Best EV tariff - tell me if I am wrong

enginestar

Most energy providers: EV tariff = 1/3 more for standard tariff + cheap rate over night.

Best to choose a provider that gives: standard normal tariff all day + cheap rate over night.

Am I missing something?

This is why I switched to Octopus 12 months ago.

Now they have just short of 40p standard rate + 7.5p overnight. So, it makes no sense for me to stay with them?? The best I am seeing so far is EON.

Would be great to hear from others. Looking to switch today.

QrizB

Am I missing something?

Have you seen the MSE guide to EV tariffs? There's a big comparison table.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/ev-energy-tariffs/

Now they have just short of 40p standard rate + 7.5p overnight. So, it makes no sense for me to stay with them??

It's going to depend on how much off-peak electricity you buy, vs. how much peak. I'm like you with EV and home storage battery, and can buy 95% of my electricity at the off-peak price (charging my battery off-peak and using that to run my house). This means the daytime tariff is almost irrelevant.

The best I am seeing so far is EON.

E.ON's smart EV tariff is very competitive, but you need the right combination of car and charger. Relatively few people qualify. If you do, great.

If you don't qualify for the Smart tariff, the "non-smart" version isn't as attractive.

MeteredOut

The "best" EV tariff does not exist in isolation. You have to determine your own usage and usage profile, and select based on that. For some, it might still be Octopus IOG, but many have found that EDF or E.ON is better for them.

Netexporter

This video from Electric Vehicle Man may be useful.

Which Is The Cheapest EV Tariff?

If you alter his assumptions to fit you consumption pattern, if it is significantly different, should put you on the right track. If you have any of the solar/home battery/heat pump technologies then there are calculators on other channels, such as Tim & Kat's Green Walk and Gary Does Solar, which you can put your figures into, to find the best fit.

mark_cycling00

The number of cheap rate hours might be important too

EDF may not be the cheapest rate wise but have a longer cheap rate period which could be useful if you have 2 electric cars or need longer charging periods for a car.

Putting a dehumidifier on before bed and letting it run through the cheap rate seems to make the house warmer too for vert little cost

enginestar

@QrizB awesome. Just seen the page - that's super helpful.

QUESTION: I don't have charging of batteries over night! How do I set that up!? I've got a Solax app - I don't remember seeing something to allow me to charge it overnight! ALSO: then… how do I know when to adjust this in the summer?

@mark_cycling00 I'm going with EDF - we definitely will get another EV.

How does a dehumidifier save money?

QrizB

QUESTION: I don't have charging of batteries over night! How do I set that up!? I've got a Solax app - I don't remember seeing something to allow me to charge it overnight!

Sorry but I don't have any experience with Solax inverters 🙁 but in this thread a Solax user is talking about "force use mode" which lets them set charge times. Does that thread help at all?

ALSO: then… how do I know when to adjust this in the summer?

If you're on a pair of import/export tariffs where off-peak import is cheaper than daytime export, you might not need to change anything.

For example this past year I've been charging my batteries off-peak at 8p/kWh or less even in the height of summer, so I can export more from my solar panels at 12p/kWh in the daytime.

enginestar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82186967#Comment_82186967

That makes a lot of sense… I guess you might lose out on a trickle of energy in the early hours when the sun rises early? But that is most likely negligible I guess?

I've looked up on AI… I've read about the forcing bit.

I reconnected to the Solax app - oh damn, it had been such a long time since I last connected and had changed Wifi - so need to sort that out!

Keep_pedalling

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82186967#Comment_82186967

The apps seemed to work in a similar way to the Fox system I have. If you do a search on YouTube you should find several videos of how to use the app.

Because I want to export as much as I can from the solar generation, I switched the mode the engineers left me with from Self-use to Feed-in priority.

I am on Octopus Intelligent Go so configure the battery to force charge between 23:30 to 23:59 and 00:00 to 05:30. (you need do this if the period you want to force charge straddles midnight). Once up to 100% I have configured it to go into standby mode so it won’t start discharging again until 05:30 when the peak rate kicks in.

enginestar

One thing guys… why are you staying with Octopus?

39.9p is the rate + 8p overnight rate.

Go to EDF or EON and you get 34p rate + 6p over night rate. What am I missing?

Side rant: I had the crazy idea that Octopus was the best choice 12 months ago - I would never have to faff around with deals as they were always one of the best.

EDIT: I was just about to go with EDF, when I realised that the tariff was variable and not fixed. EON is fixed. So going with that.

Bendo

EDF Go Electric isn't variable. There are two options, 12 or 18 month fix. Both have just had a new version with higher day rate though, still cheaper than Octopus.