I’ve been stoppign it all the time before and its been ok. I figured the app wouldn’t kick in and didn’t want it using too much peak rate.
edit: it set a schedule for 11pm and the tesla app shows its charging so hopefully ok tonight
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Octopus Energy, including Intelligent and go
- Thread starter UrbanSplash
- Start date
I’ve been stoppign it all the time before and its been ok. I figured the app wouldn’t kick in and didn’t want it using too much peak rate.
edit: it set a schedule for 11pm and the tesla app shows its charging so hopefully ok tonight
Drew57
Active ember
Not so for me.
On every occasion where I have plugged in to set a charge since signing up in January, the car has continued to charge indefinitely at peak rate unless stopped manually via the Tesla app. Octopus have investigated the logs but nothing has changed so I always manually stop the charge within a few seconds.
IO then sets a schedule and charges after doing this (but not always to the exact schedule, some slots may have disappeared/been rescheduled when I check next morning).
No, I wasn’t thinking of that scenario - but that is an excellent question. I hadn’t thought of that case.
The scenario I had in mind was where the charge period was entirely outside the 6-hour window, not overlapping and without consideration of the car charging to the end of the charge period. My guess is that the whole house must benefit in those edge cases. The only way Octopus could operate differently would be by ‘metering’ the charge dispensed to the car (via API & car BMS readouts?) and subtracting that from the power as recorded by the household meter. Not only would that be very messy and probably inconsistent to execute as a solution from Octopus’ perspective, my guess is that they wouldn’t be allowed to either from a regulatory point of view either. Home utility meters are standardised & approved for metering & billing consumers. Cars aren‘t.
So - in both edge case scenarios I think the answer must be that the whole house benefits from the cheaper rate.
Billbrown1982
TM3 LR 2021 | Red | FSD
Oh I see, yeah I had the same question when I started and there is actually a bit on their website that specifically says, ALL Your usage will be charged at the lower rate.
I must admit this surprised me as I just expected them to, via the app, calculate how much electric the car took and then only charge that at the lower rate but I was quite pleased to find this was not the case.
As someone that works the late shift, I often get home at 3-5am in the morning, and plugging the car in then for a mid-day depature will result in plenty of "bonus" low electric usage.
If the 6 hour window during the night is inconvenient, there is an argument to charge less frequently but for longer. So fun it down to 20% say, plug in at 5pm. If you’re charging to 90% the schedule will start maybe 7pm onwards. Use this time for cooking, washing, dishwasher etc. oven, microwave, induction hob, all at a lower rate. More benefit than topping up 30% during the night
Pink Duck
Active Member
Aw, sucky. Octopus has now changed their API to restrict target time to between 04:00 and 11:00 on Android too, even after downgrading to older version.
Pink Duck
Active Member
A mitigation to that being to disconnect and reconnect as 3-pin power source, lower car charge to 5 A then target 04:00 for 100%, stopping just after 23:00.
Pink Duck
Active Member
Might hint that having your plan generated later the most can bring the hours earlier when targeting 04:00.
Pink Duck
Active Member
Seems that comes with an interesting server-side change at Octopus where they appear to now be enforcing their fair-use policy 6-hour limit on managed charging, such that those on slower charging connections may not reach the target despite having sufficient time. Given the fixed discount hours of 23:30 to 05:30 can mitigate that with scheduled departure off-peak charging ending at 05:30.
fancealot
Member
What i'm not keen on is people 'playing the system' do you really need the vehicle charged at 4am? If people find this as a hack to get cheaper charging slots earlier thus meaning they can do all the power hungry chores at home Octopus will shut down the extra slots and just give you the fixed charging time, messing things up for everyone. Jeez come on guys, just set timers on your washing machines etc.
Pink Duck
Active Member
It’s more a consequential effect of Octopus narrowing the possible charge target times. Many have genuine reasons for wanting a departure SoC at times outside the 04:00–11:00 window. Late-night trips / overnight shift-work for example. That alone will put more demand on fewer slots, but won't stop them balancing it out on average. After all they do want to ensure more load is at a cheaper time of day for them.
Its a beta product, so I assume that they will want the users testing the permutations.
To be honest, the 6 hour cheap window is plenty for me. It allows me plenty of time to charge both the car and the house batteries. Getting cheap slots outside the window is a bit of an advantage, but then I have to remember to change the settings in my solar system inverter, otherwise the battery charge gets dumped into the car. I will probably end up switching off the Smart charging in the Octopus app and just revert to using the charging schedules in the car charger.
Are you really shedding a tear for an energy company? Of course we are going to do everything to minimise stratospheric bills and upcoming winter social catastrophe. Do you really think this will ‘spoil it for everyone’?! Spare a thought for those who choose to heat or eat. But you’re ok, so let’s not mess it up.
Yes, because Octopus don't make the profits you think they do - and remember the retail energy companies have been going bust, left right and centre.
Your ire, if any, should be directed towards the wholesale gas price, to which the likes of Octopus, have no control over.
Octopus are a well run, pioneering company who are changing the industry, for the better.
But if you're ok not being well informed, let's not mess it up.
fancealot
Member
No that's not what i'm saying, I was saying playing the system will eventually effect us all! Octopus WILL increase costs if they see that a lot of the consumer base are taking money away from them ( I DO NOT condone the energy companies and what they do I am stating we're lucky that a company the likes of Octopus right now has a flexible tarriff that extends the cheaper rate if we require it, most companies would not!). I am not attacking YOU like you are attacking me, I was asking do YOU need your car to be ready at 4am if so then fine!
there was me thinking I was doing ok during the quieter summer without heating - still in credit. Just checked my octopus account as I was wokring out how much it costs to boil the kettle! (3p it turns out) and it seems I've not had an electric bill from them since March which I think was when I switched to IO.
Now dreading contacting them.
Also as an aside I checked my gas usage from Jan - 1500kwh at 3p/kwh was £57. I'n already paying 7p and they're expecting 15p/kwh in winter - that'd be £270 a month!
Now dreading contacting them.
Also as an aside I checked my gas usage from Jan - 1500kwh at 3p/kwh was £57. I'n already paying 7p and they're expecting 15p/kwh in winter - that'd be £270 a month!
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