Customer/Installer support helpline

Paradoxically I like my GE system and app when it works..

Recently however totally fed up with the dropping of the GE customer helpline, I contacted 'Gary Does Solar' (he has a GE system). He has had issues with poor/lack of GE support and in reply to a direct question about this, he stated that if asked he could no longer recommend installation of GE equipment...

Looking at posts on the online forums GE support mechanisms are in disarray...it’s been that way for a long time and in the absence of real investment therein, I suspect that it’s not going to change for the better anytime soon.

None of this bodes well for GE reputation, installer/customer interest, future equipment sales, and more to the point....effective life of any current system.

Perhaps it's time to consider the possibility of ripping out GE equipment and replacing it with equipment made by another company.

Sad day.....

sugarfree
My AIO is 2 years old this month. It's been working well trackig SOC since I started to do regular discharges to 4% and then fully charging. Been sad to see being so short sighted in needlessly ruining their reputation, once you've lost the installers then there's no way back. it will be interesting to see the corporate bullshit if/when it does all go pear shaped,
I'll stick with the system and when the time comes will look around again. With the current direction in costs I expect to get a much bigger capacity for less money than I paid for my AIO system.

sugarfree

Title of this thread wins "Oxymoron of the year 2026"

This sort of stuff dents public confidence in going down these (complex) low energy solutions. Mr Miliband needs to have a word with GivEnergy and other companies, otherwise he will never achieve his low energy aspirations. (Applies to cars etc as well).

sugarfree I'm pretty sure Gary is hankering after a Sigenergy system (as I am). He's been singing their praises for a while now & it wouldn't surprise me if a system was donated to him at some point to do some videos on. One of the perks of being a YT channel creator I guess.
Andrew Till (Mr EV) had a similar offer recently when he installed twin 5kW Alpha ESS inverters in parallel, 2 x 10kW batteries & 13.5kWhp of solar on his new place which he documented on his YT channel. If I remember correctly he had to buy the kit but the install labour was donated by the installer (or vice versa) on condition that he videoed everything & publicised it on his YT channel. He had a few issues but his installer jumped on them quickly because it was in their interest to do so.
It's the way the world of promoting new products seems to work these days!

If/When my GivEnergy stuff dies, can I leave my PV panels on the roof and reuse them with any new kit I put on the end of the DC strings?

SteveCook Yes.

SteveCook I can't see why not - these are just the power generators. The only system I am aware of where you are tied into the same system is SolarEdge where I think the optimisers have to be SE and connect to a SE system (I could be wrong, but that is my recollection)

SteveCook Absolutely. I plan to do the same at some point.

Tenkaykev
Here's hoping that GE top management get the self-inflicted damage they're doing (a slippery slope) and begin damage limitation by ACTIVELY redirecting resources towards the creating of good customer/installer experience NOW.

Btw in May 2024 some 10 months after installation of my GE system, the Gen2 inverter began tripping the breaker every few days.

--- Here it’s important to note that I cannot fault the installer who after repeated visits determined that the fault was internal to the inverter ---

3 months later: to speed up replacement however and with regret I pushed the installer for a replacement/refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 & Consumer Rights Act 2015. And the installer’s director replied:-

“Unfortunately we are unable to change over the inverter under GivEnergy’s terms. I have just signed the papers today so they can contact you and rectify the issue. They will simply not provide us with a new inverter, we would be left to purchase this ourself.”

Finally and some 4 months after the fault began a GE electrician replaced the Gen2 with a new Gen3 inverter.
Perhaps the GE-installer conditions of contract regarding replacement of faulty equipment are unfavourable to the installer, and there is a lack of trust on GE’s part towards the installers of GE equipment.

I remember that the YouTube channel " EVM " went to work for them a while ago, expect that he's jumped ship but seen no reference to it.

I don’t see the point in us consumers repeatedly posting separate items complaining about the delays and lack of response from GivEnergy Support. It just fills the thread list up with things that none of us can do anything about other than sympathise.

We all know GivEnergy support are overloaded and have been for some considerable period of time. GivEnergy support themselves know it and we have seen some changes and improvements, but clearly its not where anyone would want it to be, not least GivEnergy themselves.

Should we just create a single thread where people can post their woes or “me too” comments about support and we can keep the rest of the threads for other topics?

Personally what I have works well enough. I will have had my GivEnergy inverters for 3 years in January 2026. I wasn’t particularly pleased to find that my twin hybrid installation wasn’t recommended (but it works), I was disappointed to find out that my Gen 1 inverters were end of life within 6 months of them being installed, and I have had an inverter fail and be replaced under warranty.

Each year I am saving about £3,000 over what I would have paid for electricity without the solar and batteries and in a further 4 years the system will have paid for the installation cost, giving a 7 year payback.

I have no plans to remove what I have that is working fine and paying for itself. Who knows what will happen in the future, there will be new technology no doubt, tariffs will have changed and V2G may well make our existing battery systems no more than an ‘early adopter anomaly’.

sugarfree Perhaps it's time to consider the possibility of ripping out GE equipment and replacing it with equipment made by another company.

But if you do, I’ll be happy to take your ripped out GE equipment. Will be able to use it.

geoffreycoan
Good idea.
If you can then please create a high-level single thread about GE customer/installer support.
Such a focus of attention would facilitate gaining and retaining the attention of GE top management to this issue.

sugarfree If you can then please create a high-level single thread about GE customer/installer support.

Please place a call with GE support to do this as they have admin control over this forum...

😉

M_J That sounds like a 'Catch 22' !! ......an invitation to turkeys to vote for Christmas......

CW Yes I think that's right. You would have to have your panels rewired to take off the Optimisers so it becomes a standard string but the panels will still be OK.

Thankfully SolarEdge systems run fine, without web interaction and by a company that doesn't look to be in trouble.

sugarfree I’m getting close to replacing anything GivEnergy, they just don’t seem to have any interest in supporting their kit anymore. All the local installers have given up on them, they no longer install them or even want to maintain them. It never used to be like this.

Jhors
I saw a link to a youTube Video a couple of days ago of an AIO2 being installed. Quite a positive review though it seems that the kit was donated by Givenergy. The responses to the negative comments in the video sound as if the installer is parroting the company line with replies such as " massive growth temporarily impacted customer service" but everything is hunky dory now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30A1YebebqM&t=121s

EDIT I've just noticed that one of the replies in the comments on the video is from the legend that is Richard Russell of BBC basic fame.😎

One's first system is largely a journey into the known. We used the company my BiL used. He was pleased so we followed his recommendation.

It turns out they were box shifters and gave us a different system, Givenergy. They went belly up shortly after our kit was commissioned.

The problem seems to lie with information. Installation companies may have only one system for sale. Where does a novice get more information except by chance.

Fortunately both our systems are working.

btw on a FB group about GE one member wrote:

"Just called in and the guy who answered was so fed up all he’s had is customers trying to get help
And he can’t do anything to help as he’s just a call handler they don’t even work for Giv
Just answer calls and send them in via email"

Roy124 Similar experience here as well. Friend & I got similar GE systems one after the other from the same local installer - who is still in business but does not seem to be offering GE kit any longer!! We didn't know much about solar at that time & have learnt the hard way as we are now nearly 3 into ownership.
My GE system is still working & the App is OK except for the really annoying recent colour scheme change. I've had a few issues with my system which I managed to mostly sort myself but I am seriously thinking about other makes when the time comes to replace the inverter & batteries.

I think the biggest issue for GE compared to say Tesla, is that GE have a massive sliding scale of control you can have over your system. This naturally introduces huge numbers of calls for basic things like setting discharge times, eco mode etc etc. This is in comparison to Tesla where the majority of the complaints with service are due to actual hardware failures, not people faffing about with the app. I love that GE open up their kit, but I fear it may be to their own detriment.

Al E.Gator i would have been in that boat had i not found this forum. I had no idea of Gen 1 or Gen 3 and probably got a bin end deal as Gen 3 was on the go. I was lucky they offered me 5kW battery.

Using this forum I found MyEnergyOptimiser. This does all I need with superb support. At my age I don't want to get in Rabbit and HA etc.

sugarfree
I can understand your frustration. It is an issue if anyone is having trouble with their system and can't get help in a reasonable timescale. It did not used to be that way.

However, you do not say you are actually having issues that need fixing by GE. If your system is working my two penneth is to leave it alone, do not attempt to update and just let it carry on. This is where I am , while the GE system works (it does right now 2.5 years installed) I will let it be and hope it gets to the point I have earned enough savings by the time I need to take action and replace it with some other manufacturers equipment. I won't do that before I need to otherwise I am spending money I don't need to right now.

Although we see people commenting on here about their issues we do not see all the people who have an installed system that works and just leave it alone to do its job. A large percentage of GE customers fall into this bracket.

Jhors Just out of interest, what other brands would you consider replacing the GE kit with?

killythebid indeed. I had a 'fault' that I think was my error. GE took control when I rang, ran some checks and gave me the all clear.

ChrisRowe For me, & based on what I've gleaned to date, it would be Sigenergy.

CGoode based on what I've gleaned to date, it would be Sigenergy.

Seriously, with the melty power plugs? Recall in Australia.

https://www.productsafety.gov.au/search-consumer-product-recalls/sigenstor-ec-80100120kw-sp-au-energy-controllers

Rubikcube At least they recalled them. GE didn't - see previous threads on melting GE plugs 😉

Rubikcube As I said, "from what I have gleaned so far" it would be Sigenergy.
I'm not in Australia & I haven't seen or heard anything about recalls on Sig kit in the UK. Have there been any such issues reported or any recalls on Sig kit in the UK?

As a result of this thread I did a search of my own & found some rather damming comments by an anonymous ex UK GE employee, some UK GE customers & some UK GE installers on Reddit. I can post a link on here if requested but I've not done so for fear of breaking some forum rules I was unaware of. Better maybe for anyone interested to do their own searches on Google - "The state of GivEnergy lately".
Anyhow, it was quite eye opening what was said by the ex employee & confirmed by the installers. I could say I wished I'd known sooner but, the problems currently at GE probably weren't as bad 3 years ago when I paid up for my system. .

Either way it's all a bit academic for me atm because I can't afford to change any kit for a while so I' have to stick with what I've got for now & hope it lasts long enough to achieve the payback I'm hoping to get. However, when I do replace my Inverter & batteries I will be much better informed than I was 1st time around.

FWIW SigEnergy could be the next GivEnergy.

You are buying into a gilded cage...

Of course SigEnergy might work out ok, but I thought that 4 years ago about GE...

For me I will be looking for something I can manage and is easily swappable.

This is not a route for everyone but you become the master of your own destiny.

My SolarEdge system is 2 years older then my GivEnergy.
It has worked well all the time, support has been great and I think they look pretty stable.
https://community.givenergy.cloud/d/6397-solaredge-support

Al E.Gator I guess on the flip side, if anything happens, then that sheer volume of control does work in the consumers favour as they aren't left high and dry. I'm sure someone like Rubikcube would step in with a few tweaks and hand everyone full control of everything if really needed.
Worst case I'd resurrect my old local dashboard thing if needed.

killythebid I'll chip in and say I am perfectly happy with my GivEnergy kit that I got 3 years ago. It works pretty reliably and (with Predbat) I get a net zero annual electricity bill and am expecting to pay for the total system installation cost in 7 years.
Would have been 6 years but for an accident with a power drill .....

What after that, I have no idea. If it aint broke I will leave it until it does break and can't be fixed, and then will look at what is available at that time. GivEnergy were strongly on the up 3 years ago, Octopus were installing lots of them, business was booming. Look at how many YouTubers there are with GivEnergy kit.
SigEnergy is the darling at the moment, its heavily being promoted, but who knows what the situation will be like in a few years time.

I like that GivEnergy have the ability to control the inverter locally (no cloud reliance). I don't like that it requires an installer to add or remove kit, I would like the ability to self install extra batteries for example, but that is my only major gripe.
I have had an inverter die and it be replaced by Giv under warranty so its not been trouble free, but nothing major.

geoffreycoan Ditto for my kit installed in 2021. When my installer first tested the power cut back up, something blew in the original AC3 inverter (power thyristor??) and it took 2 wks for GivEnergy to come out and replace that, but otherwise everything has been ok - touch wood!

ChrisRowe when I looked at others when I bought the system it was between Tesla and GivEnergy. GivEnergy was cheaper and could supply quicker, so they won. Solax are now starting to offer similar systems to the AIO and I’ve found their support to be very good. We had a faulty Solax PV inverter on install and they had a replacement on site the next morning and with a problem with firmware updates they fixed everything remotely.