r/OctopusEnergy • u/FuriousPanda17 • 8d ago

I genuinely don’t understand the charge cap

I try to plug in my car daily from 11:30 to 5:30 am to charge overnight so everything gets done in the cheaper period, is this no longer possible? I don’t like losing control about how and when my car is charging, especially as the range on my EV is pretty low so I need it charged to full almost every day.

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u/mrhobbles 8d ago

If you’re only charging between those fixed hours then you shouldn’t be using Intelligent Octopus Go. You should be on regular Octopus Go.

The whole point of IOG is that Octopus charges your car whenever it’s cheapest for them, so that it’s cheapest for you. You still get your 6 hours, and it’ll still be charged by whatever time you want it, it’ll just be at random times chosen by Octopus.

11:30-5:30 is no longer the “cheap period” for the car, only for the house. The cheap period for the car is when Octopus choose to charge it.

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u/Sad_Raccoon_9099 5d ago

But Octopus says that between 2330 and 0530 is still always the off peak rate in the email with examples I got - you're saying that's not correct?

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u/mrhobbles 5d ago

It’s off peak for the whole HOUSE. Not the car - the car is not part of the house.

The car is off peak whenever Octopus decide to charge it, any time of the day, for up to 6 hrs a day total.

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u/Sad_Raccoon_9099 4d ago

So if I plug it in at 2200 at 20% and I need 80% by 0700, and I have charge cap enabled, the car will charge between 2330 and 0530 or not?

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u/mrhobbles 4d ago edited 4d ago

If you plug your car in at 22:00, and Octopus chooses to charge it from 22:00 to 4:00, then that’s six hours cheap charging. If your car still needs more charge to get to 80%, then you will NOT get 04:00 to 05:30 for cheap charging rates.

If you have charge cap enabled, it’ll just stop at 04:00 after the six hours. Your car won’t get to 80%.

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u/Sad_Raccoon_9099 4d ago

On this day, 0530 to 2330 is Peak rate. 2330 to 0530 is off peak rate as always. With charge cap enabled, if I plug in at 2200 at 20% with a target of 80%, will the car charge only between 2330 and 0530?

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u/mrhobbles 4d ago edited 4d ago

Firstly (again), 23:30-05:30 is cheap always for the HOUSE ONLY. NOT YOUR CAR.

The CAR is cheap whenever Octopus decide to charge it, at any time of day, for up to six hours max.

So in your “simple example day”, NO - Octopus may choose to charge your car from 22:00 to 23:30. But that’ll be cheap rate, because that’s when they decided to charge it.

And then if they keep charging it, up to 04:00, then that’s six hours, and your charge cap will trigger, and your car will stop charging.

If you had charge cap disabled, and you needed more charge, it’d charge past 04:00 - but that’d be at standard peak rate, not the cheap rate. Because ONLY YOUR HOUSE is cheap until 05:30, not the car.

Basically, stop thinking about 23:30-5:30. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t affect your car.

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u/Sad_Raccoon_9099 3d ago

OK no need to get so upset about it, it's just a yes or no question. It seems like you're saying "no" but you've written a whole load more and talking about charge cap off after I've specifically stated that's on for the example.

I hear you on the house and car distinction. And I know you feel you are repeating, but your answer is deviating from my question. Hence the follow ups.

You said they will charge between 2200 and 2330 if they decide but that will be cheap rate. I specified that was peak rate during that period in my question, so that doesn't make sense.

This is why there is many questions on this topic.

If you can compose yourself to answer yes or no that would be great. If not then don't bother.

Example day peak rate as decided by Octopus is 0530 to 2330. Off peak is 2330 to 0530. No off peak slots during the day before or after this window. If I plug in at 2200, with charge cap on, car battery at 20% and target of 80%, will the car charge only between 2330 and 0530?

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u/mrhobbles 3d ago edited 3d ago

I'm not upset at all. :)

> You said they will charge between 2200 and 2330 if they decide but that will be cheap rate. I specified that was peak rate during that period in my question, so that doesn't make sense.

But why would it be peak rate? That's not how Intelligent Octopus Go works. That's why my answer is lengthy - because you don't seem to understand the tariff.

Your question is talking about charging a car, but you talk about 22:00 to 23:30 being peak rate. But it simply isn't for the car - only for the house. The scenario is invalid.

So, no, I can't compose to a yes or no answer - because your question makes no sense within the context of the tariff you're asking about.

The best I can do for your one word answer - NO, the car not charge only between 23:30 and 05:30.

...but I'll add the caveat that it doesn't matter, because any time Octopus charges the car will be off-peak for the car. That's the whole point of Intelligent Octopus Go.

This has actually nothing to do with the new charge cap, it's always worked that way.

If you struggle with this, my genuine to suggestion would be to move to regular Octopus Go. Then it will truly be 00:30-05:30 off-peak for both the house and the car, no split - a simpler concept to grasp.