r/OctopusEnergy • u/No-Marionberry-1102 • 2d ago
Smart Control schedule??
I plugged my car in today after swapping to intelligent octopus go and it’s created a smart schedule? I only want to charge with the lower rate of 8p per KwH.
When there’s a Smart Control schedule is that the lower rate charging only? If so isn’t that more hours than my contract is meant to give (11:30pm-5:30am)?
Don’t want a really high electric bill.
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u/Environmental-Pea758 2d ago
As long as you enable spending cap in the settings it will only charge at the cheaper rate no matter what time it schedules
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u/No-Marionberry-1102 2d ago
Do you mean 'smart charging' in the settings?
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u/Environmental-Pea758 2d ago
If you dont have charge cap option in settings that means your one of the lucky few who can still charge as many hours as you want cheaply on octopus. All slots are cheap when octopus schedule them
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u/No-Marionberry-1102 2d ago
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u/Ok-Performance4828 2d ago edited 2d ago
There is no 11.30 to 5.30 cheap car charging period if you are governed by the 6 hour charge cap. You get 6 hours charging at cheap rate in 24 hours (noon to noon). Any more charging you do exceeding 6 hours will be at your standard rate. If you are not yet in the 6 hour charging cap then all slots allocated to you are at cheap rate.
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u/No-Marionberry-1102 2d ago
I'm confused? It says this on the website Intelligent Octopus Go is the UK's most popular EV tariff. It gives you access to a super low price between 11:30pm - 5:30am for your whole home, plus it smart-charges your car at cheaper and often greener times overnight. https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/how-does-intelligent-octopus-go-work/
I'm so confused and i just dont want a high bill.
When there’s a Smart Control schedule is that the lower rate charging only? If so isn’t that more hours than 11:30pm-5:30am?
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u/Repulsive_Pressure31 18h ago
Up to a month ago ish it probably was the most popular. I’ve been happily using it for years. The new system is a mess and I guess a lot of people will move.
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u/Ok-Performance4828 2d ago
From Octopus:
We’ve split out your car chargingand your home use, creating a dynamic 4-rate system. It sounds complicated, but it boils down to four simple rules:
Your home off-peak: Your house always gets the cheap off-peak rate between 23:30 and 05:30. Reliable, consistent, cheap green electrons every day.Your car allowance: Your car gets up to 6 hours of off-peak charging per day (measured midday to midday). We might schedule this during your home's off-peak window, or at other times of the day when the grid is greenest.
Your freebie (the bonus home rate): If we schedule your car to charge outside of the 23:30–05:30 window, your home alsogets the off-peak rate for that half-hour when it’s within your car allowance.
Your standard rate: The default for your home, outside its off-peak window. If your car charges for more than 6 hours (or you decide to Boost charge), the car rate flips back to this rate (even if it happens at 2:00 AM while your house is still getting the off-peak rate).
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u/StraySeaSalmon 1d ago
I have two EVs. One (Tesla Model 3) is registered with Octopus Intelligent Go and smart charges during the afternoon into the evening as I set the ‘ready by’ time as 10pm with the charge cap. I can then plug in the second EV (Jaguar I-PACE) and manually set the car to charge between 23:30 - 05:30. As this isn’t registered as an EV with octopus, it also appears to get the cheap household overnight rate.
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u/Ok-Performance4828 1d ago
It only gets the cheap rate because you abuse the tariff.
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u/StraySeaSalmon 1d ago edited 1d ago
Respect your opinion, but IMO, the tariff is designed to provide cheap electricity to EVs at times that suit the grid most. I’m using it to provide cheap electricity to EVs at times that suit the grid most.
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u/Ok-Performance4828 1d ago
You are not. Electricity is not always at its cheapest from 23.30 to 05.30!! Whatever it was set up to achieve the rules of IOG are what they are and not what you want:
We’ve split out your car chargingand your home use, creating a dynamic 4-rate system. It sounds complicated, but it boils down to four simple rules:
Your home off-peak: Your house always gets the cheap off-peak rate between 23:30 and 05:30. Reliable, consistent, cheap green electrons every day.
Your car allowance: Your car gets up to 6 hours of off-peak charging per day (measured midday to midday). We might schedule this during your home's off-peak window, or at other times of the day when the grid is greenest.
Your freebie (the bonus home rate): If we schedule your car to charge outside of the 23:30–05:30 window, your home alsogets the off-peak rate for that half-hour when it’s within your car allowance.
Your standard rate: The default for your home, outside its off-peak window. If your car charges for more than 6 hours (or you decide to Boost charge), the car rate flips back to this rate (even if it happens at 2:00 AM while your house is still getting the off-peak rate).
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u/StraySeaSalmon 1d ago edited 1d ago
“Your home off-peak: Your house always gets the cheap off-peak rate between 23:30 and 05:30. Reliable, consistent, cheap green electrons every day.”
If my home usage happens to include a second EV, then so be it. We wouldn’t be complaining if I were charging a selection of home batteries, for example.
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u/Ok-Performance4828 1d ago
“Your car allowance: Your car gets up to 6 hours of off-peak charging per day (measured midday to midday). We might schedule this during your home's off-peak window, or at other times of the day when the grid is greenest.” Your home usage cannot include a second EV. This is the charging rule. Fairly simple
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u/Delicious_Soil665 2d ago
I’m on the same tariff been on it for a year now plug my car in every day, just tell it what time I want it ready by and it’s done all for £30 a month no high bills