Hi, have a look at the t's & c's you have to be actively charging.
Have you had a bill yet?

 

All your domestic electricity is at the cheap rate during the fixed 23:30-05:30 IOG window. And all your domestic electricity is at the cheap rate if you’re given a cheap slot additionally, outside of that.

If you look at your bill, you will see for each day the pattern of use for each of the 48 half-hours and the corresponding p/kWh you’re being charged. The horizontal axis is time, in half-hours and the vertical axis shows both kWh consumed (histogram) and p/kWh (purple line):

In the above example, like you I did a daytime charge session. In this case between 17:00 and 20:30. And then I also had the fixed 23:30-05:30. Both are at the cheap 7p (the 6.67p above is ex-VAT) rate (the purple line) and all my domestic electricity was at that rate during these two ‘windows’.

Most of the dynamic window consumption is down to the EV and in the fixed window, I ran the dishwasher and washing machine on a delay program, starting between 23:30-00:00.

Because I also have an ‘intelligent’ charge point (Ohme Home Pro) I can also get this confirmed much earlier, when the session is initially scheduled, and once it’s completed. But as you don’t have one, you can’t be absolutely certain until the above bill comes in retrospectively.

I know there are many reasons why people use a Granny Charger, and it may be their only option. But having a 7kW home charge point transforms the charging process and even ‘though there is an installation cost, I’d suggest you give serious thought to having one, if it’s feasible.

 

Has anyone worked out whether the house benefits from cheap electric during this time, even if the car is not charging but you have the plan.

You don't need to work it out, it states on the Octopus website that this is the case.

 

All I can find is that it states that when you have a plan and your car is plugged in. It says nothing about the car accepting a charge.

 

I have been using electric when I have a plan but not charging. I will have to wait until I have the bill to see. I was hoping someone had already done this and found out. I will post here when I have the details.

 

On reflection, I think I see what you’re concerned about - which is, if there’s no integration between IOG and either the car or the Granny Charge Point, then how does Octopus know to give you the cheap rate outside the fixed 23:30-05:30 window?

 

I have my Zappi charger integrated with IOG. When I plug the car in the charger shows a pink light but does not immediately start to charge. In the app click devices & it will give a plan button. This will show the hours of charging but this is dynamic & will change throughout the day. If using an non integrated granny charger I dont see how you can get a plan & will only get cheaper power 23:30 to 05:30. As said check your bill to confirm if car charging affects the price.

 

I'm getting very confused by this thread, as I'm seeing answers to different questions.
As OP is talking about a 3 pin granny cable but getting a schedule from IOG, that means IOG is talking to the car, not the EVSE.
I think the only thing you can guarantee is that, outside of the fixed night time cheap rate, you will get cheap electricity if both the following are true:

• the current time is in the schedule (which you need to check in real time as the schedule can change)
• the car is actually drawing charging current

I wouldn't assume that you have cheap electricity if the car is plugged in but fully charged, for example. And certainly not if it isn't even plugged in.
Trying to use IOG to get cheap power for the house is what Octopus call "gaming the system" and they discourage it.

 

Trying to use IOG to get cheap power for the house is what Octopus call "gaming the system" and they discourage it.

That behaviour will spoil it for everyone as Octopus would eventually remove the tariff. Hopefully people who do that get bumped off Intelligent Go.

 

No, Octopus do not call it ‘gaming the system’. This is a term that’s arisen on the forum to describe people who pretend they can only charge at a very low rate to get very long sessions, outside of the core 23:30-05:30 window, at a discount. When in reality, their vehicle/EVSE could charge much faster. Basically, they’re being dishonest about what EV and equipment they have so as to reduce the cost.

Octopus has no problem with people on IOG charging their car at any time they want, and getting cheap domestic power at the same time. Indeed, they actively encourage people to do so. But they do reserve the right to set a charge session or slot outside 23:30-05:30 at the premium rate and then give you the choice of whether to go with it or not.

There is sometimes criticism and resentment around people who Granny Charge because on IOG, it gives them domestic cheap power for much longer periods than those with a 7kWh charge point. Personally, I have no problem with this as long as it’s not a pretence.

 

I first saw the term "gaming the system" used by a Myenergi employee who was working with Octopus on Zappi integration and he was warning their forum members that Octopus was aware that some people were trying to maximise their cheap rate slots and were considering future action. Obviously people getting their total energy at less than economic rates would be unsustainable in the long term and cause Octopus to either withdraw the tariff or tighten up the rules. I have no objection to people taking advantage of an occasional cheap slot and using the overnight period, but charging a car with a large battery at low (granny) rates during the day on a regular is not what the tariff was designed for.

 

And yet Octopus happily sign such people up. And renew their contracts.

By this, I mean customers who only Granny Charge and are conspicuously not misrepresenting their situation,

Octopus has the all data it needs to identify these customers, plus the legal right to terminate a contract if they wish to do so. But they don’t. So clearly they are happy, because if these contracts weren’t economic, they’d simply refuse to renew them. No business, however cuddly it’s PR persona, is going to renew contracts with customers who lose them money.

 

A granny charger would be okay for charging a small PHEV battery but is less than ideal for charging a BEV with a large battery on a regular basis. I can understand that there are edge cases but I have seen more posts on forums from people specifically using a granny charger to game the system than people using one for regular unavoidable very long charging. Octopus say that IOG is a beta tariff and it could be dropped at any time if unsustainable, just like their earlier flexible Go tariff where people chose their own cheap period.

My comments are just my opinion and in the end it is up to Octopus, so further comment from me would just be pointless discussion. Best to agree to differ.

 

I believe on octopus intelligent go that you only get the 7p per kw when the car is plugged in and charging I think this is correct, when you plug into charge they send you a charging plan those hours that they give you is for the whole house, so when charging your car in those hours use as much as you want cook clean washing just make sure it’s in the hours they send you in the plan.

 

If anyone knows different please let me know we are all learning lol

 

I believe on octopus intelligent go that you only get the 7p per kw when the car is plugged in and charging

Yes, though I'm not sure what happens if the car is plugged in and Octopus have scheduled a charge, but the car has either become fully charged or has reached a preset charging limit, so is not drawing current. I suspect that Octopus may cancel its schedule, as if you had unplugged the car.

when you plug into charge they send you a charging plan those hours that they give you is for the whole house, so when charging your car in those hours use as much as you want cook clean washing just make sure it’s in the hours they send you in the plan.

Yes, when the car is charging, all your electricity is on cheap rate. BUT... as frequently mentioned by others, Octopus can change their charging schedule any time, so you can't be sure that your cheap electricity will happen at the times shown when the charging schedule was first set up. Before turning the oven on, make sure the schedule includes the current time, if it matters!

you'll always get a cheap rate between 11:30 and 5:30am

Yes, that's true too. As it happen I mostly leave "ready by" set to 8am and Octopus always selects charging schedule in those hours anyway. They would do of course, the electricity is cheapest then.