Schedule on zappi or MG ismart?

[Jonperry64]

I've always used the ismart app to schedule charging and it has worked perfectly. Today I had a zappi fitted by octopus. They have failed to connect it to the Internet (long story). So how do I now schedule charging? I can't use zappi app because I can't add the zappi to it without a connection. So do I just plug in the zappi and hope the ismart app does the scheduling or is there something I need to do on the charger unit itself? Thanks.

 

[Ian Key]

You might find this video useful.

 

[Jonperry64]

Thanks

 

[Tig170]

Remove any timers from MG & Zappi & let Octopus be the master timer, on ours (Ohme), we just set a ready (100% charge) by 04:00 - worked 100% of the time in the past 30 months.

 

[Jomarkh]

Remove any timers from MG & Zappi & let Octopus be the master timer, on ours (Ohme), we just set a ready (100% charge) by 04:00 - worked 100% of the time in the past 30 months.

That won't work if it's not connected to WiFi as per OP post.
Is your battery at 0% SOC every time you plug it in and you need it for 4am?

 

[Jonperry64]

I've done a temporary fix re Internet connection by having a WiFi extender in a plastic bag at the end of an extension lead (the charger is 30m from the house and out of WiFi range). The permanent fix will be an ethernet cable but the engineers crushed the cable I supplied by overtightening the cable clips.
Anyway, last night I was able to try an IOG smart charge and all went well.
I have another question though. If I want to charge the car to 80% each night through the IOG app do I have to do the calculation of what charge to add each time, or can I leave IOG set at 100% every night and set the car to restrict charge to 80%?

 

[Tight Git]

If your car has the ability to restrict the charge to 80% then set it to do that (the SE SR doesn't have this as the battery chemistry is different).

Technically you should ask for the amount of charge you actually need, but it's highly unlikely Octopus would know (or care) if you left it at 100% to add each time.

 

[Rolfe]

They might care.

 

[Jonperry64]

I've got the SE SR anyway. Didn't realise you couldn't restrict the charge. In my MG ismart app I can set the target battery level to 80%. Is this different to restricting the charge in the car?

 

[Jonperry64]

They might care.

Why would they care? I'd be paying for all the electricity I used wouldn't I? Is there another reason they would mind?

 

[siteguru]

Because it might be classed as "gaming the system" so as to get cheaper electricity for a longer period. (Octopus can schedule cheap slots outside of the defined low price time period - asking for more charge than you need might force such slots, which applies to all the house electric not just the car, and so might be "gaming the system").

 

[Jonperry64]

Because it might be classed as "gaming the system" so as to get cheaper electricity for a longer period. (Octopus can schedule cheap slots outside of the defined low price time period - asking for more charge than you need might force such slots, which applies to all the house electric not just the car, and so might be "gaming the system").

Understood. Thanks
So presumably that means that once a slot is scheduled the whole house gets the cheap rate regardless of whether the car is charged in that slot? I'd have thought they'd have a way of detecting if the slot was actually being used to charge the car, otherwise it's definitely open to abuse.

 

[Tight Git]

If the car is not charging in that half hour slot then the electricity will be charged at the normal rate and not the cheap rate. E.G. if Octopus allocated a slot finishing at 11am and the car was full and stopped charging at 9.50am then the 10am to 11am slots will be full price.

 

[Martinonline]

I've got the SE SR anyway. Didn't realise you couldn't restrict the charge. In my MG ismart app I can set the target battery level to 80%. Is this different to restricting the charge in the car?

I thought the SR with its LFP battery did not have the function to limit the battery charge level.

 

[siteguru]

It doesn't ... there is no slider in my car or in my iSmart app for my SE SR. The forum update means that all we know is that @Jonperry64 has an MG4, but not which variant* - if he has the SE LR then he will indeed have the slider.

* that's why I've added mine to my Location (as well as my signature, but that's not visible on a mobile device in portrait mode).

 

[Jonperry64]

It doesn't ... there is no slider in my car or in my iSmart app for my SE SR. The forum update means that all we know is that @Jonperry64 has an MG4, but not which variant* - if he has the SE LR then he will indeed have the slider.

* that's why I've added mine to my Location (as well as my signature, but that's not visible on a mobile device in portrait mode).

I did add the variant but it's been removed for some reason. Mine is an SE SR 2025 model. Maybe only the newer models have the target battery level?

 

[siteguru]

Nope - that's not in my version of the app. I only have the other two scheduling options.

 

[Jonperry64]

Nope - that's not in my version of the app. I only have the other two scheduling options.

Presumably you've tried updating the app

 

[Rolfe]

If the car is not charging in that half hour slot then the electricity will be charged at the normal rate and not the cheap rate. E.G. if Octopus allocated a slot finishing at 11am and the car was full and stopped charging at 9.50am then the 10am to 11am slots will be full price.

I don't think that's the case. I think the slots, once they've stopped changing, are off-peak. They don't suddenly start charging you peak prices the minute the car stops charging.

I've got the SE SR anyway. Didn't realise you couldn't restrict the charge. In my MG ismart app I can set the target battery level to 80%. Is this different to restricting the charge in the car?

Can you? That feature disappeared from my app within a few weeks of getting the car. MG don't seem to want people restricting the charge on the SR, although of course you can do that yourself by limiting the charging time.

I have no way to restrict the charge on the app, although the infotainment screen still displays the irrelevant legacy "health mode" still, as it does for the NMC batteries.

(ETA: I tried looking for an update in the app in case they'd decided to put it back in, but Google Play Store seems to think I have the latest version.)

 

[siteguru]

Presumably you've tried updating the app

The app Never updates via the app. I check for Google Play Store updates almost every day .. I have the latest version.