Home Charger Advice

[El Hair]

So, I've placed an order for an Enyaq 80 Sportline Plus with the Maxx Pack in Metallic Grey. This is to replace my 2020 Superb Estate L&K. Between Road Tax and diesel prices, its just getting too expensive. Now just a six month or so wait...

 

Anyhow, this also means i now need to invest in a home charger. With the lead time, at least I have some time to consider the options here. My plan is to put something on Checkatrade for a quote, and have come up with the following questions. Is there anything I have missed and should also be asking?

 

1. Make and model of charger(s)
2. Details on plug type
3. Length of included charging cable
4. Cost per meter of a longer cable
5. Time to complete installation
6. How much notice would you need for installation

 

 

[snalbansed]

Personally I started by working out what charger I wanted, then looked for installers in my area that installed that charger.

 

You'll need to live with the features, functions and aesthetics of the charger for a long time after the installer has faded in your memory!

 

Of particular interest might be whether you have or might in the future have solar panels that you want to do intelligent solar charging with them. 

[kenfowler3966]

Skoda are working with Ohme and display their chargers in showroom.

via the Skoda referral I paid £950 for a 5m one. There is an alternate 8m one for an extra £100 or so. Chargers without a tethered cable are a pain as you have to fiddle around with cable from the boot every time.

This included a surge protector and was installed neatly. Other quotes were significantly more with surge protector even more as well.

I was already with Octopus and transferred to their intelligent tariff. This gives off peak for all use 23:30 to 05:30 at 7.5p per kWh and daytime rate slightly higher at 38.5p.

However if you car needs more charge than 6 hours can give you get assigned extra time in what should be peak at 7.5p instead for all use. Even if you only need a small charge you sometimes get extra off peak anyway as they balance their demand.

This means for all trips charged totally at home it costs about 2p a mile, rather less than using chargers elsewhere unless you come across a free one.

Edited 16 June, 2023 by kenfowler3966

[El Hair]

Apologies for the delay, but thanks for the advice. Some additonal things for me to consider.

[kenfowler3966]

Octopus intelligent is now about 29p peak rate from 1st July.

off peak still 7.5 p or about 2p a mile.

Note that if car needs a lot of charge Octopus allocate additional slots off peak sufficient to complete requested charge level at off peak rate. This applies to all use of electric during that extra time, so washer etc can also benefit. At weekends you are often assigned slots in the morning as long as you set the required completion time later as not commuting that day.

[anglefire]

My two penneth. 

 

If you are using Intelligent Octopus GO, then the charger is largely dumb. I have a Zappi, which in theory can use excess solar to charge the battery (If you have solar panels obviously!) - but as I currently use the Car integration with Octopus, it has to run in Fast mode (IE Dumb).  When it is plugged in, it will start to charge the car and Octopus see's it and then turns off the charge via the car and gives you the charging slots to get to the SOC you want.  If you use the Zappi integration, then you run the charger in Eco+ mode - which means (I believe) that you can charge from excess solar as well as via IOG.

 

So, if you intend using IOG via the Cars Integration, get the charger that suits your needs and aesthetics. The zappi isn't pretty (I can't really see it most of the time), but then most aren't. 

 

If you intend using the charger integration, you currently have a choice of 3. Ohme, Wallbox or Zappi. (In order of cost installed via Octopus)

 

As for installer,  there are quite a few, Octopus installed mine (Part of my EV package) and I have no complaints at all. I believe all their installers are actually employed by them with all the necessary qualifications - the lady that installed mine also sorted the henly block and resealed the fuse (They are one of the few that can do that I believe)

[mr_awol]

Not got my Enyaq yet but…..

 

I have a zappi at work.  If I plug in there, I want it to use excess solar mostly but our panels are on three strings so it will only really ever hit 3.1 from there.  The system is 12.5 so if o set it to fast charge, it will hit 7.2, possibly drawing ok the battery but in the summer we have loads spare anyway.

 

if I get another zappi at home, I’d want it to charge at the cheap 7p rates from octopus.  Last thing I want is ot drawing full fat from when I get home.

 

so do I need to tell the car I’m at home or work?  Or can it have separate settings?  Last thing I want is to have to mess about with options every time I plug it in, depending where I am.

 

am I better off getting a different charger for the house?

[Luckypants]

Leave the settings in the car alone and allow to default to charge immediately and at full power, using the default 80% charge limit. (unless of course you need 100% for your journey).

Set limits on charge rates and times on your chargers at work and home. This way the work Zappi can use excess solar if that is what you program. I'm assuming you have control over it. 

For any home charger, you will be free to choose one that suits your needs. If on a time of use tariff, a schedule can be set in the charger to charge at off-peak times. This way, you come home, plug in and the charge will commence off-peak.

[mr_awol]

Cool thanks.  Having researched it a bit more (and given apparent restrictions from providers from giving data to cars) my plan is to set the car to take max charge anytime, the home charger to electricity co cheap rates, and the work system to excess solar only (and will boost it if it’s really sunny).

 

Unless I get home solar in which case I will have to factor that in too, but I would probably only have about six panels anyway so would probably just charge car at night and sell any surplus solar at SEG rates which are higher than night charge rates anyway

[anglefire]

On 22/01/2024 at 15:51, Luckypants said:

Leave the settings in the car alone and allow to default to charge immediately and at full power, using the default 80% charge limit. (unless of course you need 100% for your journey).

Set limits on charge rates and times on your chargers at work and home. This way the work Zappi can use excess solar if that is what you program. I'm assuming you have control over it. 

For any home charger, you will be free to choose one that suits your needs. If on a time of use tariff, a schedule can be set in the charger to charge at off-peak times. This way, you come home, plug in and the charge will commence off-peak.

 

This will depend on your tariff and chargee! If you are using Octopus Go & a Zappi, then it doesn't matter how you operate it - schedule in the car or in the charger should work - ECO+ will allow the car to charge if plugged in and there is enough sun (Having home battery storage can **** this all up as its possible that the home battery will charge the car - which in most cases, isn;t a good idea. I'm pretty sure you would have to schedule the charge off the charger in this case, rather than the car - the car will determine how much you charge too - set via the app or the car)

 

If you are using Octopus Intelligent Go, then you either get Octopus to control the charger or the car. The former the zappi is set to Eco+ - when you plug in, it will do a test charge and set up charging slots to  get to the amount of charge you want to add as a % of the cars battery size.

If you get Octopus to control the car, then the Zappi is set to Fast and again when you plug in, it will start to charge (You can manually turn it off if you want, I generally don't bother as it usually stops after less than 1kWh charge) and give you some charge slots based on the % battery SOC you want to get to - so I usually set it to 80% (Car is set to 100% charge limit) and only go to 100% if I have a long journey. IOG will then charge the car during the slots - it may not charge for the whole 30 minute slot given - but may do. Thats the whole point of the tariff in that it can balance the grid.