Octopus Intelligent Go limiting cheap charging to 6hrs/day
Discussion
https://octopus.energy/blog/intelligent-octopus-go... (to take effect sometime in January).
Previously you could set a 'departure time' and charge target, and you'd get as much cheap electricity as you needed to achieve it. So if you had a 100 mile round-trip commute, in an EV that averaged 2 miles/kWh (thirsty), you could charge for 7-8 hours a night all at cheap rate.
Now that's capped at 6 hours in 24, so you'd be charged the full rate for the final 1-2 hours needed (regardless of when those final hours actually happen).
Octopus say they'll introduce the option to automatically limit charging sessions to 6 hours if desired, which will save people having to manually set charge limits daily after eg returning from a long trip with an empty battery.
To be fair, 6 hours at 7 kW is ~120 miles for most EVs (assuming 3 miles/kWh average). OTOH the ability to charge for longer when needed was a key advantage of Intelligent; as it is, for most people it's now really just 6 hours off-peak overnight, so not that different from the more conventional tariffs most providers offer. And for some people - those customers who benefited the most from IOG - it'll be a step up in costs.
Previously you could set a 'departure time' and charge target, and you'd get as much cheap electricity as you needed to achieve it. So if you had a 100 mile round-trip commute, in an EV that averaged 2 miles/kWh (thirsty), you could charge for 7-8 hours a night all at cheap rate.
Now that's capped at 6 hours in 24, so you'd be charged the full rate for the final 1-2 hours needed (regardless of when those final hours actually happen).
Octopus say they'll introduce the option to automatically limit charging sessions to 6 hours if desired, which will save people having to manually set charge limits daily after eg returning from a long trip with an empty battery.
To be fair, 6 hours at 7 kW is ~120 miles for most EVs (assuming 3 miles/kWh average). OTOH the ability to charge for longer when needed was a key advantage of Intelligent; as it is, for most people it's now really just 6 hours off-peak overnight, so not that different from the more conventional tariffs most providers offer. And for some people - those customers who benefited the most from IOG - it'll be a step up in costs.
It looks like I should still be able to get a max of up to 12 hours cheap rate ie 6 overnight cheap rate plus up to 6 hours during day if Octopus don’t think I will get desired charge during cheap rate period:
Here’s how it’ll work:
Intelligent Octopus Go customers will continue to receive 6 hours of off-peak electricity for your whole home between 11:30pm and 5:30am. Guaranteed, reliable, schedule-friendly off-peak savings.
Plus up to 6 hours of super-cheap smart charging every 24 hours – these may be during your home’s off-peak hours (11:30pm-5:30am), outside those times, or a mix of both.
Whenever the 6 hours smart charging is scheduled outside your off-peak window, the electricity for your whole home will also be at the discounted rates
If we need to schedule more than 6 hours to reach your target charge, only the first 6 hours of charging will be at the discounted rate – extra half-hours will be charged at your Bump rate (even if they’re scheduled during the off-peak window).
Here’s how it’ll work:
Intelligent Octopus Go customers will continue to receive 6 hours of off-peak electricity for your whole home between 11:30pm and 5:30am. Guaranteed, reliable, schedule-friendly off-peak savings.
Plus up to 6 hours of super-cheap smart charging every 24 hours – these may be during your home’s off-peak hours (11:30pm-5:30am), outside those times, or a mix of both.
Whenever the 6 hours smart charging is scheduled outside your off-peak window, the electricity for your whole home will also be at the discounted rates
If we need to schedule more than 6 hours to reach your target charge, only the first 6 hours of charging will be at the discounted rate – extra half-hours will be charged at your Bump rate (even if they’re scheduled during the off-peak window).
normalbloke said:
It seems there are many different interpretations of this and the various levels of frothing that go with it. It seems it s only the players that are getting most excited by it,
This is why we can't have nice things, there are some people who will massively take the Mickey and cause limits to be put into place. It's the same with using drones for photography, people fly them in stupid places and big restrictions are brought in so Darren in the local estate can't fly his drone over Gatwick.I think this means that in theory you'll get a maximum of 11 hours of cheap electricity for the house (if they schedule all your 6 hours of charging outside the off peak window) and in practice you'll seldom get more than 6 hours (because they probably won't).
It also looks to me as if having more than 6 hours of charging scheduled will drop the whole house to bump rate during the overspill into the off peak window, which might have consequences if you load shift household energy use.
I don't think this will make any difference to us, because it rarely schedules charging outside the off peak window, but we're not heavy users.
It also looks to me as if having more than 6 hours of charging scheduled will drop the whole house to bump rate during the overspill into the off peak window, which might have consequences if you load shift household energy use.
I don't think this will make any difference to us, because it rarely schedules charging outside the off peak window, but we're not heavy users.
octopus said:
If we need to schedule more than 6 hours to reach your target charge, only the first 6 hours of charging will be at the discounted rate – extra half-hours will be charged at your Bump rate (even if they’re scheduled during the off-peak window
I think it's 6 hours cheap charging in 24, not 6+6. But the info is confusing.
I presume the 6 hours is at 32amp? I never think in terms of "hours" but how many kWh I need anymore than people think "I will fill my car up for 4 minutes at a petrol pump".
6x7.4kW is just under 45kWh which, even including losses, is probably enough for most people's daily use. However at the moment IOG will frequently drop down to 16amp or even 6 or 10 amp whilst charging for periods of time.
6x7.4kW is just under 45kWh which, even including losses, is probably enough for most people's daily use. However at the moment IOG will frequently drop down to 16amp or even 6 or 10 amp whilst charging for periods of time.
I think one of the successes of IOG is that it usually works so well, and users trust it to add the right charge by the required time. If Octopus start messing with that and users lose confidence in it, it will be bad for the company. Octopus have a good reputation for customer service (and rightly so) so why risk that with such a confusing new policy.
I've been getting some unusual charging schedules recently, much longer than usual. I've realised that my car was set at 10A charging since I stayed at my sister's house last weekend and used the outdoor socket and granny charger. So, back on my Zappi home charger it is only delivering 2.2kW/h so would take 10 hours to get from 50% to 80%. I've now reset it to 32A, and schedules are back to normal.
It could be 6+6 best case, but as Octopus determine the charging windows, that's within their control. If they schedule the 6 hours between 23.30 - 5.30 then you are only going to get 6 hours in total. If they schedule the 6 hours outside of 23.30 - 5.30 then you will get 6 + 6. Or more likely, somewhere inbetween.
People keep doing the whole "people are gaming the system" then also saying they use the cheap period to fill up 16+kwh of house batteries as if this isnt the exact same thing to use batteries as cheap electricity instead of pulling from the grid at peak rate. Octopus even allow app integration with 3 pin chargers and say its best practice to leave plugged in all the time to "help balance the grid"
octopus are in charge of when they assign smart charge periods and even do it not by time but by per kwh charged in that session. They could easily limit the maxium number of periods etc but instead have came up with most confusing system possible which people have interpreted in about 10 different ways
octopus are in charge of when they assign smart charge periods and even do it not by time but by per kwh charged in that session. They could easily limit the maxium number of periods etc but instead have came up with most confusing system possible which people have interpreted in about 10 different ways
gmaz said:
I think one of the successes of IOG is that it usually works so well, and users trust it to add the right charge by the required time.
It still will, but will charge 28p a kWh over the 6 hours in a 24-hour period.This is purely down to people taking the piss and setting charging speeds on cars below what they need to get cheap rates for home use.
There was a thread on here a few weeks ago with people boasting about doing it
PaulWoof said:
People keep doing the whole "people are gaming the system" then also saying they use the cheap period to fill up 16+kwh of house batteries as if this isnt the exact same thing to use batteries as cheap electricity instead of pulling from the grid at peak rate.
Not really, they don't mention anywhere you can't do that, and as for export, they even cover this in the terms and conditions, saying that:2.4.1.2 Intelligent Octopus Go is compatible with our following export tariffs: Octopus Outgoing Smart Export Guarantee , Outgoing Octopus and Agile Outgoing Octopus .
Edited by TheRainMaker on Friday 5th December 12:48
page3 said:
Octopus have clarified that it s 6 hours EV charging at cheap rate max. Those hours can be at any time. Any extra, even during the overnight period will be at peak rate.
If thats the case I might have to move on to the drive bolt on as I only use about 60-80kw a month on the 7p due to our dryer not supporting scheduling and the washing machine makes a racket so running in the night is a no no. The whole reason we are on Intelligent go is for the car with the odd bit of cheaper leccy a bonus as and when.
SteBrown91 said:
If thats the case I might have to move on to the drive bolt on as I only use about 60-80kw a month on the 7p due to our dryer not supporting scheduling and the washing machine makes a racket so running in the night is a no no.
The whole reason we are on Intelligent go is for the car with the odd bit of cheaper leccy a bonus as and when.
Last time I looked they have stopped the drive bolt on as it's over subscribed.The whole reason we are on Intelligent go is for the car with the odd bit of cheaper leccy a bonus as and when.
I'm getting my home charger fitted quite soon and have yet to pick a new energy supplier. I too have a noisy washing machine so wouldn't never run it late at night anyway.
I was set on going with Octopus Intelligent Go and adding the drive pack but this change may lead me to towards other options now with OVO or E.ON.
SoulGlo said:
Last time I looked they have stopped the drive bolt on as it's over subscribed.
I'm getting my home charger fitted quite soon and have yet to pick a new energy supplier. I too have a noisy washing machine so wouldn't never run it late at night anyway.
I was set on going with Octopus Intelligent Go and adding the drive pack but this change may lead me to towards other options now with OVO or E.ON.
I didn't think you could have OIG and the drive pack? I think you have to be on a normal tariff. I'm getting my home charger fitted quite soon and have yet to pick a new energy supplier. I too have a noisy washing machine so wouldn't never run it late at night anyway.
I was set on going with Octopus Intelligent Go and adding the drive pack but this change may lead me to towards other options now with OVO or E.ON.
Just worked out that at current allowance I am between £10 and £20 a month better off being on Intelligent over a Octopus Fixed with the bolt on, as the small loss of cheap overnight for the rest of the house is mostly balanced out with the lower standard rate of fixed.
- EDIT** scratch that just seen as above Octopus aren't letting people in on the drive pack so thats a write off!.
Edited by SteBrown91 on Friday 5th December 13:28
samoht said:
octopus said:
If we need to schedule more than 6 hours to reach your target charge, only the first 6 hours of charging will be at the discounted rate extra half-hours will be charged at your Bump rate (even if they re scheduled during the off-peak window
I think it's 6 hours cheap charging in 24, not 6+6. But the info is confusing.
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