A NOT SO short update on our British Gas Hive EV charger installation.

[DBedford]

We set off for Cornwall tomorrow, but for today a call to British Gas.

Have not received our email invite to HIVE Green Drive tariff. On a 45 minute phone call and having spoken to 5 different people, none of whom could help. The last person I spoke to raised it as a complaint saying she had the same issue last week and the only way to resolve it was via a complaint. .

On a positive note, she did say BG are currently moving over to a unified system so all call handlers can see the total picture, great joy .

 

[Robf]

We have a type two cable under the boot floor together with jump battery pack and tyre inflater. Adjustable spanner will be going in there once we finish our coffee and cake at our local National Trust.
Thank you Lovemyev.

Might be an idea to move jump battery to under passenger seat or glove compartment. If 12v battery is too low you will be struggling to open boot, whilst you can open car with manual key (allegedly).

 

[DBedford]

Good shout Robf, thanks.

 

[Ruislip Resident]

For anyone with British Gas electricity it is half price from 11am to 4pm every Sunday until 24th September. You need to sign up to PeakSave Summer Sunday events. So if you are not on any time of day tarrifs, that might be a good time to charge your car up etc.

 

[DBedford]

For anyone with British Gas electricity it is half price from 11am to 4pm every Sunday until 24th September. You need to sign up to PeakSave Summer Sunday events. So if you are not on any time of day tarrifs, that might be a good time to charge your car up etc.

Sorted, signed up.

We set off for Cornwall tomorrow, but for today a call to British Gas.

Have not received our email invite to HIVE Green Drive tariff. On a 45 minute phone call and having spoken to 5 different people, none of whom could help. The last person I spoke to raised it as a complaint saying she had the same issue last week and the only way to resolve it was via a complaint. .

On a positive note, she did say BG are currently moving over to a unified system so all call handlers can see the total picture, great joy .

So Saturday day 1: stopped to charge at Cullompton Ionity. Our first public charge and worked first time thought their website, flawless, changed to 80%.
Next MER UK in the Eden Project car park, approx 22Kw, but as we weren’t going in after an hour in the Sun with only a couple of % change we called it a day.
Next GeniePoint at the back of a pub in St Austell, didn’t work after waiting for the 2 minute count down. Call their ‘help’ “it must be out of use, you need our nearest 5 miles away”, not great.
Tesco next to the pub, PodPoint, requires a deposit put £30 in (big mistake) was charging when we left it cut out while we were shopping, lesson learnt !!!

Sunday day 2:
Morrisons Bodmin, out of service!!
We are now at that the GridServe Bodmin off the A30. Charge started slowing, but soon ramped up to 65, will being to hanging on top see how long and if we can get to 100%, something we will only do still on holiday.

MaGgie charged to 95% the dropped to 4Kw, time to pull the plug .

Second day of using public service chargers, the big question DOES ANYONE SERVICE THESE THINGS???

 

[tsedge]

So Saturday day 1: stopped to charge at Cullompton Ionity. Our first public charge and worked first time thought their website, flawless, changed to 80%.
Next MER UK in the Eden Project car park, approx 22Kw, but as we weren’t going in after an hour in the Sun with only a couple of % change we called it a day.
Next GeniePoint at the back of a pub in St Austell, didn’t work after waiting for the 2 minute count down. Call their ‘help’ “it must be out of use, you need our nearest 5 miles away”, not great.
Tesco next to the pub, PodPoint, requires a deposit put £30 in (big mistake) was charging when we left it cut out while we were shopping, lesson learnt !!!

Sunday day 2:
Morrisons Bodmin, out of service!!
We are now at that the GridServe Bodmin off the A30. Charge started slowing, but soon ramped up to 65, will being to hanging on top see how long and if we can get to 100%, something we will only do still on holiday.

MaGgie charged to 95% the dropped to 4Kw, time to pull the plug .

Second day of using public service chargers, the big question DOES ANYONE SERVICE THESE THINGS???

There are a lot of broken chargers out there, many can be remotely rebooted so it is worth calling the helpline to see if they can do anything. Sometimes an engineer can be dispatched to come and fix it.

 

[Gomev]

So Saturday day 1: stopped to charge at Cullompton Ionity. Our first public charge and worked first time thought their website, flawless, changed to 80%.
Next MER UK in the Eden Project car park, approx 22Kw, but as we weren’t going in after an hour in the Sun with only a couple of % change we called it a day.
Next GeniePoint at the back of a pub in St Austell, didn’t work after waiting for the 2 minute count down. Call their ‘help’ “it must be out of use, you need our nearest 5 miles away”, not great.
Tesco next to the pub, PodPoint, requires a deposit put £30 in (big mistake) was charging when we left it cut out while we were shopping, lesson learnt !!!

Sunday day 2:
Morrisons Bodmin, out of service!!
We are now at that the GridServe Bodmin off the A30. Charge started slowing, but soon ramped up to 65, will being to hanging on top see how long and if we can get to 100%, something we will only do still on holiday.

MaGgie charged to 95% the dropped to 4Kw, time to pull the plug .

Second day of using public service chargers, the big question DOES ANYONE SERVICE THESE THINGS???

Lessons learned....
Fast chargers such as the MER if working well, should give you about 10% in an hour at 7kW more at 11kW obviously.
Geniepoint don't bother but at least you tried.
Podpoint...did you confirm the charge in the app after connecting ? They stop after 15 minutes if not.
Morrisons, usually Geniepoint...see above.

Enjoy your holiday you're gaining plenty of real world experience in charging.

 

[DBedford]

There are a lot of broken chargers out there, many can be remotely rebooted so it is worth calling the helpline to see if they can do anything. Sometimes an engineer can be dispatched to come and fix it.

Yes . But don’t really want to spend my holiday phoning helps lines!

Lessons learned....
Fast chargers such as the MER if working well, should give you about 10% in an hour at 7kW more at 11kW obviously.
Geniepoint don't bother but at least you tried.
Podpoint...did you confirm the charge in the app after connecting ? They stop after 15 minutes if not.
Morrisons, usually Geniepoint...see above.

Yes I did through the app , thanks

Enjoy your holiday you're gaining plenty of real world experience in charging.

Thank you, that we are. My wife may even one day drive the car so I can sit in the passenger seat telling her where she has gone wrong! (Joke)

We set off for Cornwall tomorrow, but for today a call to British Gas.

Have not received our email invite to HIVE Green Drive tariff. On a 45 minute phone call and having spoken to 5 different people, none of whom could help. The last person I spoke to raised it as a complaint saying she had the same issue last week and the only way to resolve it was via a complaint. .

On a positive note, she did say BG are currently moving over to a unified system so all call handlers can see the total picture, great joy .

I had a reply from British Gas about the Hive Green Drive tariff, and rather than sort it out for me they gave me a number to call in their own department, G-d help us

So Saturday day 1: stopped to charge at Cullompton Ionity. Our first public charge and worked first time thought their website, flawless, changed to 80%.
Next MER UK in the Eden Project car park, approx 22Kw, but as we weren’t going in after an hour in the Sun with only a couple of % change we called it a day.
Next GeniePoint at the back of a pub in St Austell, didn’t work after waiting for the 2 minute count down. Call their ‘help’ “it must be out of use, you need our nearest 5 miles away”, not great.
Tesco next to the pub, PodPoint, requires a deposit put £30 in (big mistake) was charging when we left it cut out while we were shopping, lesson learnt !!!

Sunday day 2:
Morrisons Bodmin, out of service!!
We are now at that the GridServe Bodmin off the A30. Charge started slowing, but soon ramped up to 65, will being to hanging on top see how long and if we can get to 100%, something we will only do still on holiday.

MaGgie charged to 95% the dropped to 4Kw, time to pull the plug .

Second day of using public service chargers, the big question DOES ANYONE SERVICE THESE THINGS???

Tuesday Day 3 :

So Saturday day 1: stopped to charge at Cullompton Ionity. Our first public charge and worked first time thought their website, flawless, changed to 80%.
Next MER UK in the Eden Project car park, approx 22Kw, but as we weren’t going in after an hour in the Sun with only a couple of % change we called it a day.
Next GeniePoint at the back of a pub in St Austell, didn’t work after waiting for the 2 minute count down. Call their ‘help’ “it must be out of use, you need our nearest 5 miles away”, not great.
Tesco next to the pub, PodPoint, requires a deposit put £30 in (big mistake) was charging when we left it cut out while we were shopping, lesson learnt !!!

Sunday day 2:
Morrisons Bodmin, out of service!!
We are now at that the GridServe Bodmin off the A30. Charge started slowing, but soon ramped up to 65, will being to hanging on top see how long and if we can get to 100%, something we will only do still on holiday.

MaGgie charged to 95% the dropped to 4Kw, time to pull the plug .

Second day of using public service chargers, the big question DOES ANYONE SERVICE THESE THINGS???

Monday day 3: Out and about no charging required today

Tuesday day 4: Finished the day by charging up from 52% to 90% at Cornwall Services GridServe. Once again reasonable charge rate after a minute of so up to 68Kw. Having been warned off the charger I was just about to connect to, “Faster at home I was told”. Came back after a coffee to find a 208e plugged into that self-same outlet drawing 4Kw, oh the pain, .

I didn’t realise how much I missed Cornwall and the satnav, Google or Apple Maps or for that matter the ZS in-built satnav (which I think is far better than I expected, and with the ready reckoning still on ). The experience of Cornish single track roads, with each wing mirror brushing the undergrowth, and the blind corners!! Alton Towers has nothing on this to get the heart pounding, hoping not to meet an on-coming vehicle. Thank the Lord , when we did there was a passing space.
———————
Question: Does anyone know of a navigation app that allows the driver to excluded unlisted roads please? I think I know the answer, but I can but ask Thanks.
———————

 

[Gadget Geek]

You know you're off the beaten track when there's grass growing down the middle of the road.

 

[DBedford]

You know you're off the beaten track when there's grass growing down the middle of the road.

Yes, but the glass did help dust off the underside of the car . Never again (until tomorrow)

 

[Ian Key]

Just remember in every Cornish hedge a stone wall is hiding.

 

[DBedford]

Just remember in every Cornish hedge a stone wall is hiding.

Yes, I remember , unlike Devon

 

[Ian Key]

Yes, I remember , unlike Devon

At least in Derbyshire the stone walls are naked

 

[DBedford]

At least in Derbyshire the stone walls are naked

There in August, another testing holiday

———————
Question: Does anyone know of a navigation app that allows the driver to excluded unlisted roads please? I think I know the answer, but I can but ask Thanks.
———————

I’ve answered my own question: MapFactor Navigator, allows the removal of minor roads. Basic version is free, there is a subscription version which adds features not found on Google and Apple Maps.

I’ll try out the free version today, if it displays on CarPlay.

 

[DBedford]

There in August, another testing holiday


I’ve answered my own question: MapFactor Navigator, allows the removal of minor roads. Basic version is free, there is a subscription version which adds features not found on Google and Apple Maps.

I’ll try out the free version today, if it displays on CarPlay.

MapFactor, not a great app and not CarPlay comparable without payment for extras, so I’ve left out at that. Waze is slightly better at avoiding unlisted roads.

Question: Anyone else out there who would pay a decent sum for a satnav app that keeps you off unlisted roads? We encountered another today which needed a gardener to attending the the grass growing in the middle of the lane

Holiday Day 7 Friday: Had a good, but rainy day, we visited Doc Martin country (Port Issac), more country tracks and reversing back facing on coming white van man vehicles . Back at Cornwall services on the A30. Two calls to GridServe to release cable and reboot chargers. And after a lot of waiting charge peaking at 51Kw, not great, but faster than the Merc on the experimental super-fast charger at the end of the rank pulling 12Kw .

Another car turned up, so we stopped charging at 91%, so ready for our drive home to Berkshire tomorrow morning with a stop-off to see my brother at Cullompton, and maybe manage get a short charge at the services, maybe!

British GAS
After the back and forth with BG, it would appear that the Hive Drive tariff is the BG EV tariff ( which I took to be the case from the outset, but BG were unable to tell me ‘one way or another’ ( I feel a song coming on ). So I’ve signed up to switch, which should be completed in the next 24hrs and in time for us to get home, but we shall see, after all it is British Gas!!!

Life with the utility companies, they are here to swerve the public, their customer, which I think they have all forgotten! Yes, I know, apart from Octopus who are wonderful!!

Have a great weekend all, happy e-motoring.

 

[DBedford]

Holiday day 8: Drive home, drove straight up to a GridServe charger at M5 Cullompton Serviced(9:40am Saturday), peaked at 45Kw had McDs breakfast and when for back down to 18Kw at 93% charge.
Arrived home with 33% charge.

Summary: So apart from a few mishaps all went well for our holiday in the West Country.
830 miles @ an average of 3.8mikes/KWh.

Day before had another go at getting sense out of BG. As I thought Hive and BG EV tariff are one of the same. Signed up, as I have lost the will to live!!! . Car now on time schedule to charge between mid-night and 5am

The End



For now

 

[johnb80]

Holiday day 8: Drive home, drove straight up to a GridServe charger at M5 Cullompton Serviced(9:40am Saturday), peaked at 45Kw had McDs breakfast and when for back down to 18Kw at 93% charge.

That sounds good.

Arrived home with 33% charge.

Perfect, not too low!

Summary: So apart from a few mishaps all went well for our holiday in the West Country.
830 miles @ an average of 3.8mikes/KWh.

That's decent efficiency

Day before had another go at getting sense out of BG. As I thought Hive and BG EV tariff are one of the same. Signed up, as I have lost the will to live!!! . Car now on time schedule to charge between mid-night and 5am

Patience of a saint, persistence of a mother in law needed to get anywhere with these buffoons, shame you didn't go Octopus / Ohme route for a much better deal. At least youve got there and its working.

 

[DBedford]

Holiday day 8: Drive home, drove straight up to a GridServe charger at M5 Cullompton Serviced(9:40am Saturday), peaked at 45Kw had McDs breakfast and when for back down to 18Kw at 93% charge.
Arrived home with 33% charge.

Summary: So apart from a few mishaps all went well for our holiday in the West Country.
830 miles @ an average of 3.8mikes/KWh.

Day before had another go at getting sense out of BG. As I thought Hive and BG EV tariff are one of the same. Signed up, as I have lost the will to live!!! . Car now on time schedule to charge between mid-night and 5am

The End



For now

So after a number of weeks and more phone calls than I care to recall I got a call-back from British Gas today, (yes I know a first ) . It seems the button required to be pressed to confirmed installation completion of our Hive EV charging point had not been pressed, triggering the credit note and voucher generation.

So the beginning of the end is near, or, is it the end of the beginning, we shall indeed see.

 

[Ian Key]

 

[DBedford]

It gets better (if that is possible), the HIVE changer is charging my ZS this evening at 18:30 when scheduled for off-peak 00;00-05:00 and no schedule set in the car. !

Pass the meds doc please !