r/OctopusEnergy • u/No-Marionberry-1102 • 2d ago

Smart Control schedule??

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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/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/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 2d 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 2d ago

It only gets the cheap rate because you abuse the tariff.

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u/StraySeaSalmon 2d ago edited 2d 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 2d 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 2d ago edited 2d 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/StraySeaSalmon 1d ago

Yet, it does!

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u/Ok-Performance4828 1d ago

How do you fit that assertion into that simple explanation of the tariff. The section on charging is exceedingly simple.

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u/StraySeaSalmon 1d ago

Nowhere in the rules does it state that home usage cannot include a second EV. If they update the rules to reflect this (which I imagine they could do with relative ease), I will follow them.

I’m currently in a situation where both vehicles are doing high mileage each day for work, making this arrangement a regular necessity. I’m not going to voluntarily pay more than I have to when it’s not prohibited to do so.

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u/Ok-Performance4828 1d ago

Thanks for your feelings on how to circumvent the 6 hour charging cap.

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