Which charger / energy provider

[hamd01]

Hi guys
I have just today pulled the trigger on an EV4 standard range. Had a test drive this morning and super impressed.

I now need to think about getting ahome charger ordered.

I was thinking about an EGG charger which they have quoted £27 per month. However, Im unsure about how to check compatibility.

Ive read that your energy provider and and chager need to be comatible, and that the car's API needs to communicate with the charger unit.

Can any advise of an energy provider/leased charger unit that are compatible with the MG4?

Cheers guys

 

[Dan C]

I’ve got a Ohme pro being installed and supplied by Smart homecharge this Tuesday, my tariff is octopus go which I believe is the best going ( their customer service is great too )

 

[StackH]

I’ve got a Ohme pro being installed and supplied by Smart homecharge this Tuesday, my tariff is octopus go which I believe is the best going ( their customer service is great too )

Can you update us on how the installation goes please? I’ve also ordered the Ohme with Smart Home Charge installing, but haven’t fixed an install date yet.

 

[johnnyc]

Can you update us on how the installation goes please? I’ve also ordered the Ohme with Smart Home Charge installing, but haven’t fixed an install date yet.

I’ve got a Ohme pro being installed and supplied by Smart homecharge this Tuesday, my tarrif is octopus go which I believe is the best going ( their customer service is great too )

If you guys have got an ohme. You’ll be eligible for intelligent - which is an extra 2 hours of cheap electric minimum.

Slightly more beta than go, but it’s a good option. You can sometimes get up to 12 hours of cheap rate electric a night!

Octopus go is more simpler and more reliable - but you have options!

 

[tsedge]

If you guys have got an ohme. You’ll be eligible for intelligent - which is an extra 2 hours of cheap electric minimum.

Slightly more beta than go, but it’s a good option. You can sometimes get up to 12 hours of cheap rate electric a night!

Octopus go is more simpler and more reliable - but you have options!

Can you explain more about “up to 12 hours”? I am planning to push the button on a Zappi and I am with Octopus but I thought Intelligent was 6 hours max?

 

[johnnyc]

Can you explain more about “up to 12 hours”? I am planning to push the button on a Zappi and I am with Octopus but I thought Intelligent was 6 hours max?

So intelligent will smartly charge your car and give you a charging schedule - if you ask it for 100% and you’re currently at say 20%, it works out how long you’ll need to get to 100%.

The car won’t charge for the entire time, and will start and stop depending on local grid usage etc, although your entire electrical usage will be at the cheap rate during this period.

You tend to plug in at about 5, then it works out how long you need.

BUT…sometimes the charge can fail, sometimes the billing is slightly out, and sometimes there are issues if you have a compatible car (mg are fine because it’s the chargers that speak to octopus not the car), when you are out driving and use a rapid as the car is normally set up for a timed schedule.

Also, as I say - yes you get an extra 2 hours, but are they useable? With octopus go, you can choose the go faster (4h) version that starts at 21:30, which means if you don’t want to put washing/dishwashing on overnight etc you can do it before bed.

There are pluses and minuses to all the different tariffs, and chargers too.

For example - your zappi will have great solar integration, which the ohme doesn’t have.

I’ve got a Hypervolt, which works with solar, but I wish I’d gone for a zappi. When we had the charger installed I said we were definitely not getting solar panels, but we may get a battery in the future.

Since Feb, we’ve decided we’re getting panels (install in Nov), and as we went for the Hypervolt, we’ve got multiple apps and ecosystems (Hypervolt, solar edge, my energi for eddi hot water divert and givenergy for battery). If we’d gone with the zappi, we would only need the myenergi app for everything!

 

[tsedge]

Thanks, this is really helpful and it makes sense - I hadn’t fully twigged that Intelligent did that.

Yes, we are considering a battery but not solar as plan to move in 2-3 years and probably wouldn’t take that with us. I was thinking that the battery would time shift house usage and so make Octopus Go really pay for itself.

I do like the Zappi but not supported on Intelligent Octopus I believe.

 

[johnnyc]

Thanks, this is really helpful and it makes sense - I hadn’t fully twigged that Intelligent did that.

Yes, we are considering a battery but not solar as plan to move in 2-3 years and probably wouldn’t take that with us. I was thinking that the battery would time shift house usage and so make Octopus Go really pay for itself.

I do like the Zappi but not supported on Intelligent Octopus I believe.

Nope Zappi isn’t supported (yet!). So it’s either car is compatible or charger. So if you had a Tesla and a Zappi you’d be fine. But as the MG isn’t compatible, you’d need a compatible charger.

We were in the same situation but thought the PV would either add a bit on to the house, or at least it’ll make the house more desirable, so if we took the battery with us if we move, I don’t think we’d ‘lose’ too much on the solar - but obviously that is speculation.

I think the recent energy increases have made people think about energy especially panels etc, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing if you’re looking to sell a house with new panels on

 

[tsedge]

Nope Zappi isn’t supported (yet!). So it’s either car is compatible or charger. So if you had a Tesla and a Zappi you’d be fine. But as the MG isn’t compatible, you’d need a compatible charger.

We were in the same situation but thought the PV would either add a bit on to the house, or at least it’ll make the house more desirable, so if we took the battery with us if we move, I don’t think we’d ‘lose’ too much on the solar - but obviously that is speculation.

I think the recent energy increases have made people think about energy especially panels etc, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing if you’re looking to sell a house with new panels on

Thanks, yes it does help sell but we are already the most expensive house on the street so I doubt we would get extra value back and so trying to avoid doing anything we can’t easily take with us.

 

[skynett]

Nope Zappi isn’t supported (yet!). So it’s either car is compatible or charger. So if you had a Tesla and a Zappi you’d be fine. But as the MG isn’t compatible, you’d need a compatible charger.

We were in the same situation but thought the PV would either add a bit on to the house, or at least it’ll make the house more desirable, so if we took the battery with us if we move, I don’t think we’d ‘lose’ too much on the solar - but obviously that is speculation.

I think the recent energy increases have made people think about energy especially panels etc, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing if you’re looking to sell a house with new panels on

Just to confirm is Hypervolt supported on Octopus intelligent or only Ohme?

I am asking as I have solar panels, getting an MG4 and currently on Octopus Go would like to get intelligent if its possible but Ohme doesn't support Solar?

 

[johnnyc]

Just to confirm is Hypervolt supported on Octopus intelligent or only Ohme?

I am asking as I have solar panels, getting an MG4 and currently on Octopus Go would like to get intelligent if its possible but Ohme doesn't support Solar?

Hypervolt isn’t supported on intelligent yet.

I don’t think ohme supports solar. Although, you have the option of using a granny to trickle feed through with solar from the house load. Less elegant solution, but that could work if you want intelligent with ohme.

There’s a chance that Hypervolt will support intelligent in the future - remember initially it was only Tesla that supported intelligent, but the cars have been expanded to work on any charger with Tesla, I pace, E Golf, Mustang.

And obviously various integrations with different chargers will occur in the future.

I’ve got a Hypervolt, and wasn’t thinking of solar, but if I was buying again, I would seriously consider a Zappi for the single ecosystem.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

I would seriously consider a Zappi for the single ecosystem.

FYI - MyEnergi (Makers of the Zappi) are about to launch a home battery called "Libbi".

 

[grayoo]

Love to be on Octopus, but they're not taking new customers at all.
Stuck with EDF after my provider went through last year. No off peak tariff.

I'm having Ohme pro installed tomorrow, MG4 pickup for Thursday. Hopefully future proofed "if" API ever gets supported for MG. I don't have solar, therefor ruled out some of the more expensive options(Zappi). Ohme pro has great reviews, and was the cheapest installed I could get locally.

 

[johnnyc]

FYI - MyEnergi (Makers of the Zappi) are about to launch a home battery called "Libbi".

Yup! Means you can have a Single ecosystem rather than the 4 or 5 different app I’ve got now

 

[Jomarkh]

Love to be on Octopus, but they're not taking new customers at all.
Stuck with EDF after my provider went through last year. No off peak tariff.

Have you phoned Octopus as they are taking customers with EV's or one on order you just need the right person to answer your call.

 

[johnnyc]

Love to be on Octopus, but they're not taking new customers at all.
Stuck with EDF after my provider went through last year. No off peak tariff.

I'm having Ohme pro installed tomorrow, MG4 pickup for Thursday. Hopefully future proofed "if" API ever gets supported for MG. I don't have solar, therefor ruled out some of the more expensive options(Zappi). Ohme pro has great reviews, and was the cheapest installed I could get locally.

Incorrect. if you call them (or send them a message on twitter) you can sign up no problem! The website states it’s probably best to stay where you are - but that applies to the general population, not ev drivers!

I can guarantee you can switch (I’ve become a bit of an expert on this subject over the past 6 months), and I personally know of at least 300 people who have switched. Give them a call and you’ll be surprised.

Use a code too and you’ll get £50 credit sign up bonuses on your account too (as will the person who’s code you use).

If you have an ev and an ohme, it’s a no brainier to be on either go or intelligent.

Edit 09/11/22 - Greg Jackson (CEO of Octopus) was on the Martin Lewis Money show last night, and he confirmed they are taking on new customers if you phone them, to all available tariffs including SVR and it doesn’t have to be an EV or shady tariff.
Even if you won’t pay anything less, you can switch if you want (in my opinion and many others) better customer service than other suppliers.

 

[grayoo]

Incorrect. if you call them (or send them a message on twitter) you can sign up no problem! The website states it’s probably best to stay where you are - but that applies to the general population, not ev drivers!

I can guarantee you can switch (I’ve become a bit of an expert on this subject over the past 6 months), and I personally know of at least 300 people who have switched. Give them a call and you’ll be surprised.

Use a code too and you’ll get £50 credit sign up bonuses on your account too (as will the person who’s code you use).

If you have an ev and an ohme, it’s a no brainier to be on either go or intelligent.

Wow, that's great news, on the phone tomorrow

Code?

 

[meangreen]

If it was me I'd get a commando socket installed and then have an Ohm charger cable from Octopus Ohme Octopus discount offer

Zappi might be worth having if you have solar and the car is there during the day. There are mixed opinions of Zappi though, EEV blog did a tear down and it was excellent. Some electrician have reported a lot of issues and repeat visits to fix.

 

[Jomarkh]

Wow, that's great news, on the phone tomorrow

Code?

You can add a referral code in the app once younhave signed up or quote a codecon the phone.

 

[Shengis]

If it was me I'd get a commando socket installed and then have an Ohm charger cable from Octopus Ohme Octopus discount offer

Zappi might be worth having if you have solar and the car is there during the day. There are mixed opinions of Zappi though, EEV blog did a tear down and it was excellent. Some electrician have reported a lot of issues and repeat visits to fix.

I’m new to all this and so many questions. I am pretty sure I already have a commando socket in my garage by looking at the big three pin round connector on the link you posted.

Does this mean I can just buy the Ohme Go charger and plug it in my garage without the need for someone to actually install it? Cheers.