Hi @Scoob101 , do you have any older versions of the brochure? Our install was March 2023 and I’m looking for the brochure around/before that time, to check the wording.
TIA
Original url where promotional material was held claiming portal would be free forever
GivEnergy-Portal-brochure-AUS.pdf
What the EULA says:
- All apps are Standard Tier unless otherwise stated.
- ** Standard Tier apps are free during the Warranty Period**.
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I’ve had my inverter and 1st battery since 2022 - are there any brochures back to then?
You dont need them.
The proposed changes are a clear breach of the EULA - so cite that.
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This is perhaps a good point - but maybe they should turn around customer and installer support as a priority.
If ongoing charges for customers is a way forward, then this should be for new customers - with an more enhanced software monitoring product for them.
Give existing customer the option to upgrade on a try before you buy the upgrade option or return to their old version.
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Anybody who assumes bringing in a few hundred grand from subscriptions is going to magically fix software support and assure manufacturers hardware warranties are honoured is misguided.
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Google for givenergy jobs, then look at reviews from some current and past employee’s. Staff retention issues, management issues in all sectors. If anyone senior at Giv wants to really change things it would help to make some kind of public statement, post on socials and their own forums. tell us the master plan to get installers back onboard… no installers no income no giv
You may be referring to me as the dude who may be a plant? I am nothing to do with GivEnergy, other than I have a full system installed and I’d rather GE survived than went under so that if my inverter pops or something I stand a chance of getting the system back up again. I’m just a pragmatist.
GivEnergy have 5 separate Limited companies listed in the UK, and they have made recent changes to directors and staff hopefully to improve future success. However like all UK businesses they will have been hit with all the governments increased costs, regulations and energy prices. But it appears one of the reasons for their need to find ways to increase revenue is because they produce well engineered high quality products which attract a higher selling price. But it appears someone at the company didn’t account for or anticipate the big influx of similar but cheaper imported products (from guess where) which of course are more attractive to many installers proffitts. I guess the level of income that can be made from subscriptions will depend on how many customers pay and the cost if they manage to legally implement the charge. I have only had my system 18 months so like most are not at all happy with the prospect of a subscription but the alternative of the company going bust would be a big problem for many. Unfortunately it now seems manufacturers don’t just want to sell you a product they want you to keep paying for it afterwards with subscriptions. The information about GE is all available on the companies house website if you want a boring read.
Wow you really are angry. Why so angry at me? You can simply make your own mind up how you want to play it, just as I have done. We clearly disagree but I’m not angry at you, I just resent the aggressive tone.
Anyway I see on the GE Facebook page almost everyone feels the same as I do, that it’s worth paying a fiver a month to keep my very expensive system running as long as possible. You bought your car and you pay to have it serviced every year. Why not pay a maintenance fee, if that’s what it takes?
@stevepd
You’ll be able to connect to your inverter/batteries locally via your home wifi but you will lose access to make changes remotely as well as losing access to the API. The API is important if you use third party tools to monitor your system, like allowing your energy provider to optimise your charge/discharge settings automatically via Intelligent Tariffs, or if you use a third party virtual power plant like Axel energy to earn money by allowing remote use of your batteries to help balance the grid.
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Thanks for the info, email sent.
@takahashi To connect locally will need additional kit or other app, givenergy do not provide a off internet option. A paywall could technically cut us off from our kit on local wifi or not.
@ everyone else
I am surprised by the number of people thinking this fee system may “save” givenergy. But there are various issues that strongly suggest givenergy domestic side is basically done
1 installers wont touch them, no installers no sales no income for domestic side
2 even if installers wanted to install their kit stockist are not replacing stock and some stockists have removed givenery as a listed product
3 google givenergy jobs, then read the reviews from past and current staff
Suggesting a subscription model might be to keep the lights turned on for existing customers. However support and warranty RMA’s appear to be non existent. I think it is on speakev but I have seen posts from people suggesting distributors have been told not to replace RMA’s. That suggests distributors are worried they are not going to be paid by giv for the stock. Givenergy leadership really need to step up and explain a plan to fix this if they are intending to try.
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As with most others, I am shocked and disappointed at even the suggestion of doing this to existing customers. I could understand applying it to new customer going forward as that is a business choice and customers would have the freedom to choose or not.
Personally I purchased a system for my current small house as I wanted to experience and learn how they worked ahead of building a large eco home. I was all set to design and build a large, commercial scale solar, wind and battery system using GivEnergy. Not so sure now.
The email that came out is somewhat unclear. For me it is key whether local control will be possible via a GiveEnergy app, or whether this will only be possible via some third party app we have to find and configure. Or whether they will publish the local API to the hardware. If it is the former and the app will work with all it’s controls on the local network then there will be ways around remote control, such as VPN-ing back to your premises and then using local control (although this may depend on the detail of how their system determines ‘local’).
This won’t help API automations with energy providers, however I found the Octopus integration to be quite poor - it optimised discharging for them, not for optimal cost for me, so i’d found a largely static manual configration that it near financially optimal.
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Thank you: I have written to GE as suggested.
This is likely to affect this:
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Ah so thats that then. Will have to wait for the contact details of any appointed Administrator and see what if any claims can be made.
Now to prey there is news soon regarding the web portal and giv servers, and hopefully a local control app!
This is sad news because they were a good British product. I blame China for this as most products there a heavily subsidised by the government so it’s impossible to compete with them. It’s a form of stealth tariff, perhaps we can understand Trumps tariffs better now!
I agree that they have produced good products but I think the blame lies with GivEnergy because they failed to keep their customers happy. If they had a better customer relations department, maybe their loyal customers would have been more supportive of paying for ongoing access to their API servers.
Revoking the API doesn’t unlock your Battery. It’s essentially the same as throwing someone’s key away, after they locked your house. Still have to unlock the door.
I have confirmation from GE that the only way to unlock your battery/inverter is if Octopus sends an UNLOCK Command or if GE does it for you. Otherwise your battery remains locked FOREVER, the locking doesn’t have an expiration date, even though it allows for it.
You were very lucky if your system reverted to full access on your end, just by revoking the API access.
No idea why they implemented this in the first place. No other battery manufacturer does. Octopus WILL override your Tesla PW3, but once the controlling session has finished, Tesla goes back to default. Our GE’s remain in IDLE mode FOREVER, so no powering your home overnight, not charging nothing, until Octopus sends another command.
There is a pattern here with the “FOREVER”, apparently not for GE though when it comes to support, updates and cloud access..