Join GivBack and earn
cash from your
battery this winter
Get rewarded for supporting the grid when it's under strain
and turn your stored energy into extra income.
Those that participated last winter earned £68 on average.
The grid is expected to be less strained this winter, so payments will likely be lower
than during GivBack last winter. However, we expect payments to remain beneficial.
Join GivBack and earn cash from your battery this winter
Get rewarded for supporting the grid when it's under strain and turn your stored energy into extra income. Those that participated last winter earned £68 on average.
Get paid to help the grid with GivBack
The grid is expected to be less strained this winter, so payments will likely be lower
than during GivBack last winter. However, we expect payments to remain beneficial.
The UK grid is under strain in the winter. Energy from solar is at a low.
So, the grid is more reliant on the burning of fossil fuels to power our homes during the long winter evenings.
To help manage these winter peaks, you can earn rewards by exporting your stored energy and helping reduce electricity demand during peak periods.
To do so, you don’t have to lift a finger.
We’ll manage your battery to export your stored energy to the grid.
Export your stored energy for cash
How it works
Via a smart, secure algorithm, we'll handle your GivEnergy battery for you during each energy export event. Here’s how:
1
You’ll get a notification
Typically an event will be for an hour in the evening, and you’ll get an app/portal notification (if you have them enabled) around a few hours in advance.
2
A top-up if necessary
We’ll top up your battery before the event, if your tariff means that it's economical to do so.
3
Your battery auto-exports during the event
If you have a minimum reserve level set, the battery won’t discharge below that level.
4
Your settings revert
After an event, your battery settings automatically revert. On non-event days your battery will continue to behave according to whatever settings you choose.
5
You cash out your earnings
You’ll get an email stating how much you’ve earned, with a link to view and cash your earnings. You can cash out when your balance exceeds £10.
Get involved in 3 simple steps
Ready to make cash from your GivEnergy battery? To start earning:
Sign up to the scheme from the GivEnergy portal, which will take some key details from you
We'll connect to your
smart meter and
GivEnergy battery
Your details will be
registered with the National
Energy System Operator (NESO)
That’s it! You’re all set to start exporting your energy – for the good of the grid and the good of your bank account.
How your rewards are calculated
We calculate your contributions by measuring your net electricity usage (import minus export) during an event and comparing it to the same time period on non-event days.
This is the same way we calculated contributions for GivBack over winter.
For instance, if you typically import 1.5 kWh from 5-6pm, but during an event we export 2 kWh, this will be calculated as a contribution of 3.5 kWh. The price per kWh event will vary for each event. At an example price of 40p / kWh, a user would earn £1.40.
FAQ
Signing up
Why does the programme need to connect to my system?
The scheme requires connection to your smart meter to verify changes to your electricity consumption. This is a requirement from the National Energy System Operator (NESO), who runs and funds this programme.
We need to connect to your battery for the software to automatically adjust your battery charging/discharging when the grid is at its most strained.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible, you’ll need to have a working smart meter at an address where you have a GivEnergy battery at home. You’re not eligible if you battery is currently managed by another service (e.g., Intelligent Octopus Flux).
Please note: eligibility is limited to England, Wales, and Scotland. It doesn’t include any crown dependencies (like Isle of Man) or N Ireland.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up via GivEnergy GivBack
How do I opt out?
If you’d like to fully opt out, send an email to givback@givenergy.co.uk with the subject line “Opt Out”, and include your name and address.
About the programme
Can I participate in this and other flexibility programmes?
By participating in this programme, you’ll need to agree to not participate in flexibility programmes offered by other providers. This is to ensure no overlap or conflicting signals.
How long will this run for?
This programme doesn’t have an end date; it’s scheduled to last through March at the earliest.
Events explained
What is an event?
A flexibility event occurs when the grid is strained. Consumers will be paid for reducing energy usage, or exporting extra energy back to the grid.
How do I participate in an event? What do I need to do?
Participation is fully automated – you don’t need to do anything to participate. If your battery is able to discharge when there’s an event, it will automatically be scheduled to do so. You’ll still make the most of your solar generation, if you have solar panels.
How frequently will events occur?
It’s hard to tell how strained the power grid will be this winter. We’ll let you know whenever your battery is needed.
What time will events occur?
Events can happen at any hour of the day, but are most likely to happen from 4-8pm.
Do I have to participate in every event?
No, you don’t need to participate in every event. You can always override the schedule, and there’s no penalty for not participating in an event.
What happens when there isn’t an event?
When there’s no event, your battery will charge according to the existing default charge schedule.
How will I be notified?
You’ll get an app/portal notification (if you have them enabled). After an event, you’ll receive a summary of your earnings.
Managing your current setup
How do you adjust my charge schedule?
Via a smart, secure algorithm, we can automatically connect to your battery and send the charging schedule.
What if I already have a charge schedule? Will I lose it?
Your charge schedule will automatically adjust for the day of the event, and then revert to your normal schedule immediately after the event. You can also adjust the schedule from the GivEnergy app if it doesn’t suit you.
How does this impact my tariff? Will I pay more for energy?
What if I have solar? Will I still use the solar energy for my home?
Will I see any changes to my Feed in Tariff (FiT) or Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments?
No, you’ll continue to receive the same payments from any export programmes, including FiT and SEG. This programme doesn’t impact your tariffs or payments that you’re already receiving – any payment you receive from the programme will be in addition to that.
Do I need to change my current supplier or tariff?
No. There’s no changing energy / electricity suppliers required at all – no effort required at all other than signing up to participate.
Is this compatible with smart tariffs?
There can be some issues with smart or “intelligent” tariffs when GivBack is enabled so we advise that you don’t use intelligent tariffs and the GivBack programme at the same time. Both schemes automatically control your battery, so conflicts are likely.
Getting rewarded
How much could I be rewarded?
You’ll earn between £0.25-£2.00 / kWh for the energy that you save or export. The exact price will vary per event, but will typically be in excess of £0.25 / kWh. We’ll notify you of the price before an event.
For events between £0.25-£0.50 / kWh, we will not pre-charge your battery in order to maximise your rewards.
We will not be bidding with the system operator to participate in events at less than £0.25 / kWh.
The kWh that you deliver are measured relative to your baseline (what you’d normally consume at the time of the event).
The power grid is expected to be less strained this winter, so payments will likely be lower than during GivBack last winter.
When will I get rewarded?
You can cash out your earnings once you’ve accrued more than £10. You’ll also be asked to cash out at the end of the programme.
How will I get rewarded?
You’ll get paid via bank transfer. Simply provide your bank details when you’re cashing out – which aren’t stored.
How do I keep track of my rewards?
We’ll provide you with a link to a balance page, where you can always keep track of your earnings.
The legal bits
- Your participation will be subject to terms and conditions.
- This is a trial product, and it might change or be removed at any time.