Octopus Intelligent Go - Smart Charging Schedule & 3 PIN EV Charger

MeteredOut

I've just switched over to Octopus Intelligent Go - it took a few attempts for the Octopus app test connection to recognise my EV, but it seemed to get there eventually.

I've still just got an 3 PIN charger (still working out if its worthwhile forking out for a full charger) and I haven't quite got my head around how Octopus says it can now control the car charging schedule (I suspect it might be via the car manufacturer login) since I just have that 3 PIN charger plugged into a standard external socket.

However, In addition to the standard 23:30 - 05:30 period, the Octopus app is also telling me that the Smart Charging Schedule is running from 11pm tonight all the way through to 6:30am tomorrow morning,

Does that mean I'll be getting the 7.5p rate for the whole 7 1/2 hour period, rather than the standard 6 hours, and that will include the whole house, not just the EV charge?

QrizB

Yes, Octopus will control charging via the car API.

And yes, if Intelligent gives you a wider window than the normal size hours, you get cheap electricity for the whole period.

Reed_Richards

As a potential customer I'm curious about this.  Do Octopus measure the amount of electricity used to charge your car and charge that at 7.5 p per kWh (or whatever your rate is)?  Or is it all-you-can-eat and all electricity used during the charging period is charged at the same rate?   

QrizB

Reed_Richards said:

As a potential customer I'm curious about this.  Do Octopus measure the amount of electricity used to charge your car and charge that at 7.5 p per kWh (or whatever your rate is)?  Or is it all-you-can-eat and all electricity used during the charging period is charged at the same rate?   

All-you-can-eat, metered by your smart meter in 30 minute slices.

Reed_Richards

Looking at the Octopus website, it looked like it is all-you-can-eat 23:30 to 05:30.  What happens when they decide to charge your car outside these hours is not really made clear, other than the assurance that the electricity used to charge the car is at the lower rate.   

FreeBear

QrizB said:

Reed_Richards said:

As a potential customer I'm curious about this.  Do Octopus measure the amount of electricity used to charge your car and charge that at 7.5 p per kWh (or whatever your rate is)?  Or is it all-you-can-eat and all electricity used during the charging period is charged at the same rate?   

All-you-can-eat, metered by your smart meter in 30 minute slices.

Is there an easy way to interrogate charging point to query how much energy has been used ?

Looking at having a charging point installed here, and whilst I can put an energy meter on the cable (another PZEM-016), it would be easier if i could query the charger directly.

MultiFuelBurner

MeteredOut said:

I've just switched over to Octopus Intelligent Go - it took a few attempts for the Octopus app test connection to recognise my EV, but it seemed to get there eventually.

I've still just got an 3 PIN charger (still working out if its worthwhile forking out for a full charger) and I haven't quite got my head around how Octopus says it can now control the car charging schedule (I suspect it might be via the car manufacturer login) since I just have that 3 PIN charger plugged into a standard external socket.

However, In addition to the standard 23:30 - 05:30 period, the Octopus app is also telling me that the Smart Charging Schedule is running from 11pm tonight all the way through to 6:30am tomorrow morning,

Does that mean I'll be getting the 7.5p rate for the whole 7 1/2 hour period, rather than the standard 6 hours, and that will include the whole house, not just the EV charge?

You might want to join the Facebook octopus intelligent go group. 

But as has already said if they give you a wider slot any electricity you use in the house is at the cheap rate.

Keep_pedalling

FreeBear said:

QrizB said:

Reed_Richards said:

As a potential customer I'm curious about this.  Do Octopus measure the amount of electricity used to charge your car and charge that at 7.5 p per kWh (or whatever your rate is)?  Or is it all-you-can-eat and all electricity used during the charging period is charged at the same rate?   

All-you-can-eat, metered by your smart meter in 30 minute slices.

Is there an easy way to interrogate charging point to query how much energy has been used ?

Looking at having a charging point installed here, and whilst I can put an energy meter on the cable (another PZEM-016), it would be easier if i could query the charger directly.

I think you should be able to do this with any of the modern chargers. My Zappi displays how much the last charge was on the screen and I can look at historical data on the Myenergi app.

MeteredOut

So I must be missing somethings. Today's Smart Charging Schedule has been set (by Octopus) as follows:

Apart from the 5:30-06:00 period, all the time slots are within the standard overnight off-peak range, but it does not include the 00:00-01:30 period.



As far as both the car and the car's app tell me, its not updated the car's charging schedule to match the above.

I'm going to leave it plugged in tonight and see what it does, but does anyone have any idea what's going on here? Does Octopus dynamically control the car charging during the charging periods via the API?

peter3hg

MeteredOut said:

So I must be missing somethings. Today's Smart Charging Schedule has been set (by Octopus) as follows:

Apart from the 5:30-06:00 period, all the time slots are within the standard overnight off-peak range, but it does not include the 00:00-01:30 period.



As far as both the car and the car's app tell me, its not updated the car's charging schedule to match the above.

I'm going to leave it plugged in tonight and see what it does, but does anyone have any idea what's going on here? Does Octopus dynamically control the car charging during the charging periods via the API?

Yes, they will start and stop the charge according to their schedule. They will have calculated they can get to 80% charge without that 90 minute slot and presumably wholesale energy is slightly more expensive at that time.
The cheap rate still applies in that window even if they aren't charging your car then.

Make sure the charging schedule in the car is off as it should only be Octopus controlling it when smart charging is enabled.

MeteredOut

peter3hg said:

MeteredOut said:

So I must be missing somethings. Today's Smart Charging Schedule has been set (by Octopus) as follows:

Apart from the 5:30-06:00 period, all the time slots are within the standard overnight off-peak range, but it does not include the 00:00-01:30 period.



As far as both the car and the car's app tell me, its not updated the car's charging schedule to match the above.

I'm going to leave it plugged in tonight and see what it does, but does anyone have any idea what's going on here? Does Octopus dynamically control the car charging during the charging periods via the API?

Yes, they will start and stop the charge according to the schedule. They will have calculated they can get to 80% charge without that 90 minute slot and presumably wholesale energy is slightly more expensive at that time.
The cheap rate still applies in that window even if they aren't charging your car then.

Thanks, via the car API, yes? Because I'm on a 3-pin charger and I can't see how Octopus can otherwise tell specific electrons to go or not go to the outside socket the car is plugged into

Does anyone know if the API will override a cars' charging schedule (VW in my case)? I've got it set up for 23:30 - 05:30 but can easily changed that to end at 06:00 (though i think my charge to 80% might finish before then).

I'll report back tomorrow.