear, precise & friendly comms. Stayed true to company statement/ethos "We dont fix it, you dont pay" and didn't charge me aynthing. 100% recommend if you have any issues with your solar system.
Greg Bowie · Sep 2026 Google
Superb work from Ronald. Cannot recommend highly enough. Figured out my problem late into night, going above and beyond! Many thanks to him
rohit s · Jul 2026 Google
My installer put me through Hell with so botched install that you can not imagine Than Ron came , He did not managed to do miracles (because my system components were impossible to work together) and he Gave me a detailed report of what is wrong , why is wrong , why can not be fixed etc. with all the details which I can use in a claim. Without His his help knowledge and attitude I would've been lost
Boris · Oct 2026 Trustpilot
Our SolarEdge PV system with LG batteries had its first hiccup after 8 years of hard work. The Inverter failed. Fortunately I found Solar-Tech-Support who diagnosed the problem very quickly, ordered a replacement unit and fitted it shortly after we received the unit from SolarEdge. Very thorough and professional approach. Thank you, a solid 5 star recommendation.
Les Bennett · Jun 2026 Google
I left an enquiry few days ago and got a call back today from Ron. I have FoxESS battery and inverter that seemed not doing the right job and after only few questions, Ron told me exactly what I need to do to restart my system, without even seeing it. After almost 2 weeks of not being able to use my FoxESS equipment, today is finally up and running. Very professional and knowledgeable. Thanks Ron
Micky Mihaela · Aug 2026 Google
Start here
3 things to check before anything else
These three checks take under two minutes and eliminate the most common causes immediately.
1
Check a Timed Charge window is set and enabled
Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → System Mode Settings. Eco Mode on its own does not charge the battery from the grid: it charges from surplus solar and discharges to meet house demand. To charge on a cheap rate you also need a Timed Charge window, with Eco left on. Check the slot is enabled, its start and end times match your cheap-rate hours, and its target SoC is where you want it. A missing or disabled charge window accounts for the majority of overnight charging failures. No web portal? The free GivEnergy app can set charge slots in local mode, with your phone on the same home network as the inverter.
2
Check the battery SoC at the start of your cheap-rate window
Look at your monitoring data for the moment your cheap-rate window begins. If the battery is already at or near the target SoC, GivEnergy will not charge it further — the system considers the job done. If the battery starts the night at 90% and your target is 90%, nothing will happen. Lower the start-of-night minimum or raise the charge target.
3
Check whether the battery is paused via Remote Control
GivEnergy has a "Pause Battery" feature that stops all charging and discharging immediately. It's easy to activate accidentally. In the portal go to My Inverter → Remote Control → Battery and check the Pause Battery setting. It should show Not paused. If it shows "Paused", this is your problem — the battery is deliberately halted regardless of your schedule or system mode.
4
Check whether this stopped after a firmware update
GivEnergy firmware updates can silently reset system mode settings back to defaults — including wiping your Timed Charge window. Open the portal and check: is your Timed Charge window still there and enabled? Are the times still correct? If a recent update cleared or changed your schedule, re-entering the settings will fix it immediately.
Safety: Do not open the inverter or battery enclosure. All checks on this page are done through the portal, app, or inverter display only. If you suspect a wiring fault, contact a qualified engineer — do not investigate live electrical connections yourself.
Cause 1 — most common
Most common
No Timed Charge window: Eco Mode alone won't charge from the grid
Eco Mode is designed to minimise grid import. It charges the battery from surplus solar and discharges it to meet house demand, but on its own it does not charge the battery from the grid. If you're on a time-of-use tariff and want overnight charging, set a Timed Charge window as well and leave Eco on. Inside the window the battery charges from the grid. Outside it, the system goes back to Eco.
No grid charging
Eco Mode on its own
Charges the battery from surplus solar and discharges it to meet house demand. Does not charge from the grid at cheap rates, because there is no charge window for it to follow.
Enough for: flat-rate tariffs where you just want solar stored and used, with no overnight grid charging.
Correct for overnight charging
Eco Mode plus a Timed Charge window
Inside the window you set, the battery charges from the grid up to the target SoC. Outside the window the system goes back to Eco, charging from surplus solar and meeting house demand.
Correct for: Octopus Go, Agile, Flux, or any tariff where you want to fill the battery at cheap overnight rates.
How to set Timed Charge correctly
1
Open the GivEnergy portal — My Inverter → System Mode Settings
Log into givenergy.cloud, click My Inverter, then navigate to System Mode Settings. You'll see the inverter's settings, including Eco and Timed Charge.
2
Open Timed Charge and set your window
Click Timed Charge. Set the start and end time to match your cheap-rate hours exactly. Common windows: Octopus Flux off-peak 02:00–05:00 · Economy 7 approximately 00:30–07:30 (check your bill). Octopus Go windows vary by Go variant, so take the hours from your own tariff agreement rather than a guide. Set the target SoC to 100% unless you have a reason to limit it. Leave Eco switched on.
3
Enable the slot, press Submit and check it saved
Make sure the slot is enabled, then press Submit. Refresh the System Mode Settings page and confirm Timed Charge shows your window and Eco is still on. The change applies from the next charging window: nothing happens until the scheduled time arrives.
4
Check the portal the following morning
After the first overnight window, check your monitoring data. You should see grid import during the Timed Charge window and battery SoC climbing. If SoC still didn't move, the setting may not have saved, or there's a secondary cause — continue through the rest of this guide.
Cause 2 — second most common
Very common
CT clamp installed backwards — inverter misreads the grid
A CT clamp installed in the wrong direction is one of the most frequently missed installation errors on GivEnergy systems. It causes the inverter to read import as export and export as import — which directly prevents charging from activating correctly even when Timed Charge is set up properly.
How to tell if you have a CT clamp error
Signs in your portal data
→Grid shows as a positive figure (export on GivEnergy) at night when you know you're importing
→Home consumption shows as negative or unrealistically low
→During Timed Charge window, battery SoC doesn't increase despite grid showing import
→Battery charges during the day when you'd expect it to export solar
The clearest test
At night with no solar generation, note the grid figure in the GivEnergy portal, then turn on several high-power appliances (kettle, oven, electric shower). GivEnergy shows import as a negative number, so a quiet house should already read negative (roughly -100 to -500 W), and the figure should move further negative as the load comes on. If it sits positive at night, or moves the other way towards export as you add load, the CT clamp is backwards.
Do not reposition the CT clamp yourself. CT clamps sit on live cables in your consumer unit or at the meter tails — these carry live voltage at all times. This is not a homeowner task. The fix requires a qualified engineer to physically reorient the clamp. A remote diagnostic can confirm whether a CT clamp error is present before you book a site visit — saving you a callout if it turns out to be something else.
Full guide
GivEnergy CT clamp direction — full guide
How CT clamps work, how to identify a direction error from portal data, and the correct fix process.
Read the CT clamp guide →
Cause 3
Common
SoC limits — battery already at target or headroom is blocked
GivEnergy will not charge the battery beyond the maximum SoC you've set, and won't charge at all if the battery is already at or above the charge target. Two different settings control this — and either can silently block overnight charging.
CHECK THIS
Operating Range — maximum SoC
In Battery Options, the Operating Range slider sets the maximum charge level. If this is set to 80%, the battery will never charge above 80% — even during Timed Charge. Check this is set to 100% (or your desired maximum) in the portal under My Inverter → System Mode Settings → Battery Options.
Where to find it: givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → System Mode Settings → Battery Options → Operating Range slider
CHECK THIS
Starting SoC before the charge window
If the battery is already at 90% when the cheap-rate window starts and your target is 90%, the system sees no work to do and does nothing. Check your monitoring data to see what SoC the battery is at when your charge window begins. Ensure there's meaningful headroom (at least 20–30%) for the system to fill.
How to check: In the portal, view your battery SoC graph for the previous night. Look at the SoC value at the moment your charge window is supposed to start.
Cause 4
Common after updates
Firmware update reset your charge schedule
GivEnergy firmware updates occasionally reset settings to factory defaults, wiping your Timed Charge window. If overnight charging was working and then suddenly stopped, and you didn't change any settings, a firmware update is a prime suspect.
How to tell if a firmware update caused this
→Check the portal: is your Timed Charge slot still enabled?
→Is your Timed Charge window blank or showing different hours from what you set?
→Did the charging stop abruptly overnight — not gradually degrading, but stopping completely from one night to the next?
→Check the firmware version in the portal (My Inverter). If it changed recently, a firmware update is likely the trigger.
Fix: re-enter your settings
If a firmware update reset your settings, the fix is simply to re-enter them in the portal. Go to System Mode Settings, re-enter your Timed Charge window times, check the slot is enabled and Eco is on, and press Submit. This is not a hardware fault.
Don't run another update from the GivEnergy portal or app to try to fix it. We don't advise self-service updates. We update firmware manually, to our own written procedures, with the right file for your inverter and battery: on a callout, or by talking you or your electrician through it remotely. If you think your system needs an update, contact us.
Tip: Note down your system mode settings somewhere offline (charge window start/end times, target SoC, discharge settings) so you can restore them quickly if a future update resets them again.
Related guide
GivEnergy firmware updates
What to do when a firmware update breaks your system — settings resets, new fault codes, and when not to update.
Read the firmware guide →
Cause 5 — tariff-specific
Tariff-specific
Tariff configuration — settings that work on one tariff fail on another
Different Octopus and other smart tariffs require different GivEnergy configurations. Settings that worked perfectly on a previous tariff can cause overnight charging failures when you switch to a new one.
OCTOPUS GO
Fixed cheap window
Set Timed Charge to your Go cheap window. That window is currently 00:30–05:30, five hours. Legacy and regional variants exist, including the older four-hour 00:30–04:30, so use the hours in your own tariff agreement. Target SoC 100%. Leave Eco on: after the window ends, the system goes back to Eco and the stored energy covers the house through the peak hours.
Common mistake: rounding the start back to 00:00 when your cheap rate begins later, so the first part of the window imports at the standard rate.
OCTOPUS INTELLIGENT
Smart dispatch
Some GivEnergy models integrate natively with Intelligent. Check the Octopus app — if your inverter is listed as compatible, let Intelligent control charging automatically and set GivEnergy to Eco Mode.
If not natively supported, use Timed Charge for the Intelligent Octopus Go off-peak period of 23:30–05:30. A GivEnergy slot cannot cross midnight, so split it: 23:30–23:59 and 00:00–05:30.
OCTOPUS AGILE
Variable pricing
Static Timed Charge windows aren't optimal on Agile — prices vary half-hourly. For basic setup, use a broad Timed Charge window of 00:00–06:00 to catch the typically cheapest overnight slots.
For full optimisation, GivTCP with Home Assistant can automate dispatch based on live Agile prices.
Cause 6 — hardware
Less common — but real
BMS fault or battery hardware issue
If you've confirmed the system mode, CT clamp, SoC limits, and firmware are all correct and the battery still won't charge, the fault may be inside the battery itself. BMS faults, cell imbalance, and over-temperature protection events can all prevent charging without producing an obvious error code in the portal.
Signs pointing to a BMS or hardware fault
→All settings appear correct but battery SoC remains static overnight
→Battery charged fine for months and then abruptly stopped with no settings changes
→Solid red status light on the battery unit itself (flashing red on a Gen 1 or Gen 2 battery means very low charge, not a fault)
→Amber status light on the battery: the BMS is not talking to the inverter (see BMS Comm Fail below)
→Fault codes visible in the portal event log related to battery or BMS
→Battery appears to charge briefly then stops before reaching target SoC
→Cold weather coincides with the fault — GivEnergy batteries have thermal protection that suspends charging below 0 °C to prevent damage
BMS lock state — low temperature protection
GivEnergy lithium batteries include built-in low-temperature protection. If the battery cell temperature drops below approximately 0 °C, the Battery Management System (BMS) will refuse to accept a charge current to prevent lithium plating and long-term cell damage. This is expected behaviour — not a fault.
The battery will resume charging automatically once the temperature rises above the threshold. If your battery is installed in an uninsulated garage or outbuilding and charging stops during cold spells, check the temperature in the portal event log — temperature-related BMS events will show clearly.
Note: If the BMS locks out frequently due to temperature, consider insulating the battery enclosure. GivEnergy do not recommend outdoor installations in exposed, unheated environments.
What to do
Do not open the battery enclosure. Check the portal event log (My Inverter → Event Log) for any recent fault codes. Note the exact code and check the GivEnergy fault code index for its meaning.
Batteries installed from 11 September 2023 carried GivEnergy's 12-year warranty. Earlier ones carried 10 years at 70% capacity, on the terms in your own paperwork. However, GivEnergy Ltd entered administration on 9 April 2026 and the administrator has been explicit that "no further hardware warranties will be honoured by GivEnergy Ltd". A direct hardware claim against GivEnergy Ltd is unlikely to succeed. Routes that may still be open are workmanship cover from your installer if they are still trading, an insurance-backed guarantee, Section 75 if you paid by credit card, or MCS Consumer Code redress if the installation was MCS-certified; our GivEnergy warranty page walks through each one. We can still provide a written engineer report identifying the fault, which helps evidence a claim on any of those routes. And if the pack turns out to be beyond economic repair, we supply and install replacement GivEnergy batteries at one fixed price per unit.
Book a diagnostic to confirmBattery behaviour is hard to diagnose without monitoring data
We review your charge/discharge logs, CT clamp readings, and schedule settings to find the exact cause. Most GivEnergy battery faults are fixed remotely in a single session.
Related GivEnergy pages
Tariff optimisation
Configure GivEnergy for every major tariff — Go, Agile, Intelligent, Economy 7.
See tariff optimisation →CT clamp direction
How to identify and confirm a CT clamp direction error from portal data.
See CT clamp direction →Firmware updates
What to do when a firmware update breaks settings or behaviour.
See firmware updates →DC MCB tripping
If the battery isolator has tripped, the battery can't charge at all — check this first.
See DC MCB tripping →This is a brand-specific version of our general battery not charging guide, which covers all brands.
GivEnergy battery charging questions
If the battery charges from solar but not from the grid overnight, the most likely cause is that no Timed Charge window is set, or the one you set is disabled or has the wrong times. Eco Mode on its own charges from surplus solar but does not charge from the grid. Set a Timed Charge window matching your cheap-rate hours and leave Eco on: inside the window the battery charges from the grid, and outside it the system goes back to Eco. The fact that solar charging works confirms the battery itself is fine, so this is a settings issue.
If Timed Charge is confirmed active with the correct window and the battery still won't charge, the next most likely causes in order are: CT clamp direction error (check if grid readings look inverted in portal), SoC already at target (check the battery level when the window starts), or a BMS/communication fault (check the event log for error codes). A remote diagnostic reviewing your overnight monitoring data is the fastest way to identify which it is.
Yes. Eco Mode stays on alongside a Timed Charge window, and that is the normal setup for a cheap overnight rate. Inside the window the battery charges from the grid up to your target SoC. Outside the window the system goes back to Eco, charging from surplus solar and meeting house demand. You do not need to switch modes by hand. Check the charge slot is enabled, its times match your tariff, and it does not cross midnight: split a window such as 23:30–05:30 into 23:30–23:59 and 00:00–05:30.
Yes. GivEnergy batteries have built-in low-temperature protection. If the battery cell temperature drops below approximately 0 °C, the Battery Management System (BMS) will refuse charging to prevent lithium plating and cell damage. This is normal protective behaviour, not a fault. The battery will resume charging once it warms up. If your battery is installed in an uninsulated outbuilding or garage, this can be a recurring problem in winter — consider insulating the space around the battery.
An app update on your phone doesn't change inverter settings: the settings are stored in the inverter itself, not in the app. However, a firmware update to the inverter (which can happen automatically) can reset them. Check the charge settings in the app or the portal (givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → System Mode Settings). If the mode has changed or the charge window is blank, a firmware update reset it and you need to re-enter your settings.
The remote diagnostic is free — send us what the portal shows overnight and we'll review your monitoring data, system mode, and CT clamp readings at no charge. If it's something we can put right remotely, like setting up your Timed Charge window, fixing the charge times, or correcting a settings reset, the fix is a flat £125 — and if we can't fix it remotely, there's nothing to pay. The only time it costs more is if the log points to a physical fault, such as a backwards CT clamp that needs re-clipping, which we'd quote up front from £295 for an on-site visit. You'll always know the price before any work starts. Full pricing →
Usually the same day. Most overnight-charging faults are settings — a missing or disabled Timed Charge window, charge times that don't match your tariff, or an Operating Range cap — and those we can correct remotely as soon as we've reviewed your data, so you're charging on the very next cheap-rate window. If it turns out to be a CT clamp installed backwards or a hardware fault that needs hands-on work, we'll book the earliest on-site slot rather than leave you paying full rate for grid electricity. Either way you get a written report you can keep.
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Still not charging? We'll find the cause.
Tell us what you're seeing — what mode you're on, what the monitoring shows overnight, and what you've already tried. We'll review your data and come back with a clear diagnosis.
- Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd
- Free remote diagnostic — pay only if we fix it
- Most GivEnergy battery faults fixed remotely
GivEnergy support · UK-wide
GivEnergy problems? Remote fixes: no fix, no fee.
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.
Ronald Director, Solar Tech Support
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