GivEnergy E.On Battery Update

Just got an email about a new battery update for my GivEnergy battery purchased from E.ON

A new software update is available for your GivEnergy battery pack purchased from E.ON. The update has been designed to improve the performance of your battery.

We want to make sure you are happy for us to deploy the update. Once we have confirmation of this, we will attempt to update your battery pack at midnight. Once the update is complete, your battery will perform a calibration cycle which will allow it to learn its new upper and lower limits. During the calibration, you will see the battery start to discharge until it is empty. The battery will then start to charge until it is full. Once the calibration cycle is complete, your system will automatically switch into normal operation.

Please do not switch off any part of the system during this calibration period. Receiving the update will not affect any of your product warranties.

To help us identify whether you’d like to receive the update or not, please click the button below where you can confirm your choice.

The opt in/out link is:
https://givenergy.cloud/eon-firmware-update
but it doesn't work.

No sign of an update in my app.

Anyone else's works ?

same here i tried and get the same

Its just let me do it now. must have been a bit of site overload

Try again, the web server is busy. Links working now

to add, if you arent sent this link, you will get, this is special only for some selected EON customers

Can I ask why its just for us Eon customers ? what's different about it ?

What makes EON customers more important than the rest of us?

Did anyone else’s 3013 software not install despite opting in?

yea looked like mine started then nothing

Mine went from 3012 (from memory) to 4001, then recalibrated.

L182075 4001??? Special EON customers indeed.

Mattyuk 3013 is NOT the EoN special FW.
4001 is EoN.

Wild guess but does everyone that has been selected for this happen to have a 5.2 battery in common by any chance?

TheDragon (GivEnergy) either way, I opted in and still have 3012 battery software, so assume nothing was installed?

hoggy, yes I have a 5.2kw battery

hoggy Yes I have a 5.2 battery too

TheDragon (GivEnergy) What is different (special ?) about this for us EON customers ?

simont Thats a question for EoN.

simont Might be something in the fw that talks to their own monitoring app. One of my installs was done by EON but I asked GE to remove the special EON bits from my account and I have had another installer work on the system since EON did their work. This is purely a guess however.

TheDragon (GivEnergy) Why ? did EON supply the firmware to GivEnergy ? The email came from GivEnergy, not EON

Has anyone managed to contact E.ON about it? Also trying to find out more info. Seems a little shady that no-one can talk about it 🤣

Hodge No idea who to even contact, the service I have had so far from eon has been far from helpful

Purely speculation but 4001 would suggest it's just BMS rather than anything to do with the inverter. Given that EON were quoting with Batteries that use to be 90% DoD before they were set at 80% (Not sure if they were 90% but I believe they were defo more than 80) other possibility is the discharge/ charge rate is different. Could be 1 battery setting or all of them. Only Eon can say for sure.

thewhalw21 lots of non EON customers in that boat as well. Frustratingly I purchased / agreed my 5.2s on the basis of the data sheets saying 90%. Assuming this theory, maybe EON paid for the firmware development or offered to cover the liability for the 10 year warranty. In which case no chance of wider deployment. Sure the secret will out soon enough.

Given there's not an awful lot that could be different in the BMS, I think your theory is a good call

I have emailed EON but don't hold out much hope of a reply

Found this post on Facebook

⛔️ Beware ⛔️ the Eon firmware update....
I don't have any information about it but that worries me.... why would Giv roll out an update just for Eon customers? If their product needs an update surely everyone needs it?
Well I may know the answer.....
When I ordered my Eon solar panels and battery I ordered and paid for a 5.2kw battery of which 5.2kw was usable. This is called depth of discharge.
The Giv system was fitted which is brilliant, but my 5.2kw (and all 5.2kw batteries) has 80% depth of discharge meaning you only get just over 4kw of usable battery.
I have complained to Eon who told me they would fix it with a firmware update.... they then provided me with the details of this update which neglected to mention the following, which I got after questioning their initial promises.
Updating the firmware will:
🚫 invalidate your warranty with Giv and transfer your warranty claims to Eon
🚫 harm the lifespan of your battery
🚫 affect the performance of your battery over time
I believe there may be thousands of affected Eon solar customers which would make sense with the quiet roll out.
All of this may be totally unrelated but it seems a coincidence.
If you ordered recently check your specification and the technical sticker on your battery.
☢️ important to note this is an Eon mis selling issue as opposed to a GivEnergy issue☢️
Eon have been entirely useless in resolving this and my installation difficulties.....7 months on and we're still no closer to a resolution

And this

Looking at my original quote it does state 10.4kWh useable:

GivEnergy AC-coupled inverter with 2x5.2 kWh battery (10.4 kWh usable)

I never even noticed (never thought of looking) I wasn't getting 100% of the batteries. This is today, from flat (4%) to fully charged (100%). Seem there is only 80% of 10.44kWh

Today (after EON update) my 5.2kwh batteries are showing as having charged by 5.1kwh and discharged 0.5kwh, so total 5.05kwh on the GivEnergy dashboard, and 4.3kwh charge with 0.4kwh discharge, so total of 3.9kwh in homeassistant. My battery started at 4% this morning. I did notice that on the night of the upgrade my soc jumped from 6% to about 18% and then started the discharge for calibration. I also don't have any over voltage or under voltage warnings that (maybe I'm imagining things?) got during previous calibrations.

So...

Are they allowing eon to charge and discharge futher into the batteries limits (e.g. more towards total capacity than usual advertised user capacity...)

Guess that would make sense re the batteries not lasting as long because it's not good to always charge to true 100%?

I stupidly opted in a couple of days ago (it was late, and I was tired). How can I reverse that decision? The update hasn't been deployed on my battery yet, and revisiting the opt in/out page results in a "We've started to update your system" message, and no option to cancel.

The page has been stuck with this message for a few days, but no upgrade has occurred, so how can I cancel it?

GivEnergy support advised that the upgrade can be reverted, but I'm now concerned that even after reverting back to GivEnergy firmware, E.ON will retain warranty rights or it'll be stuck in some silly legal technicality loop.

Given E.ON's horrendous after sales support, I want as little to do with them as possible...

Just pulled out my EON quote, it states
"GivEnergy Hybrid inverter with 5.2 kWh battery (5.2 kWh usable)
Store the energy you generate during the day, so you can use it when you need it.
State-of-the-art battery management and monitoring system.
10 year manufacturer warranty."

Ive talked to EON on the phone and they have read out a statement to me. The key-points were (as close as I remember) :

The update is to improve performance of the product following a change of specifications from the manufacturer. Warranties are not affected. After the update, the system will be monitored to see if further work is needed.

Hodge has anyone had confirmation that Eon are taking on the warranty claims. ( It seems likely they would have to, going against manufacturers specs) Just wondering if the email / communication said anything about who to contact for support.

Glad I decided to decline my Eon quote now 😅

L182075 how did you manage to speak to Eon over the phone. When I’ve tried they just say someone will call back and never do!

Had a reply from EON:

It has been confirmed this does not affect the warranty at all with GivEnergy. The firmware up date was designed by them to resolve their issue.

simont

Have they advised what the 'issue' Is exactly lol

zoozaa no, unfortunately not, all they replied was that above

So it seems like the update will likely increase the capacity as per specification sold. The therefore might then make it a good idea to update it as the warranty looks to remain with givenergy if there is an issue during the remaining 10 years it should be covered by them .

My battery says 5.2kw (5.2kw useable) on the order / quote not sure what the default limits are

Anyone installed it and seen a difference .

zoozaa I've opted in yesterday but no update yet

zoozaa, out of interest, what does it state on the label on the battery itself (80 or 100% DOD)?

Simon_C

80%

Simon_C Same, 80% DOD

simont

I sent an email to eon querying this why quote says 5.2kw available and it's different on the actually battery l. I've also asked if the firmware fixes this .

I was expecting a better battery but never paid attention to it in the excitement of getting the solar and battery.

That's an interesting one... I've gone back to my eon quote and yes, it does state a 5.2KWh Battery wtih 5.2KWh usable, I'd realised I wasn't getting 100% DoD but all the paperwork wiht the battery stated it was only 80 so I didn't think much of it when only getting to use 4.whatever it is....

So basically, Eon didn't tell the truth on the hardware they were shipping?

Got a reply from someone else at EON:

There is a recent software update on your battery storage due to a change in product specification from Givenergy.
It’s a firmware update which is aimed at improving the performance of your battery system.
We will be monitoring the usable capacity of your system and will be in contact if any further action is required

TimI

Funny how they aren't giving specifics . I'm thinking this update is likely a positive thing as they will be taking the liability of the battery failing by giving us more capacity. they are however not telling us the exact changes and why the specification has changed . Sounds like someone messed up either givenergy or eon and the easy fix is to increase the capacity via firmware and accept the higher failure rate instead of installing new batteries . Most customers probably won't notice or make a claim anyway however 20% capacity is a big deal.

I wonder how the bigger givenergy batteries have 100% DoD they must surely be bigger than stated capacity.

zoozaa Exactly that, an 8.2 100% is closer to 10, a 9.5 is 11.something etc. In reality, its changing how they are marketed... so if they'd said the 5.2 was actually a 4.4 (I think?) wiht 100% DoD, you'd not bat an eyelid.

simont interesting... I did it without thinking too much about what it was, but since having Eon install the first, I've had a second installed by a different company - so would my 5.2 eon get a new firmware and the newer battery stay on an alternate?

I'm not an EoN customer fortunately but what a can of worms! I'd be inclined to ask them to remove the gear and replace it with what I ordered, not some half-arsed firmware update that may lead to premature failure. No wonder Giv have pushed it back on EoN. I'd be making them feel the heat sharpish.

sponev I agree, I'd normally let this be with a firmware update but my install has been a s**t show from the start - had to have the install re-done as was a real mess.
I've opened a complaint about the lack of paid-for capacity. Not sure it'll go anywhere but it's just not right

simont

I got a generic reply about the firmware update not a proper reply about the battery .

Hi. I have had confirmation that the firmware updates the capacity from 80% to 100%. I'm going to go ahead with the update as it's more available capacity but Im guessin the warranty remains the same. For some reason the remote update didn't work for me so givenergy have to send an engineer to do it in person .

I

Surely it will affect the battery performance using full depth of discharge. So if the battery performance drops below 70% capacity (3.64kw if the consider the full 5.2kwh) your warranty would contribute the following towards a replacement. If the degradation doesn’t happen until a few years time, you are still expected to pay a significant amount to replace the battery.

zoozaa I wouldn't touch e.on's special firmware with a barge pole. If you have a GivEnergy battery with 80% depth of discharge that's for a reason. That 20% unusable is your battery's safety margin to prevent over and undercharging (if the voltage goes too high or too low the cells will get damaged). In batteries with 100% depth of discharge, for example the 13.5kWh battery, it's really about 16kWh. That extra capacity that you don't see is the safety margin to prevent damage. If you upgrade to e.on's special firmware then you remove your safety margin, increasing the likelihood of cell damage. You've paid a lot of money for this battery, e.on have forced GivEnergy's arms to provide an out-of-spec firmware in order to avoid what I assume is a mis-selling law suit. Respect the physics, not the legal team 🙂

I'm currently in a complaints process with Eon, it is a mis-sold product and I'm missing capacity I've paid for. Dodgy firmware not for me

SpeakToTheGeek

Thanks both . You're right I was planning to just manually change the reserve so as to not use the full amount anyway but now thinking about it Itll end up causing problems as they won't keep the firmware updated like we get direct from givenergy . I was looking to squeeze a bit more out the battery but the 10 year warranty is disappointing basically well be paying a significant amount.

Mattyuk

You're right it's not worth it .

Well, damn. I’m new here, just discovering all sorts of great information from everyone.

However, I’d already upgraded to e.on’s firmware and now wish I hadn’t. Any suggestions? Is there a way to get back to the standard GivEnergy firmware?

JC if you email/ call support they should be able to load / send you the latest version. Not sure if the opt in part will over write it in the future tho if there is another push.

I emailed support and within 30 mins I’m back on the GivEnergy firmware, calibration underway.

Very impressive!

Got a reply from EON:

Is the firmware update reversible ? Yes.

I clicked on the update button when I first received the email but the batteries/BMS have still not updated to 4001
In fact, by chance, I discovered yesterday that this customer’s system had failed to upload the new firmware because GivEnergy had accidentally put a block on double-battery systems. This was lifted this morning, and the system should update tonight or over the weekend.

Forcing the battery to run at 100% DOD with a firmware hack when it clearly states on the data sheet and the battery label that it should only run at 80% DOD will reduce the lifespan and charge capability of the battery in the future.
This is not a firmware “hack”, but a manufacturer-developed and supported version of the firmware. The internal capacity of the batteries – as the customer mentions below – is actually greater than 5.2 kWh, so this is still reserving some capacity to cover future degradation.

This means the batteries will have less charge capability sooner and I will have less capacity sooner, the battery warranty will not cover that.
The battery warranty is unaffected by the application of this firmware, as per the notification email from GivEnergy.

If this was recommended by the manufacturer they would be running the 5.2 batteries on 100% DOD. Their other batteries that are running at 100% DOD are in fact larger batteries running at 80% DOD.
As above, these batteries are the similar (albeit with not quite so much capacity held in reserve!).

I can see that EON probably didn't mean to mislead and assumed the 5.2 battery meant 5.2kWh capacity but the fact is, GivEnergy uses 80% DOD on that battery for a reason.
GivEnergy told us and the wholesalers we buy from that the batteries had greater than 80% DoD, which is why we sold them as that, and that’s why GivEnergy themselves have now developed the improved firmware to provide greater capacity, and they are willing to stand behind the 10-year, 5,000-cycle warranty.

From GivEnergy battery warranty, this states the warranty is only valid on up to 90% DOD, not 100% DOD. How can you say the warranty is valid if I update the firmware and it uses 100% DOD ?
I have raised exactly this point with GivEnergy, and they are due to be coming back imminently with an updated warranty document to cover this off. This will be shared with customers once it’s available.

simont It’s all a bit strange. If the 5.2kW batteries can be increased to more than 80% DoD without impacting the warranty then it why is GivEnergy not offering that to non-EoN customers?

Even if there’s some special agreement between GivEnergy and EoN over the 100% 5.2 DoD that they don’t want to replicate for everyone, even a modest increase to 85% or 90% DoD on the general population of 5.2kW batteries would be very welcome I’m sure.

I'm sure someone will be along soon with GivTCP cell capacity data but unless E.on get their own special batch of 5.2s I can't really see how they are over provisioned beyond maybe 1-2AH (which is more luck than anything) - otherwise the normal ones would be 80% of <insert bigger number> and the data plate on the side would be wrong....

hoggy Mine are 96.85 and 96.12 before the EON firmware, I'll see what it is tomorrow, they are updating it tonight apparently

I mean, I'm going to guess now that it'll be: 96.85 and 96.12 (perhaps less if it's been a while since your last calibration)
Prepared to be eating humble pie/hair/own words though if this does somehow find more space on what should be 102AH cells.

hoggy At the voltage they are at now, that is about 5.1kWh. My batteries only charge around 8kW a day to get them to 100% SOC (in one go before any discharge and recharge), assume that means they area set at about 80%DOD ? Not really understanding all this really but learning !

Would anyone at Givenergy comment on the actual capacity of the 5.2s that EON says they can utilise ?

It will also be interesting to know if any future GE firmware updates & fixes will also be applied to the E.ON firmware. Hopefully they will be developed and updated in parallel 🙂

Latest from EON is that the 5.2 batteries apparently have 5.7kWh inside:

Giv Energy have not told us what the full internal capacity of the 5.2 batteries is, and they are under no obligation to do so, but we would say there were probably 5.7-ish kWh of cells in the pack. Also, given that ‘battery capacity’ is a fluid concept based merely on setting an upper and lower voltage level of the battery pack to optimise many different parameters (energy, power, lifetime, resistance, efficiency, etc, etc), then the internal capacity of the packs is really moot anyway – it’s up to Giv Energy to decide how much of this to make available for use.

The warranty does cover premature ageing, in the sense that the warranty guarantees that there will be 70% of usable capacity remaining at the end of the warranty period. Running the batteries with extended capacity may increase the rate of degradation, but so also may having batteries run at higher temperatures in a loft, or having batteries experience lower temperatures when installed outside – and those are conditions covered by the warranty, too. Giv Energy developed this firmware and are standing by their manufacturer’s warranty to back it up.

Found a post online where another customer had asked GE and GE stated there is only 5.2kWh inside and they run it at 80% DOD for safety/reliability.
So I have declined the firmware update as I don't want to be running my batteries at 100% DOD if that makes them unsafe and unreliable.
I am now with the Ombudsman for a hopeful resolution

EON have now changed the specs online, stating the 5.2 battery has only 4.2kWh usable. If they were happy with this firmware hack, wouldn't they would just keep selling the batteries as 5.2kWh and applying the 4001 firmware ?

Did anyone get an email from eon about a credit to the account .

zoozaa interesting, I haven't. Was it compensation for the battery mis-selling?

simont

I did previously send an email a long while.back but they never properly replied . I then got the firmware installed which I've only adjusted the reserve down to 10% ( the govenergy version limits this to 20%) They just sent an email saying it's related to agreeing to the custom firmware installed and they have now offered a small amount as a goodwill gesture which will be deducted from the credit agreement . Its a bit weird as they say it's an offer but they will do it automatically.

They must be trying to sweeten the deal as companies don't give goodwill gestures out of the kindness of their hearts .

I also get an email from EON referring to a "Goodwill Payment", but since it requested bank details I suspected it was a scam. Is it real?

I've seen a few posts on Facebook about it, apparently £100 compensation + £100 good will for 2.6 and £500 for 5.2 battery. Anyone confirm this ? I am still with Ombudsman so doubt I'll get one

simont

I only got offer of £100 and I've got 5.2 🙁

zoozaa Its absolutely rubbish, 20% of £1500 is £300

simont

Ye I'm going to contact them . Should be a few hundred minimum I can use the £500 you mentioned as ammunition. They're just hoping people quietly take the £100, by default .

I paid a premium going with eon so expect better off them .

Had nothing here?

zoozaa Are you an eon customer, I'm not, just had them install the original solar stuff... so no account as such to credit?

TimI I think some bought the panels/batteries on a credit agreement and they are just amending that. It'll make no difference in reality. My install was £16K, £100 is laughable

TimI

No same as Sim. Im not a customer just got them to install and got a credit agreement . I spent around £13k so agree £100 is not much . I've emailed them again and said I don't accept the £100 and am looking at around £500 as compensation similar to what has been offered to others .

Found on Facebook

simont Yep, I'm in that category - on credit agreement wiht 'Creation'

I think you could potentially get a LOT more than £500.

If you got this on a credit agreement then whoever ultimately lent the money is on the hook as well as EON. Technically the whole credit agreement is null and void if the goods/services you were provided with do not conform to their description prior to sale.

I'd go for the total cost of the battery were I you and negotiate from there. Remember that if you choose you can bring the whole credit agreement crashing down around EON's ears 🙂

Getting a discount off the cost of the battery sounds reasonable to me.

Getting a discount of the cost to install it, not so much - unless the end result means you want to rip out the system and replace it - because it wasn't what you ordered.

However it's not like it is 50% under spec. Something like 90% ?

Getting a discount of panels or scaffolding or installation and admin/paperwork processes doesn't sound right.

I assume they've calculated the offer based on a percentage of the price you paid for the actual battery.

TX200 The loss of capacity is 20%, due to the DOD being 80%.

If they are offering £200 based on loss of capacity that means the battery would only have cost £1000 whereas in reality they are more like £1500 now, probably nearer £2000 when I had mine installed.

Also, they sold the system with specs they didn't deliver. £200 on a £16K system is a joke

I am looking for them to install an extra 2.6 which would get my capacity to where is should be (I have 2x 5.2). Probably won't get that though

I am with the ombudsman, with a decision date of 25/2.

Dropped them an email 7 days ago, so far, not a response at all... not even an acknowledgement.

TimI I'd love to say I'm surprised but I'm not.

Also worth noting that the E.ON firmware is not compatible with other GivEnergy firmware.

Meaning that if you plan to install additional batteries (not installed by E.ON) as slaves to a master that has E.ON firmware, you will be forced to revert to the GivEnergy 80% DoD firmware.

Gregz Ah, now that is worth knowing - I've had a second battery put on as a master JUST before that firmware came out, is there any way to see what firmware each battery is on?

I had a response today saying that they would raise a complaint and that the firmware allows 100% of the battery . I'm happy to take it further as the 100% isn't how the battery was intended by the manufacturer and is more likely to fault earlier due to the lack of reserve.

zoozaa Have a read from the top of this post. The complaint went nowhere with EON so I am currently with Ombudsman

EDIT: Sorry, it seems you were involved in the original conversation when the firmware came out

simont

Do keep us updated as I understand you're decision date is soon.

zoozaa I've just had the same response, a complaint reference has been raised so we'll see where this one goes.

@TimI @zoozaa Keep emailing them and chasing them, I heard nothing for over a month after receiving the complaints letter, I had to email to get a response.

simont that doesn't surprise me - it took 10 days to get my initial response...

simont

They've got back to.me and will raise a deadlock letter. The way they word the reply isn't very good as they state I accepted the depth of discharge firmware update . However on the original email they never mentioned why this was being rolled out . They've basically admitted.in another email that the specification changed and hence why they were rolling out the firmware update .

I'm not sure how to word my complaint as they've stated in the original order a 100% dod battery by updating the software they are now providing that however it is technically an inferior product as it wasn't how it was intended by the manufacturer and they've removed the overcapacity .

I assume I should just continue with the deadlock and then write my complaint formally as I never seem to get a proper response from eon .

zoozaa No need to respond to EON, the deadlock letter is basically their final response. You'll need to open a case at the Ombudsman, there will be details on the deadlock letter.

I refused the update but they did it anyway a month later, "by accident" apparently:
"GivEnergy removed some blocks on a batch of ‘stuck’ systems yesterday, so we think yours was accidentally included in this update. WE apologise and will get GivEnergy to reinstate the standard 3012 firmware, we can then remove your system from the list again"

simont

Did you get a reply form the ombudsman today that you can share ?

zoozaa Na, its not due until 5th Feb. Put the wrong date above of 25th Feb

xxxxx: Action Date 2024-02-05
An Adjudicator has been assigned to your complaint. The Adjudicator will deal with the case on the documents submitted to date and may request further information or documentation at their sole discretion.

Its been passed up, processed, and money is apparently on its way to me within the next 5-7 working days... that was surprisingly efficient once someone had actually read the message.

simont Na, its not due until 5th Feb. Put the wrong date above of 25th Feb

xxxxx: Action Date 2024-02-05
An Adjudicator has been assigned to your complaint. The Adjudicator will deal with the case on the documents submitted to date and may request further information or documentation at their sole discretion.

Its changed to 06/02/2024 now

TimI Would you mind elaborating on the sum and what batteries you have ? No worries if you'd rather not

simont now its arrived, yes... 5.2kwh, sold as 100% DoD in Jan '22 (Installed in August), they have credited me £500 without questions, without hestitation which I feel is fair for the battery really as that was about £1800 of the actual quote.

I'd already had a second battery installed by this point so the firmware option wasn't relevant.

So, all told, 21 days from me emailing an enquiry about the process to having a partial refund. the first 10 days of that were slow because the email wasn't picked up, since then, i've had multiple phone calls from them and a resolution 3 days after that.

Ombudsman have decided that my claim has succeeded

simont Have they said what you're supposed to get as compo?

Vestas They have to replace, not repair, the batteries with correct capacity, fitted and commissioned

simont so to get a 5.2kWh usable, they'll have to give you an 8.2kWh (usable) battery I guess? They don't have anything between those two sizes.

Or add a 2.6kWh battery (2.08kWh usable?) alongside the existing one?

TX200 I have 2x 5.2kWh batteries. I think a 2.6kWh (running at 80% DOD) will do it ?
Not sure how it will go as they have said the ones I have have to be replaced

simont It'll be a 9.5kWh one if there's any sanity being applied here 🙂

Vestas That'll leave me with only 9.5kWh, I need it to be 10.4kWh as paid for

simont You don't want different sized batteries, whatever is offered don't accept that unless you want endless SoC issues.

I'd go for the 9.5 battery and a couple of hundred quid in credits on the bill were I you but it'll be interesting to see what happens.

Vestas You don't want different sized batteries

That's interesting, thanks, I'll bear that in mind when EON get back to me

simont Some of your options also depend on how much room you have/where the batteries are installed so maybe have a look at the various datasheets over on kb.givenergy.cloud

Vestas I will do, thanks. I have plenty of room, its in my garage

AIO is the only single battery unit that is going to be over 10.4kWh but they won't go for the installation costs of that (and the ombudsman would probably agree) so if you have the room then maybe 2 x 8.2kWh would be the best solution.

I'd be flexible were I you as I doubt they'd go for that unless you were willing to make a contribution - you would essentially be getting 13.1kWh usable.

Vestas 13.1kWh usable.

Don't the 8.2kWh run at 100% DOD so it'll be 16.4kWh useable ?

simont yes, 8.2kWh usable. So x2.

So they are. I have a blind spot for those as they got superseded (but not obsoleted) by the 9.5kWh ones.

Bit of a push asking for two of those in that case but the install costs are utterly trivial - new holes drilled in garage wall for mounting, swap over cables, start calibration is about it really.

AIO costs for install are going to be much higher.

Do remember if you got this on a credit agreement brokered by EON then they are in very deep shit should you get the finance company involved*. People in the thread have suggested "fair" sums/etc - what would happen if the positions were reversed? Do you really think EON/finance company would be "fair". They'd go for the maximum they could get.

I'd love to be in your position 🙂

*finance company is jointly & severally liable, they'll take one look at the misselling and refund you (cheapest option for them) & EON can eat the cost as the brokers/missellers.

Vestas yes I doubt they'll go that far. As the firmware was installed without my permission, the batteries have been run over spec and have to be replaced not repaired. I'd be happy with 3x 5.2kWh to be fair if it's best not mixing capacity. Luckily I have space
I'm sure I've got a lot of to ing and fro ing to get to an agreement.
I paid for the system with cash, so no finance company involved.

simont

I've noe got my final response letter. I assume you also used utilities adr.

Can you advise me any additional information I will need to provide to them .

zoozaa It is a long process, think it has took around 6 months from final letter to ombudsman decision. Yes it is the Utilities ADR, EON will send you details and they have an online portal so it's all managed there.

As far as additional info goes, I sent all emails between me and EON and GivEnergy, datasheets, invoice, receipt, quote etc. Make sure you gather all before you send as you only get 1 chance to do so and 1 chance to write your claim.

Good luck !

simont I'd be happy with 3x 5.2kWh to be fair

Obviously with standard firmware ! So total of 12.48kWh

simont

Any update on what eon agreed with .

My case is going through the ombudsman just waiting on eon to submit final reply . Any idea how long it took once all comments are done . I only just learnt eon were aware of the issue even before they installed my system but they still went ahead.

zoozaa no, they aren't replying to emails...

zoozaa indeed, they were aware a long time ago.
It took about 6 months for the ombudsman to get a decision after all docs were submitted

simont Letter before action time then....

I now have a new complaint open with them. I found 38 rips in my roofing membrane where the brackets are fitted and in one place it has let rain in and damaged the ceiling.

simont I think you're at the stage where you're going to have to go to court to get a refund/damages.

Hopefully it was under £10k so you can use the small claims track, £10-25k and its the fast track (one day trial) which will have some (fixed) solicitor costs.

Edit - that many rips is a re-roofing job.

Vestas 16K so not small claims. I'm going to let them replace the batteries and they have said they will repair the roof. I agree it is a panels/tiles off and replace the membrane. I have panels on both side of my house as well. Not cheap. The HIES insurance should cover faulty workmanship, which runs out December this year (2 years)

simont Best of luck with the HIES stuff, they seem to be worse than NHBC* when dealing with claims.

Edit - you're going to be worryingly close to the fast track limit of £25k by the time you add roofing/refitting PV panels costs together. Intermediate track is going to cost you some fairly serious up-front costs. I'd get an independent estimate for the roof ASAP were I you.

*who give bonuses to their "members" (building companies) when their authorised claims are below a certain percentage. Trebles all round....

Vestas I just read the HEIS policy and it looks like it only covers if a company is out of business or the suppliers warranty doesn't cover it.

simont Pretty much. They've also got a lot of weasel words to get out of obligations even then. The phrase "not worth the paper its written on" springs to mind...

simont

Hi any update on what eon agreed and have they delivered ?

I've now completed my ombudsman application and submitted evidence and it's been with the adjudicator for around a month no decision yet.

zoozaa No, they have only just acknowledged they need to replace the batteries with a higher capacity. They are useless, they were going to just replace with the same 2x 5.2 batteries. I'm still waiting for them to come back to me with a resolution. It's been 10 weeks since the ruling. Ombudsman have said they have no power to enforce the ruling, even though its legally binding, I may have to go through the courts at my cost.

Not much better with the roof repairs either, had an inspection and they agree panels, tiles off and replace the membrane (both sides of house). Meanwhile, still leaking....

When I spoke to the guys who came to do inspection, they said they are snowed under dealing with complaints, mainly due to using subcontractors. He said he has spent all his time for the past year putting right substandard workmanship, that's why it takes ages to get a response from EON, they have lots and lots of complaints to deal with.

Apparently EON are doing their own installs now

simont

Hi Simon
I got my decision and unfortunately as I accepted the firmware update they seemed it good enough fix to bring up the useable dod which I think is ridiculous. Anyway I need to move on with my life lol but they said I can still have the £100 goodwill amazing 🙄 .

What's going on with your replacement .

zoozaa I got my decision and unfortunately as I accepted the firmware update they seemed it good enough fix to bring up the useable dod which I think is ridiculous

Hi,
That's a real shame, agreed it is ridiculous.

Still ongoing here, just had a change of complaint handler and they are ringing me this morning apparently.

They've agreed to replace the 2 x 5.2kWh I have with new ones and add a 2.6kWh one to make up the capacity. No idea when that will happen though.

Still not much further with the roof either, they're asking me to get quotes for the work now as they haven't any approved contractors in my area (East Yorkshire).

simont Still not much further with the roof either, they're asking me to get quotes for the work now as they haven't any approved contractors in my area (East Yorkshire).

If that's the case then charge them for your time. £40-50/hour is the accepted norm depending on where you are for when you take it to court.

They've just called me and I think we are finally moving.

EON are coming to remove the panels.
I have to get 3 quotes for the roof repairs, then EON will pick one and transfer the money to me via BACS to get the repairs done.
Then EON will come back and reinstall the panels (hopefully without damaging the membrane again) and fit the new batteries
Oh and I have to get 3 quotes for the plastering/decorating to the damaged ceilings

Well, that's the plan.....

simont I wouldn't agree to that were I you. Not under any circumstances.

EON should be paying the roofers directly, not via you. That way any extra problems are EON's, not yours.

They're trying to shift responsibility for the job onto you so they're not legally liable.

Don't do it.

Edit - same with the plasterers/decorators.

Vestas

Absolutely 100% this.

It's their mess to sort out, let them get on with it.

Vestas Good point, I hadn't thought of that, thanks, I'll speak to them about dealing with the roofer/decorator direct.

What has people's experience of the E.on firmware been? I was originally offered the firmware last July, opted in and then was told two days later that I was not intended to receive that firmware anyway.

I have since contacted GivEnergy and even though I was sold a "GivEnergy Hybrid inverter with 2x2.6 kWh battery (5.0 kWh usable)" which is obviously not what was delivered, I cannot have this firmware installed without pursuing it through E.on.

Given E.on have stonewalled me on all communications previously and had appalling customer service, is it actually worth going through this pain?

Does anyone know if it would limit the ability of our electricians (certified GivEnergy installers) from installing new batteries alongside the existing in the future.

pwdst

The software lets you adjust the reserve to 0% from what I remember. I assume it also allows you to use any other amount that was reserved within the 20% dod that wasn't available . I did it originally but then asked givenergy to revert me back to stock.

I'm now asking the finance company to investigate under section 75 for miselling . I now have more information as part of the ADR of what eon never disclosed previously including them knowing that the battery was incorrectly described prior to installation and for the first time ( for me ) clear evidence what the firmware does . They also go on to say that they've only offered £100 to those that accepted the firmware which explains the variation.

By increasing the dod it clearly provided a lesser product if it was so simple givenergy would sell the same product for more money without issue . Problem is if you decide to use 100% dod you may think you have 10 year warranty but if you look at the actual amount they give it goes down each year so you won't be getting new product if it fails at year 8 more like a 15% discount on a new product .....not worth doing it for the small addition.