Tell us your Powerwall model, what the Tesla app shows for solar generation and house load, and whether you're on a smart tariff. We review app data and Gateway configuration remotely.
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Amazing! I was having trouble with a flat GivEnergy battery and solar panels not working. I contacted through WhatsApp and we managed to get it all sorted within a couple of days! Super fast service. I can’t thank you enough for your help when my installer didn’t want to know and GivEnergy has gone in to administration! I know where to go if anything happens again!
We reached out to Solar Technical Support after our solar energy system stopped working. As GivEnergy 'solar orphans,' we have been extremely pleased with the service from STS - our system was back up and working within a day of us contacting them. We found other solar engineers reluctant or unable to help us, so it has been great to find this organisation. We would definitely use them again and would recommend them to anyone, especially GivEnergy orphans!
The Solar Tech Support company was the only one to respond to a request for someone to supply and fit a new inverter for our solar panels after our old one finally expired after 26 years. Ron kept us well informed throughout, came and ascertained that the issue was down to the inverter having failed then sourced and fitted a new one. He got the system up and running again, set up the wi-fi performance feedback and took away the old inverter for disposal. By acting promptly and fitting the job around existing commitments we were able to get our solar power unit back in operation with minimal delay in the short while before we were due to go away for a week. The work was carried out very professionally and we were asked to confirm that all was in order the following day. I was impressed that, having recently taken on additional work for GivEnergy customers we were able to keep our solar panel down-time to a minimum. I would highly recommend for prompt attention and first-rate service.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration. So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
Following the storm my givenergy system was effectively useless. I contacted STS after seeing other reviews and recommendations and they delivered. My system was a challenging one, but is now back working as it was - this was all done remotely by them using their own software and expertise. Great service, thank you!
Within an hour they were online and after less than another hour had it all sorted. Good communication throughout.
Work through these steps in order. Step 1 catches mode misconfigurations. Step 2 addresses backup reserve settings. Steps 3–6 cover CT orientation, export settings, Octopus tariff configuration, and firmware issues.
Open the Tesla app → Settings → Customize. The mode should be Self-Powered for most UK homeowners without a smart tariff, or Time-Based Control for Octopus customers. Self-Powered mode charges from excess solar and discharges to cover house load. Time-Based Control follows a tariff schedule. If the mode is set to Backup Only or Cost Savings, the battery will not self-consume as expected during normal operation. Verify the correct mode is active for your situation.
In Self-Powered mode, the percentage slider sets the backup reserve — the state of charge below which the battery stops discharging for daily use and reserves power for emergencies. If set to 100%, the battery never discharges because all capacity is reserved and will not self-consume. Set to 20% for a balance of daily self-consumption and backup protection. Values above 50% will severely limit how much solar energy is used for daily loads.
A backwards load/site CT causes the Gateway to misread house consumption — it thinks the house uses less power than it actually does, so the battery won't discharge enough and will sit full, exporting excess instead. A backwards solar CT means the system thinks solar isn't generating. Check the energy flow diagram in the Tesla app — values should match your inverter's monitoring app and main meter. If readings don't match, the CT is likely reversed 180 degrees and needs rotating, which requires an electrician.
Go to Settings > Customize > Energy Exports. If set to "Everything", the system exports all excess once the battery is full — this is normal. If set to "Solar Only", only solar-generated energy exports and grid-charged energy is reserved. Check Grid Charging — if restricted, the battery cannot charge from grid for off-peak tariffs. For Time-Based Control with smart tariffs, Grid Charging must be enabled. Export may also be capped by G98/G99 compliance rules depending on your location.
For Octopus Go: use Time-Based Control with an off-peak window taken from your own tariff agreement. The Go window is currently 00:30-05:30, five hours; legacy and regional variants exist, including the older four-hour 00:30-04:30. Intelligent Go is a separate tariff and uses 23:30-05:30. For Octopus Flux: Octopus controls the battery directly via their integration — you lose Tesla app control but gain VPP optimisation. For Octopus Agile: use Time-Based Control with a third-party integration like Home Assistant. Grid Charging must be enabled for any tariff that charges from grid overnight. Time windows must precisely match your tariff to avoid wasting cheap-rate energy.
Firmware updates can occasionally reset mode settings or introduce bugs. Check current firmware version in Tesla app > Settings. If the issue started after an update, a power cycle may help: turn off the Gateway circuit breaker, wait 30 seconds, turn it back on. Allow 5 minutes for reconnection. If the issue persists, the mode or schedule likely needs reconfiguring. Contact STS for a remote diagnostic — we review your Tesla app data, energy history, and Gateway configuration.
Self-consumption is the practice of using stored solar energy to power your home, avoiding expensive grid imports during peak times. When your solar panels generate excess energy during the day, the Powerwall stores it. When the sun sets or clouds pass over, the battery discharges to cover your household load, reducing reliance on the grid. Optimising self-consumption is the primary goal for most UK homeowners — it maximises the benefit of your solar investment and reduces bills. A misconfigured system can undo these savings by exporting excess instead of storing it.
UK smart tariff landscape: Octopus dominates the UK smart tariff market with flexible products like Octopus Go, Octopus Flux, and Octopus Agile. Tesla Powerwall integrates well with these tariffs, but configuration is complex — mode selection, time windows, grid charging, and export restrictions must all align. Incorrect setup can result in the battery charging when power is expensive, discharging when it should charge, or missing tariff opportunities entirely. STS helps homeowners configure these settings remotely, ensuring the Powerwall works in harmony with their tariff.
If you have checked the mode, backup reserve, CT orientation, and tariff settings — and the Powerwall still won't self-consume as expected — the issue may be a Gateway metering fault, a firmware bug, or a misconfigured automation. We review your Tesla app data, energy history, and Gateway configuration remotely. Independent from Tesla and your installer.
Due to unprecedented demand we’re currently only carrying out on-site work in Yorkshire, and replies are taking up to 7 days. Remote diagnostics continue for the whole UK as normal.
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