[Flyingbyrne]

Good Evening folks,

I'm hoping for some advice from EV drivers. I'm soon to be a new member with a BMW IX3, however im now trying to sort out what energy provider I should be with. As we all know the price of electricity has sky rocketed, and I will be doing roughly 600 miles per week on my EV with the majority of my charging done at home. I've looked at Octopus and EDF for charging, I'm with British Gas currently on a standard variable.

Many thanks

 

[phproxy]

Do you have a working smart meter?

I'd say Octopus Go. But whichever you choose, you'll want to get off of the variable asap.

 

[Todor]

Check the status of your Smart meter.

I'm in the same situation as you currently with BG, and was looking into EDF. But on the EDF website it specifically states that unless you have a SMETS2 smart meter, you can't be on the GoElectric35/98 tariff. The only possibility is the flat rate tariff. They don't offer to change the meter.

With Octopus, you have the same problem, but at least they sort of install meters relatively fast. You still need to talk to them to see what they can offer as a replacement meter.

 

[andyswarbs]

Anyone changing to ev has many questions to think through for optimum pricing. The ideal is solar panels, battery pack on the wall, charger that can deal with all this, and an ev.

Get this right and your ev charging costs can be negligible whatever provider you choose.

 

[Flyingbyrne]

I unfortunately don't have a smart meter, however I'm sure I can get one fitted. ive looked on Octopus however it won't give me a price without calling them, im sure that's the same for everyone however does anyone happen to know what their charges are roughly?

I would happily install solar panels etc if this was a long term home, however it won't be for us.

 

[KDon]

I unfortunately don't have a smart meter, however I'm sure I can get one fitted. ive looked on Octopus however it won't give me a price without calling them, im sure that's the same for everyone however does anyone happen to know what their charges are roughly?

I would happily install solar panels etc if this was a long term home, however it won't be for us.

These are the rates in my postcode area, may differ where you are. luckily I’m still on the old Go rates and I’m not sure you can get on the new one below, maybe give them a call. 👌

google octopus go rates and stick in your postcode to get a more specific tariff.

 

[Peirpoint]

These are the rates in my postcode area, may differ where you are. luckily I’m still on the old Go rates and I’m not sure you can get on the new one below, maybe give them a call. 👌

google octopus go rates and stick in your postcode to get a more specific tariff.
View attachment 163430

Do Octopus require you to take gas from them or could you leave that with an existing supplier?

Gaz

 

[phproxy]

Do Octopus require you to take gas from them or could you leave that with an existing supplier?

Gaz

No requirement, they're happy with electric only.

I'm with so.energy for gas, will hopefully be moving back to Octopus so they can fully remove the meter later this year. Pending heat pump quote..

 

[Hitstirrer]

Assuming that your 600 miles per week are mostly a five-day commute with a few shopping local trips at weekends that would need you to be filling every night for the full four hours cheapy of a typical split rate tariff. In four hours on a 6.6 kW wallbox that would load around 25 kWh's at the cheap rate. That would give you a daily range of circa 100 cheap miles without burning more expensive electrons on the day rate. Just one aspect to consider because some companies offer more overnight hours such as a seven-hour tariff that would cover all of your anticipated weekly miles at a cheap rate.

 

[artyman]

My charger adds about 120-130 miles in a four hour cheap window so over a week more than enough plugging in each night

 

[dparr59]

I unfortunately don't have a smart meter, however I'm sure I can get one fitted. ive looked on Octopus however it won't give me a price without calling them, im sure that's the same for everyone however does anyone happen to know what their charges are roughly?

I would happily install solar panels etc if this was a long term home, however it won't be for us.

Ask your nearest neighbours if they have a smart meter ( as in some area's smart meters won't work )

If you sent a private message via twitter that you have a EV then someone should reply with a tariff price for your area which is what you go on to first,
then they send a link to the Octopus Go tariff to use the day after your move to them is fully complete.

 

[Harry6]

An over night tariff work out better if you have a smart EVSE and can add enough to the battery to cover your daily commute. Octopus do 3, 4 and 5 hour slots. Do you have free EVSE units near you in car parks or at the supermarket could be a way to top up the battery. My 4 hour slot adds about 25kW which is about 100 miles but that won't go that far in the winter, so you would need 5 hours or an EDF tariff

 

[Hitstirrer]

My charger adds about 120-130 miles in a four hour cheap window so over a week more than enough plugging in each night

4 x 6.6 = 26.4 kWh's. But with the normal heat and transfer losses that would be more like 25 kWhs actually added to the battery.

120/25 = 4.80 miles per kWh.

130/25 = 5.2 miles per kWh.

In a BMW iX3 every day, all year round, winter and summer?

The car spec says it's an 80 kWh battery with a range of 280 miles WLTP. That is usually optimistic but even that is only predicting 3.5 miles per kWh for that range to be met. Realistically 250 miles = 3.1 miles per kWh.

An overnight four hour 6.6 kWh charge that loads 25 kWhs net will thus give a daily range of 78 miles at 3.1 miles per kWh and using a cheap rate tariff only.

A bit tight if most miles are for a 9 to 5 commute task. No problem with a seven hour cheap tariff though.

 

[sidehaas]

4 x 6.6 = 26.4 kWh's. But with the normal heat and transfer losses that would be more like 25 kWhs actually added to the battery.

120/25 = 4.80 miles per kWh.

130/25 = 5.2 miles per kWh.

In a BMW iX3 every day, all year round, winter and summer?

The car spec says it's an 80 kWh battery with a range of 280 miles WLTP. That is usually optimistic but even that is only predicting 3.5 miles per kWh for that range to be met. Realistically 250 miles = 3.1 miles per kWh.

An overnight four hour 6.6 kWh charge that loads 25 kWhs net will thus give a daily range of 78 miles at 3.1 miles per kWh and using a cheap rate tariff only.

A bit tight if most miles are for a 9 to 5 commute task. No problem with a seven hour cheap tariff though.

6.6 kW was a Nissan Leaf limitation I think (28A?). The iX3 will take 32A like most cars, so likely somewhere between 7.4 and 8 kW from a home charger depending on the supply voltage.

 

[Favguy]

6.6 kW was a Nissan Leaf limitation I think (28A?). The iX3 will take 32A like most cars, so likely somewhere between 7.4 and 8 kW from a home charger depending on the supply voltage.

Actually, whilst pulling a load of 32A, the local voltage at the charging point will usually drop to around 230V, so a maximum of 7.36kW, then allowing the usual circa 10% losses in the cars charger, the battery sees a 6.6kW charge rate.

 

[sidehaas]

Actually, whilst pulling a load of 32A, the local voltage at the charging point will usually drop to around 230V, so a maximum of 7.36kW, then allowing the usual circa 10% losses in the cars charger, the battery sees a 6.6kW charge rate.

That's certainly not universal behaviour. I regularly see over 30kwh in a 4 hour period so you can do the maths. The supply voltage is indicated on the charger display and is usually hovering around 245V with a current hovering between 32 and 32.5A.
(Leafs are indeed limited to 6.6kw by the onboard charger by the way, which other cars generally aren't)

 

[onlineo]

If you can get onto it I would imagine intelligent octopus is the tarrif to be on now.

 

[Favguy]

That's certainly not universal behaviour. I regularly see over 30kwh in a 4 hour period so you can do the maths. The supply voltage is indicated on the charger display and is usually hovering around 245V with a current hovering between 32 and 32.5A.
(Leafs are indeed limited to 6.6kw by the onboard charger by the way, which other cars generally aren't)

Interesting, you seem to have particularly high supply voltage, it's always closer to 230V here.

 

[martin57]

I know they are in 'special administration' and perhaps not taking on new customers, but as a comparison this is what I am paying on the Bulb EV tariff:

So a higher off-peak rate than Octopus, but a lower standing charge.

 

[sidehaas]

Interesting, you seem to have particularly high supply voltage, it's always closer to 230V here.

According to Google: In the UK, the declared voltage and tolerance for an electricity supply is 230 volts -6%, +10%. This gives an allowed voltage range of 216.2 volts to 253.0 volts.