Paying for charging

retrobloke · Jan 28, 2023

Hi All
I will be picking up my MG4 today. Question is, where do I start with the various payment types for charging. There seems to be a lot of options. I will be doing trips up and down the country. Thanks in advance for any help.

Ayoull · Jan 28, 2023

My selection of EV charger apps

FiferMG4 · Jan 28, 2023

Be interested to know more about this myself. I do know in Scotland we have a fairly large network run by Charge Place Scotland where you have to download an app: ChargePlace Scotland | Scotland's Public EV Charging Network

FiferMG4 · Jan 28, 2023

Ayoull said:
My selection of EV charger apps

View attachment 14802

Out of those Ayoull, are there many where you can just pay by debit card without having to go through an app?

Ayoull · Jan 28, 2023

FiferMG4 said:
Out of those Ayoull, are there many where you can just pay by debit card without having to go through an app?

Instavolt and genie you can pay contactless, the others I've just used the app to start the charge.

Ones like BP Pulse near me they're 7kW destination chargers in car parks with time restrictions so it's handy to use the app as it has a time you've been charging on the app when you open it up after starting the charge.

Pod Point I use as we had a Pod Point at home.

Shell recharge I use as my employer uses shell chargers at our depots, and the app lets you monitor the charge and costs.

Mer UK was because in-laws have a caravan at Whitby and Whitby is an EV charger desert except for 4x 3.6kW Pod Points at Aldi and 4x 22kW Mer chargers, apparently there is a pod point 50kW rapid at lidl now mind.

Connected kerb are popular down south and around north east England it seems and have used on a couple of occasions on route to Whitby at Pickering. They're generally 22kW destination chargers.

Vendelectric is for rolec chargers, a hotel we stopped at had a rolec charger and you had to do it through the app, just not removed it since.

Plug share, zap map, co charger are so I can work out where the nearest chargers are and ratings from people so can work out likelihood of it working whe I arrive.

Bonnet and electroverse are more 3rd party apps for stream lining paying through one place opposed to each company individually

Deleted member 10041 · Jan 28, 2023

Fifer charge place Scotland is really good, as we have already chatted about, cheap but not the quickest. Alot of chargers you can just scan your card, for example in our neck of the woods the osprey fast chargers near Tesco in cupar you just scan your card.
Zap map is good shows everything, BP shows very little up our way
Electroverse shows slightly more.
The card for charge place Scotland is the best I've found if I'm not in a hurry. Like Ayoull said about BP they are in loads of car parks, so destination chargers.
Most expensive I've used is 34p one, one in Kinross is free, maximum speed is 22kw. Went to a hotel up north and just plugged the car in when I got there to the one in their car park, scanned the card, bill at the end of the month.

Jomarkh · Jan 28, 2023

retrobloke said:
Hi All
I will be picking up my MG4 today. Question is, where do I start with the various payment types for charging. There seems to be a lot of options. I will be doing trips up and down the country. Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi, if you are going to be using a lot of rapid charging then pick a network or two with a monthly payment that gives you discount on price. I mainly use apps to start and stop a charge.

Tight Git · Jan 28, 2023

As above - if you are doing regular trips away from home have a look at Elli and work out if it is worth taking out a monthly subscription. My £12 monthly gives me virtually half price charging at many suppliers (Ionity, Osprey, Shell, BP etc.)

FiferMG4 · Jan 28, 2023

Ayoull said:
Instavolt and genie you can pay contactless, the others I've just used the app to start the charge.

Ones like BP Pulse near me they're 7kW destination chargers in car parks with time restrictions so it's handy to use the app as it has a time you've been charging on the app when you open it up after starting the charge.

Pod Point I use as we had a Pod Point at home.

Shell recharge I use as my employer uses shell chargers at our depots, and the app lets you monitor the charge and costs.

Mer UK was because in-laws have a caravan at Whitby and Whitby is an EV charger desert except for 4x 3.6kW Pod Points at Aldi and 4x 22kW Mer chargers, apparently there is a pod point 50kW rapid at lidl now mind.

Connected kerb are popular down south and around north east England it seems and have used on a couple of occasions on route to Whitby at Pickering. They're generally 22kW destination chargers.

Vendelectric is for rolec chargers, a hotel we stopped at had a rolec charger and you had to do it through the app, just not removed it since.

Plug share, zap map, co charger are so I can work out where the nearest chargers are and ratings from people so can work out likelihood of it working whe I arrive.

Bonnet and electroverse are more 3rd party apps for stream lining paying through one place opposed to each company individually

Thank you Ayoull! This is a great rundown of all the ev charging apps out there and what to expect.

FiferMG4 · Jan 28, 2023

Leni16 said:
Fifer charge place Scotland is really good, as we have already chatted about, cheap but not the quickest. Alot of chargers you can just scan your card, for example in our neck of the woods the osprey fast chargers near Tesco in cupar you just scan your card.
Zap map is good shows everything, BP shows very little up our way
Electroverse shows slightly more.
The card for charge place Scotland is the best I've found if I'm not in a hurry. Like Ayoull said about BP they are in loads of car parks, so destination chargers.
Most expensive I've used is 34p one, one in Kinross is free, maximum speed is 22kw. Went to a hotel up north and just plugged the car in when I got there to the one in their car park, scanned the card, bill at the end of the month.

Thanks Leni. Yes, charge place Scotland does seem to make life easier for those of us travelling about. Once I get my car I’ll be downloading their app.

Gomev · Jan 28, 2023

FiferMG4 said:
Thank you Ayoull! This is a great rundown of all the ev charging apps out there and what to expect.

Shell is contactless as well from that screen, Gridserve, Fastned as well as those mentioned. The Electric Universe card from Octopus covers most for ease and is free to obtain..

Octopus Electroverse

One-tap access to 651,325 EV chargers across the UK & Europe

electroverse.octopus.energy

retrobloke · Jan 28, 2023

Hi All
Thank you for all the info. It gives me a great overview.

Tig170 · Jan 28, 2023

I use Bonnet (with real-time updates), with appropriate filters for my needs (i.e CCS, Rapid 43Kw+, 4+ chargers), 99% of the time MFG, Ionity, fastned & Ospray work / have a free space, all the others are hit & miss - get RFID cards also incase of no mobile coverage (in scotland use chargeplace scotland, in wales its dragon charging - but didn't need to use in wales todate)

Ayoull said:
My selection of EV charger apps

View attachment 14802

..... to be honest we're just the same... once or twice bitten - never want to be in the same situation again!!

Ayoull · Jan 28, 2023

Tig170 said:
..... to be honest we're just the same... once or twice bitten - never want to be in the same situation again!!

Better to have the app and be signed up than, frantically whafting a debit card at the charger praying it'll start in the rain

Tig170 · Jan 28, 2023

I must admit that I passed these guys (which was queuing on the motorway in lane 1):-

.... so thought I'd given them a wave, and call at my hidden gem - Westmorland, Rheged Centre, Penrith CA11 0DQ - it was worse (just after xmas irrc), I was lucky I reached my destigation with 3 miles to spare! - never again!!

FiferMG4 · Jan 28, 2023

Tig170 said:
I must admit that I passed these guys (which was queuing on the motorway in lane 1):-

.... so thought I'd given them a wave, and call at my hidden gem - Westmorland, Rheged Centre, Penrith CA11 0DQ - it was worse (just after xmas irrc), I was lucky I reached my destigation with 3 miles to spare! - never again!!

Three miles to spare! Now that’s cutting it close.

Tig170 · Jan 28, 2023

It was closer than that - as it took about 20 times to get the home granny charger to work!! - MG4 : Best suggested plug-in sequence for granny charging. (I eventually got home in the new year!)

I'm off to stansted airport early monday morning, so am planning the Tesla supercharger at CB2 9FT late sunday / early monday - should have 50 miles left,but would be a good test to see how one gets on?

Tig170 · Jan 28, 2023

Tig170 said:
It was closer than that - as it took about 20 times to get the home granny charger to work!! - MG4 : Best suggested plug-in sequence for granny charging. (I eventually got home in the new year!)

I'm off to stansted airport early monday morning, so am planning the Tesla supercharger at CB2 9FT late sunday / early monday - should have 50 miles left,but would be a good test to see how one gets on?

… the good news is that in recent days? the charing cost has reduced significantly - down to 55p/kw hr - well done Tesla!

Gomev · Jan 29, 2023

Tig170 said:
… the good news is that in recent days? the charing cost has reduced significantly - down to 55p/kw hr - well done Tesla!

That 55p is the non-peak time (non-members) between 4pm and 8pm it's 71p. (At least it is on my app

)

daverobbo · Feb 1, 2023

When I look at charging locations on ZapMap it gives prices for fast, rapid and ultra-rapid.
Does anyone know what charging speeds these relate to?

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