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My install was on 11th Feb but there was an immediate issue with CT cable which meant charger cut out 1 min after starting charging. ChargedEV have put in place a workaround by throttling my charger to 4KwH. This is okay but means I can only charge 30% of my battery during my overnight 5 hours charge window. The repair is stuck in their scheduling team, I've called four times and each time been promised a call back by the end of the day. Lots of hassle.
My install was on 11th Feb but there was an immediate issue with CT cable which meant charger cut out 1 min after starting charging.
Is it a CT clamp [going around a live]?
If so they're incredibly simple things with just two wires and almost zero voltage on them - I'd check the connections are tight* and the clamp is closed properly.
I've got 4 CT clamps for various power monitoring stuff and you can play around with them without fear.
* I'm not even sure if it matters which way round the wires go - the only thing that matters is that the clamp is fully closed and is correctly orientated on the cable it's reading.
@franksinatra did they not check that during the commissioning?
I had a similar issue with my new Hypervolt when initially switched on, but the electrician fixed it as part of the process - I think it was just moved up or down the cable a bit IIRC.
@franksinatra did they not check that during the commissioning?
I had a similar issue with my new Hypervolt when initially switched on, but the electrician fixed it as part of the process - I think it was just moved up or down the cable a bit IIRC.
Nope. The install guy was told it would be 3 hour install, he was with me for 7 hours and had a long journey to get back. He was in a rush to leave so obviously didn't do commissioning properly.
This is okay but means I can only charge 30% of my battery during my overnight 5 hours charge window.
But even if you charge outside of those 5 hours it is still significantly cheaper than charging from a commercial charger.........
But even if you charge outside of those 5 hours it is still significantly cheaper than charging from a commercial charger.........
Agreed. I went 2 months without a charger at home so even a working one on reduced charge rate is cheaper and more convenient than charging at work or Starbucks.
The more pressing issue is making sure they send me the Electrical Compliance Certificate, without this I cannot draw down my £400 Energy Saving Trust grant.
without doubt its cheaper to drive almost anything other than an electric car if you cant charge at home.
i spent a week without a charger an was shocked at how expensive charging is.
720quid per 10000 miles cheaper to drive my petrol car currently outside of using EZO/Chargeplace scotland slow chargers.
all changes when you charge from home.
charging from home on the cheap rate 1000 quid in the other direction.
out of curiousity - how much did you end up paying with the grant.
just paid my bill today - 620 for the charger and 300 quid to fit it .
mums was 400 for the charger and the install was 180.
used the same installer - The quotes i had for those that would do it with the EST grant (as i used EST to fund the car) Were much more than 400 more than the local sparkie i used. - I had one mob come back at 1800.......
without doubt its cheaper to drive almost anything other than an electric car if you cant charge at home.
i spent a week without a charger an was shocked at how expensive charging is.
720quid per 10000 miles cheaper to drive my petrol car currently outside of using EZO/Chargeplace scotland slow chargers.
all changes when you charge from home.
charging from home on the cheap rate 1000 quid in the other direction.
what sort of fuel consumption are you getting in your petrol car if it costs less than £720 to do 10,000 miles. By my calculation that’s 83mpg if the petroleum car cost the same as the EV in fuel over 10k miles. £720 would buy around 120 gallons.
that’s very impressive fuel consumption for a petrol car, or any ice car
if you’re exclusively using motorway fast chargers and comparing with motorway fuel prices it’s still cheaper to use an EV
Nice when it actually just works after install. MPAN confusion gets everyone the first time, I had to dig through old bills to find mine. Once that part is sorted the rest is pretty straightforward and you forget about it, just plug in and let it do its thing.Hypervolt charger installed and up and running.
Very tidy piece of kit, easy install and setup. Well it was once I'd worked out what an MPAN number is and where to find it 🙂
out of curiousity - how much did you end up paying with the grant.
just paid my bill today - 620 for the charger and 300 quid to fit it .
mums was 400 for the charger and the install was 180.
used the same installer - The quotes i had for those that would do it with the EST grant (as i used EST to fund the car) Were much more than 400 more than the local sparkie i used. - I had one mob come back at 1800.......
Local guy wanted £1800. ChargedEV were £1300. This if for a Zappi charger and very complex install (25-30mm cable run, through two internal and one external wall, then through garden wall and most of the way around the house.)
that’s very impressive fuel consumption for a petrol car, or any ice car
I agree. It is. It would be even more impressive if that's what I said but I digress
Evnext.io have a very handy calculator for sense checking the maths based on current pricing
out of curiousity - how much did you end up paying with the grant.
just paid my bill today - 620 for the charger and 300 quid to fit it .
mums was 400 for the charger and the install was 180.
used the same installer - The quotes i had for those that would do it with the EST grant (as i used EST to fund the car) Were much more than 400 more than the local sparkie i used. - I had one mob come back at 1800.......
Local guy wanted £1800. ChargedEV were £1300. This if for a Zappi charger and very complex install (25-30mm cable run, through two internal and one external wall, then through garden wall and most of the way around the house.)
Fortunately mine just had to go through the roof space front to back , through the eaves then down the back of the drain pipe.
Mums just had to go directly through a single skin foundation wall hence cheap as chips.
without doubt its cheaper to drive almost anything other than an electric car if you cant charge at home.
Simple maths proves this isn’t correct.
Cheapest slow charging round here is 30p per kWh. My car averages 3.5 miles per kWh. So, fuel only cost per mile is 8.6p
My petrol Focus averaged 42 mpg. Petrol currently costs 131.9p per litre so fuel only cost per mile is 13.3p
additional savings on servicing
That maths might be correct but no one wants to leave their car plugged in away from home over night while it charges. Most people will want to use a rapid charger when out and about and they are significantly more than 30p - more like 80p so nearly three times the amount. All of a sudden its 25p per mile in your EV..
79p at chargers near places I want to go.
The two nearest/only ones near me I would be using if I was charging near my house are 76 and 89p/KW and the two near work are similar. (By near I mean 3 and 5 miles away)
I could do a 15 mile out the way round trip to a CPS 22kw unit and pay 44 pence.
But as I said you can put the math into evnext.io and it'll tell you.
I even can save money over commonly/easily accessable public charging by driving my camper van.
I'm not trying to knock Evs here he'll I bought one using money and I enjoy driving it It's the unregulated public charging systems that are completely ****ed.
Don't see any additional savings on servicing . The dealer still wants 300 quid a service for doing next to naff all.
EV incoming.
1. I need to drive it 240 miles Nottinghamshire to Scotland on Saturday. What charge card/app/account do I need to be able to public charge somewhere like Scotch Corner, Penrith or Carlisle?
2. Currently with mth 6 of 12 on an Octopus 'standard' tariff and with a (yet to be set up) SyncEnergy charger. What do I need to consider/what deal to change to as I'm hoping vast majority of charging is at home.
Evnext.io have a very handy calculator for sense checking the maths based on current pricing
Thanks for that - it's just confirmed my 'back of an envelope' calculations at just under £600 a year fuel saving.
1. I need to drive it 240 miles Nottinghamshire to Scotland on Saturday. What charge card/app/account do I need to be able to public charge somewhere like Scotch Corner, Penrith or Carlisle?
Electroverse is probably the most widely useful but contactless card mostly works, including IIRC at Scotch Corner. But really get some apps like Zapmap and abrp to plan in detail.
Loads of options showing up on Zapmap for you Matt. If you can get to Carlisle, Starbucks off junction 44 will see you on a rapid charger. Don’t need an account or card, just standard contactless payment (tap at start and end of charge). Not cheap at 79p but that’s what you pay for rapid charging.
The main issue with the charging maths is that successive governments since 2010 have let fuel duty inflate away, making petrol and diesel relatively inexpensive.
Matt, what Frank said. The ionity chargers at J44 are a safe bet.
if its full when you get it, there is no point in even a monthly sub, but the ionity app or electroverse card will save you a couple of pence per kw.
For a bit of indulgence though, head to Penrith, charge there and fill up on the glorious Booths food.
The main issue with the charging maths is that successive governments since 2010 have let fuel duty inflate away, making petrol and diesel relatively inexpensive.
Not to mention now “road tax” and the mooted 3p/mile additional tax.
Not to mention now “road tax” and the mooted 3p/mile additional tax.
Indeed 3p/mile adds back half the fuel savings in looking at by charging at home. There's something very 'not right' about how we are charging motorists at the moment, and I'm not aware of any coherent suggestions for what to do about it. Roads, air and noise pollution, parking etc - it all costs and needs paying for, but it feels like ambition for a just transition isn't reflected in current policy...
I've looked more closely last night and the savings for a proper EV tariff could save me even more. So maybe the 3p isn't really any issue...
Not to mention now “road tax” and the mooted 3p/mile additional tax.
I've looked more closely last night and the savings for a proper EV tariff could save me even more. So maybe the 3p isn't really any issue...
and if, like me, you don’t mind running your white goods overnight at the cheap rate you save even more. I know some people are adverse to this though. I have dishwasher/washing machine/tumble dryer going at 8c vs almost 30c, in my head these savings pay for the EV charging
2. Currently with mth 6 of 12 on an Octopus 'standard' tariff and with a (yet to be set up) SyncEnergy charger. What do I need to consider/what deal to change to as I'm hoping vast majority of charging is at home.
milage driven vs how much of your peak load you can load shift.
mum does 15-20 miles a week and cant load shift. = standard tarriff
we do 200 miles a week and can load shift almost everything + heat our ho****er at the offpeak rate. = octopus go.
milage driven vs how much of your peak load you can load shift.
mum does 15-20 miles a week and cant load shift. = standard tarriff
we do 200 miles a week and can load shift almost everything + heat our ho****er at the offpeak rate. = octopus go.
I estimated 25% load shift to over night. Only things I can shift is dishwasher and tumble dryer, its just not enough. In my case, a mid range EV tariff with Fuse was better with less of a price gap between day and night. So overnight is more than Octopus but daytime much cheaper. ChatGPT is your friend here!
Interesting.
I'm going to recalculate....
I have to agree about running appliances over night to load shift. Instead I installed a changeover switch to the sockets in the utilty room and power them from the 77kWh battery sat on the drive during the evening, charge car and battery for 6 hours overnight.
power them from the 77kWh battery sat on the drive during the evening, charge car and battery for 6 hours overnight.
Seems like such an obvious and common sense solution. I wonder if you’ve considered “wear and tear” on the car battery from daily high discharge and recharge?
heat our ho****er
I nearly jumped for joy when I finally worked out what the swear filter had redacted
Checking the figures for washer/tumble drier/dishwasher from 2025 they average 60kw/month. I use about 400kw every month driving the car, the 60kw is small in the scheme of things. The daily discharge on appliances is less than 2kw/day. I've no concerns, I have a giant battery on the drive and it makes sense to use it. Saves my house battery from discharging fully and means I can export to the grid.
Given modern battery chemistry will outlast the car metal work I wouldn't be too concerned about the battery wear.
power them from the 77kWh battery sat on the drive during the evening, charge car and battery for 6 hours overnight.
I take it that's V2L with an adapter rather than V2G? Really wish someone would start selling a V2G charger as we'd then be able to virtual load shift by running everything from a combination of the house and car batteries.
I have a giant battery on the drive and it makes sense to use it.
Totally agree. In fact buying a car is a cheaper way to buy a battery than buying a normal house battery. Maybe it’s a new strand to “bangernomics” 🙂
My tumble dryer is in the utility room directly below by bed so running it overnight isn't working out so well, so what is involved in running this during the day from my car? I have a 2024 Kona with V2L. I have a standard 3 pin socket in car or I understand I can run from an adaptor in charge port. Is it as simple as plugging an extension lead in to car and plugging dryer into extension lead?
It doesn't sound the neatest solution, would prefer to have a semi perm set-up with switch of some sort to change dryer from grid to battery and then a car to wall lead
my total electricity annual cost will be £300 cheaper than if I go to Octopus.
I can't get anything like this - MoneySavingExpert claims that Fuse has a 20p/kwh base rate and 16p/kwh charging rate. This is not right.
and Fuses website and app is horrendous
I can't get anything like this - MoneySavingExpert claims that Fuse has a 20p/kwh base rate and 16p/kwh charging rate. This is not right.
I've been using ChatGPT to run the numbers rather than price comparison websites. This means I can bring in EV usage, expected load shift, off-peak hours, current household electricity usage etc.
My Fuse EV tariff is
Daily standing charge - £0.5601
Off-peak - £0.1683
Peak - £0.239
i had a play round with Chat GPT to see what was top banana.
seems not too far off accurate tbh based on my spreadsheet. - that's 5 months hot water heated by immersion + 3500kwh of house usage + 10k miles in the EV incorporating load shift AND support/export from solar in the summer months. - still took a number of iterations to get it accurate though -it doesn't like doing multiple concepts in one hit.
📊 Final Comparison (With EV + Solar + Battery + Hot Water)
| Tariff | Annual Total |
|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Go | ~£320 |
| Octopus Go | ~£400 |
| Fuse EV | ~£800 |
Quick question, over the next month or so I've got a lot of longer journeys coming up. Central Borders to Aberdeen, Stranraer, Lake District, Liverpool, Stratford. Is it worth taking out a monthly Ionity sub? Does this bring the price down on all of their rapid charge stations? Do I need a charging card?
Quick question, over the next month or so I've got a lot of longer journeys coming up. Central Borders to Aberdeen, Stranraer, Lake District, Liverpool, Stratford. Is it worth taking out a monthly Ionity sub? Does this bring the price down on all of their rapid charge stations? Do I need a charging card?
Yes is the short answer. I get a monhtly ionity sub everytime I have atrip where I need to charge for more than about 300 miles - I have a spreadsheet that tells me how much it's saving me.
| Trip Distance | 475 | Starting Range | 280 | |||
| Mileage Needed | 270 | End Range | 75 | |||
| Cost without sub | £74.84 | £0.16 | Miles per KW | 2.85 | ||
| Cost with sub | £40.74 | Monthly Sub Cost | £10.50 | |||
| Including sub | £51.24 | £0.11 | Sub kw cost | £0.43 | £0.15 | |
| Saving | £23.61 | Normal kw cost | £0.79 | £0.28 | ||
| Charge Soeed (kw/h) | 100 | |||||
| Charge reqd | 95 | |||||
| Charge Time (mins) | 57 | |||||
Obviouly depends on your efficiency, but savings soon add up.
You don't need a card, you can do it all through the app and even through the Electroverse app if you have that so it can be charged to your Octopus account.
A monthly Tesla sub might provide slightly higher savings, but it depends on where you will charge.
Quick question, over the next month or so I've got a lot of longer journeys coming up. Central Borders to Aberdeen, Stranraer, Lake District, Liverpool, Stratford. Is it worth taking out a monthly Ionity sub? Does this bring the price down on all of their rapid charge stations? Do I need a charging card?
Yes, ionity sub is £10.50 per month and reduced cost from 78p to 43p per kwh
Breaks even on trips where I need to get charge for around 100 miles.
You can do it all through the app, you don't need a card. Can also add it through the Electroverse app if you use that.
The Tesla monthly sub might give better savings, but it's less clear on the pricing and you can't use all Tesla superchargers in a non Tesla ev.
Fuse are currently saying peak is .2557p on their ev tariff. That's a bit crap when you can have at best 5 hours at .16p
Two things:
I've just been in a 140k miles Tesla Model S Uber. He's doing 200 miles a day - on a £30 "all you can eat" monthly subscription service from Octopus. Last year he was burning £20-30 a day in a diesel. Incredible.
Secondly - I've a set of dumb, non grid tie solar panels. It's just wired into fuse board, right next to feed to the EV charger. We're estimating, looking at output that when the house is empty during the day, they have surplus energy at times.
I've a SyncEnergy 2 charger.
Is there some kind of 'automatic" switch that can detect 'unused' energy and just fling it at the EV charger & car somehow?
Kia EV6, soon to be an ev4, both V2L. I arrive home about 5.20pm, open garage door, turn the changeover switch from home to car, pick adaptor up off where it resides on top of the givenergy battery just inside door, move it three feet to the car and plug in, close garage door, carry on with my evening. I leave for work about 7.45am, open garage door, pull the adaptor from the car, turn the changeover switch to house, close the garage door and drive off. I imagine the routine takes less than thirty seconds each time. Up until the middle of January I never bothered charging the car until the weekend, it uses so little and I live so close to work. That routine has altered slightly due to the addition of the heat pump a2a, it's slightly greedier than the white goods so I might have to in the garage, via the kitchen, a couple of times a week about 9pm to remove the adaptor and plug the car in for a charge overnight for six hours. It works for me, a tight Black Country lad.