If you're not sure which service has control or whether revoking access will affect your tariff, we can review your portal connections and event log remotely and advise on the best approach for your specific setup and tariff.
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When you connect a smart tariff to a GivEnergy inverter, you grant the energy provider's systems API access to read and write inverter settings. This is how the tariff works — it dispatches charge and discharge commands based on grid pricing, demand forecasts, or network requirements. The "lockout" is what happens when the provider actively holds control of certain settings, making them unavailable for manual editing.
A smart tariff lockout is intentional — it is the tariff integration working as designed. The energy provider needs exclusive control of certain settings to deliver its service reliably. It becomes a problem when homeowners want manual control but didn't realise they surrendered it when they connected the tariff.
Different tariffs lock different settings. Typically: charge window times, system mode, and sometimes discharge windows. Reserve SoC and export limits are usually not affected. The greyed-out settings in the portal are the ones under provider control.
API access can be removed at givenergy.cloud/account-settings/security, the address GivEnergy Software gives for removing a connected service, at any time. Revoking immediately restores manual control of all settings. The question is whether doing so affects your tariff rate or benefits — this is covered in the alternatives section.
GivEnergy has official API integrations with several UK energy providers. Each uses the integration differently — some are aggressive, others are hands-off.
Sets overnight charge windows based on its dispatch schedule. May override system mode during dispatch periods. Controls charge rate and target SoC for overnight sessions. Does not typically lock discharge settings.
Manual control of discharge windows, reserve SoC, and export limit. Some homeowners find they can set a Timed Discharge window for peak hours and Intelligent manages overnight charging around it — though this is not officially supported.
Sets charge windows aligned to the cheap overnight period (02:00–05:00) and discharge/export windows aligned to the expensive peak period (16:00–19:00). The schedule is fixed to the Flux price periods and does not vary daily.
Reserve SoC, export limit, and manual override outside the Flux windows. Flux's schedule is predictable — you can plan around it once you understand the three price periods.
The Agile GivEnergy integration sets charge windows during the cheapest rate periods of the coming day. Control is less aggressive than Intelligent — it primarily sets when to charge rather than locking the full settings interface.
Agile's smart features are generally optional. If you prefer to manage scheduling yourself based on the Agile price feed, you can disconnect the integration and use GivTCP or Home Assistant for more granular control.
If you try to edit a setting and the input field is not clickable, or the edit button is absent, that setting is under external control. This is the clearest sign of an active lockout. The portal may display a small indicator (padlock icon or info text) explaining that the setting is managed by a connected service.
If you can edit a setting but it reverts to a specific value within 5–15 minutes, an active API connection is pushing its value back. The reverted value will match what the energy provider requires for its current dispatch. If settings revert hours later or overnight instead, something else is more likely to be writing to the inverter, such as a grid event, a firmware reset or a home automation; our settings changing themselves guide works through those.
Log in at givenergy.cloud/account-settings/security, the address GivEnergy Software gives for removing a connected service. If an energy provider is listed there with an active connection, that provider has API access. The connection date shows when access was granted — if it coincides with when your settings started changing, that is the cause.
This is the process most people get wrong. You must contact your energy provider before removing the API link — not after. Removing the link first blocks the unlock command from reaching your inverter.
Do not revoke the API link before getting confirmation
Only your energy provider can send the unlock command to your inverter. If you delete the API key or remove the device from the provider's app first, the unlock command has no path to reach your system — and the lockout stays in place. Keep the link active throughout the process.
Call or email your energy provider (Octopus, Ovo, etc.) and ask them to send an unlock command to your GivEnergy system. GivEnergy cannot do this — only the provider who applied the lockout can remove it. Lockouts are a feature of the tariff agreement, not a GivEnergy fault.
While waiting for confirmation, do not delete the GivEnergy API key from the provider's platform, remove the provider's access at givenergy.cloud/account-settings/security, or remove the GivEnergy device from the provider's app. The unlock command travels through this exact link — severing it before confirmation means the command cannot reach your inverter.
After the provider confirms the unlock has succeeded: remove the provider's access at givenergy.cloud/account-settings/security, the address GivEnergy Software gives for removing a connected service. Also go into the energy provider's app and remove the GivEnergy device from their smart charging settings. Then re-enter your charge schedule, system mode, and reserve SoC in the GivEnergy app or the portal.
Revoking the smart tariff connection is not always the right answer — it depends on what benefits the integration provides and what alternatives exist. Here are the main options.
If the tariff integration is working well and you are seeing bill savings, the lockout may be acceptable. Most integrations only lock charge settings — discharge, reserve SoC, and export limit usually remain editable. Set your discharge windows and reserve level manually, and let the tariff manage overnight charging.
GivTCP provides local API access to your GivEnergy inverter and, combined with Home Assistant automations, can implement sophisticated charge/discharge logic based on Agile pricing, solar forecast, or time of day — without relying on the energy provider's cloud integration. This gives full control while still optimising for tariff rates.
Disconnect the integration and manually set your Timed Charge window to match your tariff's cheap-rate hours, leaving Eco mode on so the system goes back to Eco outside the window. For Economy 7 and Octopus Go this is straightforward (fixed overnight window). For Agile this is less efficient (rates vary daily) but may be acceptable if you are on a flat-ish rate arrangement.
If the smart tariff integration is causing problems and the bill savings don't justify the loss of control, switching to a simpler tariff (Octopus Go, Economy 7, or a flat-rate time-of-use tariff) gives you a fixed cheap window to set in the schedule manually — without any API integration.
Broader guide to why GivEnergy settings revert — including firmware resets and third-party integrations.
See settings changing themselves →Setting up Timed Charge, Discharge, and Export schedules after taking back manual control.
See charge schedule setup →If the battery shows charge but the house is still running from the grid.
See battery not discharging →All GivEnergy fault guides, configuration pages, and services.
See GivEnergy hub →This is a brand-specific version of our general battery not charging guide, which covers all brands.
We can review your portal connections, API access log, and tariff setup remotely and advise on exactly what has control, what it's doing, and the best options for your specific tariff and usage 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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