I can't comment on higher-rate charging, but give the max (10A) charging rate a try with the 'granny cable' supplied with the car. All you need to do is have a feel of the plug & socket after about 30 mins of charging. If it isn't getting warm to the touch, it will be fine charging at the full rate.

BMW only say 'charge at the low rate' in the manual because of the risk of an owner plugging into a knackered / bodged old domestic socket.

I've plugged my 225 into all sorts of domestic and garden outlets and never had a problem. A 10A draw is the same as an electric heater. I've also used a 12-foot extension lead for charging without any issues: it's a heavy-duty lead that is rated as being able to handle 13A continuous (less than a tenner from a hardware shop).

 

Same here, I have a 740e and found the granny lead worked perfectly OK at full power. Set in the iDrive menus.

The 32A home charger only operates at 16A of course.

 

Same here. I have my 330e set to maximum charge rate on the granny charger without any issues.

 

On cars since July 2017, you can register with BMW DIGITAL CHARGING SERVICE BMW 360° ELECTRIC UK ||| Home and track your home charging and costs for a year

 

Thanks all, that's very useful. I'm also using an extension lead, it has "Maximum load 13A" molded onto it so it must be ok even though the double socket is shared with a freezer. I'll try charging it at the maximum rate and I'll check its temperature after 30 minutes.
I guess the charging rate setting under Plan Charging on iDrive also applies to ad hoc on-demand charging. I wonder why the setting is specifically under Plan Charging (which I guess is for timed charging during the cheap rate period) and not in general settings for all charging situations.
Yes it will only charge at 16A but like most people I went for a 32A point for future proofing.
Mine was registered in August 2016 so I won’t be able to register with the charging service . I'll be getting a new smart meter monitor which might give some idea of the charging costs.

 

This is an old thread, but having come across it, I’d like to correct a misapprehension that seems to have crept in. BMW granny chargers (or any granny charger really) charge at a maximum of 10 amps. This is not the fastest rate on BMW PHEVs, which is currently 16 amps. Setting the charge rate to fast on the vehicle’s charge rate screen won’t make the granny charger charge any faster, it automatically limits it to the intermediate 10 amp range internally. The only way to charge at the fastest rate is to use a dedicated wall charger or public charger (at least rated at 3.6kW, although most installed ones are good for 7 kW these days).

If you are concerned about the state of the socket, or the overall load where you are charging using your granny charger, you can drop the charge rate down to the slow rate, about 6 amps as an extra precaution.

Be very careful with extension leads, make sure it really is good quality and of the correct rating. Just because it has a 13 amp socket on the end and says maximum of 13amps, doesn’t mean it’s genuinly safe to run 10 amps continuously for 3 hours, there are some nasty, dare I say Chinese, cheapies out there! And I really didn’t like the OP planning to plug into a double socket next to a fridge freezer on the basis it must be OK. That’s not a bet I’d like to take!

Oh and if I’m pontificating too much, I apologise, but please, please remember never to use any lead or extension lead without fully uncoiling it, especially for heavy duty use like car charging!

 

I had a look at the handbook in my app.
For a 10A granny charger the settings are maximum 10A, Reduced 7.5A, Low 6A. I tend to leave it on 6A to reduce the continuous load on the plug.

It also give reductions on a 15A marked cable to 15,11.25 and 7.5A but no mention of 16A cables?

And a few quirks I've found.
I can only select delayed off-peak charging if I put in a departure time, presumably so the car can work out if it ever needs to start charging in the peak to be fully charged for departure.
And my biggest moan. If I plug in to a public charger during the day, I have to remember to change the settings to immediate charging rather than delayed, and back again when I get home. I would have preferred an auto mode based on the GPS, or a simple one off override button by the socket so I remember to press it.

edit - I use the charging service website, but it doesn't do much apart from multiply the charge by the price I entered, although I think it has missed charges compared to my smart meter time of day bill.

 

Two reasons, if your charging at 16 Amps or 3.7kW and you rely on solar power for a free charge and it's cloudy day. Lets say your 5kW solar power system is only putting out 1.8kW in winter, then you could reduce the iDrive setting to reduced or low for a free charge. With standard the BMW portable charger if it is set to max and there are some bad connections or low current, this can and will corrupt the vehicle charge system.

 

Has anyone figured out how to use cheap rate charging (Octopus Go) with preconditioning for a later departure?