Electroverse question

paulstevo

Just in middle of signing up to an EV Tariff , as an Octopus Customer Im more than likely going to commit to Intelligent Go . Just reading about the 8% discount if you use the electroverse app as an octopus customer for public charging . Anyone confirm this works and is a good way to go for public charging if needed.  

Reed_Richards

Public charging is about 10x more expensive than home charging so is best avoided.  If you're caught short and need a public charge, you use whatever charger you can find.  If that charger happens to work with Electroverse then you're in luck, perhaps.

kingstreet

I did a test charge at a Green King pub just after we got our EV. Used the Electroverse card to pay and the cost was debited from our Octopus account. No issues.

Netexporter

You can use Electroverse in most parts of the EU, too.

It's free and may get you out of a spot/a bit of a discount, so it's a no-brainer. I've never used mine but it is a comfort to have it in the car, just in case.

born_again

Handy card to have, as covers many charge points. 

Only used mine twice in a year, as pointless charging anywhere near home, when you have home charging.

TheBanker

I'd get one - it's free to sign up so no real drawback.

I mostly charge at home, but I use rapid charging when on longer journeys/away from home, probably on average once or twice a month.

It's got good coverage of the main networks, but there are some exceptions. If you charge mainly on motorways, you'll probably find yourself using a lot of Gridserve chargers (they are the main chargepoint operator at motorwy service areas). Gridserve are not part of Electroverse, however they've just launched their own app which gives 20% off until the end of September. Another main network that's missing is PodPoint who run the chargers at Tesco and Lidl stores. 

There are several benefits of having the Electroverse account:

• You get the 8% discount as an IOG customer - the saving isn't huge but it all helps!
• Having the app and RFID card is handy - there have been a couple of times where the contactless terminal hasn't been working at a charger I've wanted to use, but I've been able to start my charge with the Electorverse card or app. I keep the RFID card in the car as a 'get out of jail' card in the unlikely event I lost my phone and wallet. 
• Their app is quite good for locating charging points on your route. It's a personal preference but I prefer it to Zapmap.
• They have started running 'plunge pricing' events. These happen when there is a surplus of green energy, so they'll run a slot for a few hours where certain networks offer a reduced price via Electroverse. I've never needed to charge when one of these has been running but if there is one when you need to charge it could be a useful saving.
• They run an ongoing 'refer a friend' programme which can net you and the friend £5 credit each (sometimes they increase this). We aren't allowed to share referral links here, so please don't ask for one, but if you are going to sign up it's worth trying to find someone to refer you.

Given there's no cost to sign up, it's worth doing even if you're not likely to use it very often. 

TheBanker

Reed_Richards said:

Public charging is about 10x more expensive than home charging so is best avoided.  If you're caught short and need a public charge, you use whatever charger you can find.  If that charger happens to work with Electroverse then you're in luck, perhaps.

This really depends on how you use your EV. I've just been away for a week to the coast. No destination charging where I was staying, so I rapid charged on the way there so I arrived with enough power to last the week. I then did a top-up on the way home as I didn't have quite enough power to get back without it. It wasn't a case of being 'caught short' - I planned where I wanted to charge as part of my route, choosing a location that also offered toilet facilities and somewhere to get a brew. Although it wasn't the main factor, both locations accepted Electroverse which saved me about £2.50 overall.

It's a lot easier to choose where to charge these days as there are a lot more public chargers around. Generally, I'll plan based on convenience (i.e. somewhere I am going anyway such as a Tesco store, or somewhere close to my route that roughly coincides with a likely toilet/coffee/lunch stop). I don't tend to prioritise price, but if you wanted to it would be relatively easy to do so.