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A number of GivEnergy customers have recently been sent emails about joining Axle Energy.
The offer is simple on the face of it: join Axle, get GivEnergy Premium included for free, and get paid when your battery supports the grid.
For many GivEnergy owners, especially those now being asked to pay for Premium app features, it is understandable that this raises a few questions.
Is it genuine?
Is there a catch?
Will it damage the battery?
Could it leave the battery empty when you need it?
And is it actually worth doing?
Here is how the Axle Energy offer works, and what GivEnergy battery owners should think about before joining.
What is Axle Energy?
Axle Energy is not an electricity supplier.
You do not switch energy supplier, and you do not have to leave your current tariff to join.
Instead, Axle operates a virtual power plant, often shortened to VPP.
A virtual power plant is a network of connected batteries and energy devices that can respond when the electricity grid needs support. Instead of one large power station suddenly increasing output, lots of smaller batteries can export stored electricity at the same time.
For a homeowner, that means your battery may be called upon during a grid event. When that happens, your battery discharges energy, your home uses what it needs first, and any excess can be exported to the grid.
That exported energy is what you are paid for.
What is the GivEnergy Axle offer?
The current offer being sent to GivEnergy customers is based around three main points:
- GivEnergy Premium access is included while you are with Axle
- Axle pays £1 per kWh exported during eligible grid events
- There is a minimum payment of £10 per month
For customers who are already paying for GivEnergy Premium, that can feel quite attractive.
Instead of paying a monthly fee for Premium, you may be able to receive Premium access as part of the Axle scheme and earn money from your battery at the same time.
That is why many customers are asking whether it is too good to be true.
Is the Axle Energy offer genuine?
Yes, the scheme itself is genuine.
GivEnergy previously ran a similar type of scheme with Axle called GivBack, and Ian, Apex Doma co-founder, took part in that scheme with his own battery.
The principle is not new. Home batteries are increasingly being used to help support the grid at times of high demand, especially when electricity prices are high and the grid needs flexible capacity quickly.
What has changed is the wider context.
GivEnergy customers are now dealing with changes to app access, Premium subscriptions and questions around long-term support following GivEnergy Ltd entering administration. That makes any new offer more sensitive, and it is why customers are right to ask questions before signing up.
How does Axle work with a home battery?
When the grid is under strain, Axle can call a grid event.
During that event, your battery is instructed to discharge. The house should use battery power first, as it normally would. Any excess that is not used by the home can then be exported to the grid.
That exported energy earns the event payment.
In simple terms:
- Your battery stores electricity.
- Axle notifies you of a grid event.
- The battery discharges during the event.
- Your home uses what it needs.
- The remaining exported energy supports the grid.
- You are paid for the exported energy.
These events are expected to be more common during winter, because that is when the grid often sees higher pressure, higher demand and more expensive peak periods.
Do you have to change energy supplier?
No.
Axle is not an energy supplier, so you do not need to switch supplier to join.
You should still check your current tariff terms, especially if you are on a smart tariff or already part of another flexibility scheme.
Some tariffs and schemes may have rules around third-party control of your battery, and you generally cannot take part in multiple flexibility schemes for the same meter at the same time.
So while Axle may work alongside many suppliers and tariffs, you should check the details before connecting your battery.
Why is Axle offering £1 per kWh?
Axle earns value by helping the grid at times when extra flexibility is needed.
When grid demand is high, stored electricity in home batteries can become valuable because it can be released quickly. Instead of the grid relying only on larger generators or more expensive balancing actions, distributed batteries can help reduce pressure.
That value is then shared with the battery owner.
For the homeowner, £1 per kWh is much higher than a standard export rate, which is why the offer catches people’s attention.
However, it is important to remember that this only applies during eligible grid events. It does not mean every unit you ever export from your battery earns £1.
What is the main benefit?
The biggest benefit is earning from spare battery capacity.
If your battery often has spare charge sitting unused, Axle may give that stored energy a higher value during grid events.
This could be especially useful if:
- Your battery is often full in the evening
- You regularly have spare capacity you do not need overnight
- You have solar and battery storage
- You are on an off-peak tariff
- You are not already using another battery grid scheme
- You currently pay for GivEnergy Premium
For some customers, the maths may be simple. If the battery has spare energy anyway, and Axle pays for exporting it during events, it may be worth trying.
What is the main downside?
The main thing to think about is battery cycling.
Every time a battery charges and discharges, it goes through a cycle. Battery warranties are normally based partly on time and partly on usage, including cycle count or throughput.
In a normal situation, the concern would be that extra grid events could increase battery usage and bring the battery closer to its warranty limits.
Axle says its activity stays within manufacturer safety limits. However, it is still sensible to understand that a battery being used more often is doing more work.
For GivEnergy owners, the situation is slightly different because GivEnergy Ltd entered administration in April 2026. That means the usual warranty question is already more complicated than it would be with a fully operating manufacturer.
In our opinion, that changes the risk calculation. If the manufacturer warranty position is already uncertain, the concern about protecting that warranty becomes less of a deciding factor.
That said, customers should still check their own position before making a decision.
Could Axle leave your battery empty?
This is probably the most practical concern for most homeowners.
If a grid event happens in the early evening and your battery exports a lot of stored energy, you could be left with less charge for later in the evening.
That might mean you earn money from the event, but then import more electricity from the grid afterwards.
Whether that matters depends on your tariff, your home usage, how much battery capacity you have and how much of the battery was genuinely spare.
For example, if you export energy at £1 per kWh but later import electricity at a much lower rate, that may still work well.
But if the event leaves you short during an expensive peak period, the benefit could be reduced.
This is why Axle is likely to suit some customers better than others.
Who is Axle likely to suit?
Axle is most likely to suit GivEnergy customers who regularly have spare battery capacity.
It may be worth considering if:
- Your battery is often full or partly unused
- You do not rely on the full battery every evening
- You are comfortable allowing grid events to control battery discharge
- You already pay for GivEnergy Premium
- You want to earn from your battery when the grid is under strain
- You are happy to monitor it and leave if it does not work for you
For these customers, joining Axle could be a sensible way to get more value from an existing battery.
Who should be more cautious?
You should be more cautious if you regularly use all of your battery capacity.
For example, if your battery is usually empty by the end of the evening, exporting energy during a grid event may not suit you.
You should also be cautious if:
- You rely heavily on stored energy during peak times
- You need the battery kept full for backup
- You are already on a tariff that controls your battery
- You are already part of another flexibility scheme
- You are uncomfortable with third-party control
- You do not want extra cycling on the battery
In these cases, Axle may still work, but you should look carefully at the numbers and settings before joining.
What about GivEnergy Premium?
One of the reasons this offer is getting attention is because GivEnergy Premium is included as part of the Axle arrangement for GivEnergy battery owners.
For customers who were paying for Premium separately, that could remove a monthly cost.
This is a big part of the appeal.
If you are currently paying for Premium and you join Axle, you should check whether you still need your existing Premium subscription and whether it can be cancelled.
Do not assume anything. Check your GivEnergy and Axle accounts properly so you are not paying for something you no longer need.
Is there a contract?
The offer being sent to customers states that there is no long-term contract and that customers can leave if it is not working for them.
That matters because the best way to know whether Axle suits your home is to see how it performs in real life.
Battery storage is very personal to the property.
Two homes with the same battery can have completely different results depending on:
- Daily electricity usage
- Solar generation
- Battery size
- Tariff
- Export rate
- EV charging
- Heat pump use
- Backup requirements
- When the home uses most energy
If you try it and find that it does not suit your usage, you should be able to leave.
Should you join Axle if you have a GivEnergy battery?
For many GivEnergy customers, Ian’s view is that it is worth considering.
The scheme is genuine, the payment rate is attractive, and if you regularly have spare battery capacity, there may be little downside in giving it a try.
The free Premium access is also useful, especially for customers who would otherwise be paying monthly for the same features.
The biggest things to watch are battery cycling and whether the battery is being emptied at times when you still need that stored energy.
If your battery is often spare, Axle could be a good way to earn from capacity that would otherwise sit unused.
If your battery is already working hard every day, or you need it full for backup, you may want to be more careful.
Final thoughts
The Axle offer is not a scam, and it is not necessarily too good to be true.
It is a virtual power plant scheme that allows your GivEnergy battery to support the grid during short events, with payments made for exported energy.
For the right customer, it could be a useful way to get more value from an existing battery, reduce the need to pay separately for GivEnergy Premium, and help support the grid during peak periods.
But it will not be right for everyone.
The key question is simple:
Do you regularly have spare battery capacity that you are happy to export during grid events?
If the answer is yes, Axle may be worth trying.
If the answer is no, or if you rely heavily on every unit stored in the battery, it may be better to wait, monitor the scheme, or get advice before joining.
FAQs
No. Axle is not an electricity supplier. You do not need to switch supplier to join the scheme.
Axle currently advertises £1 per kWh exported during grid events, with a minimum payment of £10 per month.
GivEnergy Premium is included for GivEnergy battery owners who join Axle. If you already pay for Premium, check your account before cancelling anything.
Axle says the scheme operates within manufacturer safety limits. However, any additional charge and discharge activity means the battery is being used more. Battery wear is something homeowners should still consider.
Normally, battery warranty would be a major consideration because extra cycling can affect long-term battery usage. With GivEnergy Ltd in administration, the warranty position is more complicated. Customers should check their own situation before making a decision.
It could reduce the amount of stored energy available after an event. Whether that matters depends on your battery size, tariff, home usage and how much spare capacity you normally have.
The offer being sent to customers says there is no long-term contract and that customers can leave. Check the latest terms before joining.
Axle says it can work with many suppliers and tariffs, but some smart tariffs and flexibility schemes may have restrictions. If you are on an Octopus tariff that controls your battery, check with Octopus and Axle first.
Axle is likely to suit customers who regularly have spare battery capacity, want GivEnergy Premium access, and are comfortable letting their battery export during grid events.
Customers who rely on every bit of stored energy, need their battery kept full for backup, or are already part of another grid flexibility scheme should be more cautious.
