Hi, I've been trying to get in touch with support since 16th December. They haven't responded to my emails, or when I've sent a contact form through the website. The phone line always says it's closed. I can't even find the online chat any more. Is anyone else having this issue? Or does anyone have any ideas what I can do? I've had problems with my battery on and off since October!!
I heard GE are no longer supporting customer enquiries. Are you able to go through your installer to get the issue investigated?
I first reached out to them on 16 December when an issue started and I too learned that the phone line was closed so I emailed them and also used the online form. My issue was not a show stopper but was a significant impact. I first had any response on Thursday 2 January responding to my original email. Since then the efforts have been ongoing but definitely thorough. It has not yet been resolved but we have had a weekend in the way and some processes are being run overnight to discharge and recharge at favourable supply rates.
So my experience has not been ideal but that is my recent experience.
Thanks Hopeful I've literally just come off the 'phone with my installer. They directed me to deal with GivEnergy when I had problems initially in 2022 and I'd continued to do that. But, it seems that the installer has access to all of my information remotely so could have been dealing with it all along! Very frustrating, I've spent hours trying to sort things out, running up and down the ladder into the loft! But at least it's in hand now, they're going to send out an engineer, so we'll see what happens.
GrahamShaul I'm pleased you managed to get a response and hope the problem gets sorted soon.
My battery is completely inactive. Back in October I had a problem where neither the battery or the panels were working for about over a month. Mid November I was talked through fixing the solar panels then at the end of the month an engineer came out from my installer and fixed the battery. But it didn't even work for 2 weeks - I've had flat, inactive batteries since 10th Dec.
Mine's been playing silly wotsits for a few days now, and I'm tempted to just pretend to be an installer to actually talk to someone.
I finally pressed 1 on the phone, pretending to be an installer and got through that way
I have an All in One installed about 8 weeks ago. Solar has never worked at all, I emailed Givenergy and filled online form and never got a reply. Telephoned many many times "Lines closed" every time . My installer does not want to talk to Givenergy as he says they are terrible to deal with. They finally got someone to answer today! so will see how it goes.
I wish I had taken my installers advice and not bought from Givenergy!
Surely they have a responsibly to to talk to the purchaser of their equipment? what's going to happen in a year when my installer is not going to want to deal with them anymore ? it's not a £5 toaster I've bought it's got a guarantee. They can't refuse to talk to us can they!
Daft Vader
That doesn't bode well for Givenergy. In hindsight my installer was trying to steer me away from them when I was discussing my options just over a year ago. I note they are still looking for a new Managing Director as well as a warehouse manager, senior software developer and several other vacancies.
Daft Vader It sounds to me as if you are being soft on your installer.
If the solar that your installer fitted has never worked from day 1 then its up to them to resolve the problem. Its not up to you to talk to the manufacturer, your contract is with the installer and clearly at the moment they are in breach of contract for failing to deliver a fully working system.
If you part paid on credit card then you can start a section 75 claim of course.
Yes you have a warranty and the cloud monitoring service delivered by GivEnergy so you have a contractual relationship there, but start with your installer.
I really don’t understand why people go straight to the manufacturer rather than the installer, particularly when it is a recent install.
Daft Vader
With such a recent install that has never worked properly it is absolutely your installer that should be dealing with it.
Installer doesn’t want to talk to GivEnergy ? But happily took your money to install equipment that they have potentially done incorrectly or haven’t setup properly?? Get on their case.
When my system was installed I had a pretty
in depth brief from the installer after commissioning, explaining how it was connected up, a demo of how the app and key functionality worked, things to look out for - only took half an hour but prepared me to start using and monitoring the system and likely saved themselves at least that half hour answering questions from me over the coming weeks.
I’m not defending GivEnergy and they clearly are understaffed in the support area currently, but in cases like this where a newly installed system isn’t operating it is the installer that knows how things are connected up and configured - they are best placed to get things working.
Unfortunately some of us don't have formal installer support - ours went bankrupt a good while back and we had to jump through hoops to get a viable system. So while our system has been "adopted" it's a fairly informal arrangement. Hence the need for solid manufacturer support - which just isn't there at the moment. I dread anything going wrong. Still no formal feedback from GE regarding plans to resolve the obvious support issues - it doesn't bode well?
treborUK Could you tell me who your installer was? I've got a friend who is looking for one and I can't recommend mine.
sponev
Understood, I was generalising and there will always be unique cases, and like I said noting that GivEnergy are short of support staff it’s not an ideal situation.
On the positive I have heard very positive feedback on quite a few GivEnergy staff once folk have got support.
I am fortunate in that I had a thorough and helpful installer and largely my system has run has run ok.
I approached my installer when I had problems early on and they did sort them out. Admittedly I did go back to the sales team to give customer support a shove!
When I had problems a year later they said that if they came out to look and it was a manufacture issue they would charge me for the visit, at least £300
However, when I called yesterday they were a lot more helpful. Hopefully that's in light of the changes at GivEnergy and not because I got the only person in customer services with a heart!
My battery has been idle for a week @ 40% no amount of hard resets in the correct sequence will get it to work. Installer said he could do nothing more than I had already done so waiting for GivEnergy support to contact me. It's been 4 days now. I guess they are busy from the Xmas/New Brea but appears to be a common fault?
Have you tried a forced charge or forced discharge using phone app?
Yep 👍
treborUK there are undoubtedly some really good guys in support and elsewhere in GE, for example a couple of guys who spend time via the Facebook group trying to help folk out, admirable. But it's still hit and miss and waiting days, often weeks for a response to a formal support request just isn't right and also quite worrying! Hopefully it's another blip and stability isn't too far away. Growing too fast is very dangerous if indeed that's what's happened.
sponev Growing too fast is very dangerous
...and then contracting as you lose your major customer (Octopus)....
We'll see what happens in due course.
Vestas Indeed. A lot of us are fairly heavily invested in the kit which forms part of a broader energy strategy e.g. heat pumps etc. We have to hope that the future is positive and the current difficulties are overcome. When the large customers start abandoning and installers complain, it's far from ideal though. It would be good to get some insight into what's actually going on, either to get reassurance or failing that, so we can plan alternatives.
I had a query with how my battery was behaving, provided some details of versions etc, said what I had seen and my concerns and emailed support on 30 December. Early on the morning of 3 January (thank you Jason) I had an explanation and that he had remotely checked my system and it was running well.
As a glass half-full person I think a response in two working days is exceptionally good. The half-empty brigade might try and point out it took from 2024 to 2025 to resolve.
I've also got several emails to support as yet unanswered since before Xmas. And if it's a software issue which I think it is then I believe it's up to GE to resolve and not our installer. Fingers crossed we get a response 🤞
Ange after three emails to support at Giv and no response (rude to not even get an automated response of some kind), I went back through installer and now have the problem resolved by Giv with an update to the firmware .