How to Optimise Home EV Charging with Smart Tariffs (UK Electrician's Guide)
- Sam Punter
- Jul 12
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 24
My Experience with Home EV Charging and Smart Tariffs
As an electrician in the UK with years of experience as an OZEV Approved EV charge point installer, it's safe to say I've carried out my fair share of EV charger installations. I work primarily in Milton Keynes, a city at the forefront of the UK's transition to electric vehicles, with one of the highest concentrations of EV charging points per capita and a strong local push for greener transport. As a Go Ultra Low city, it’s leading the way in making EV ownership more accessible and convenient for residents and businesses alike.
As more and more of my customers enquire about domestic charging for electric vehicles (EVs) I believe it’s crucial that customers understand how to maximise the potential of their smart chargers and energy tariffs - not only to reduce the cost per mile, but also to lower their overall cost per kWh for household electricity.
At home I have installed what I consider to be the best home EV charger in the UK right now - a Zappi by MyEnergi, not only do MyEnergi offer great UK based support from their technical center in Grimsby, their chargers are also leading the field in Solar PV integration and compatibility with intelligent smart energy tariffs to allow for smarter EV charging for their UK based customers.
Please read on and I'll tell you how to use smart energy tariffs such as intelligent octopus effectively and provide you with my insight into how to save money charging an EV at home.
Efficient Home EV Charging Methods (and How to Save)
Smart EV charging at home is not just about convenience; it's about optimizing your energy usage and reducing costs. Here are some key elements:
Home Charging Points: Installing a dedicated home charging point is essential. It provides faster charging compared to a standard plug socket and ensures your vehicle is ready to go when you are.
Charging Schedules: Many modern chargers come with smart features that allow you to schedule charging sessions during off-peak hours, which can lead to significant savings.
Smart Energy Tariffs: Utilizing smart energy tariffs can further reduce costs by offering lower rates during peak times, encouraging users to charge their vehicles when electricity is cheapest.
Benefits of Intelligent EV Charging Tariffs
One of the most transformative aspects of my EV charging experience has been the introduction of intelligent tariffs like Intelligent Octopus.
These tariffs typically offer lower rates during off-peak hours but also provide the user with random offpeak slots during the day, allowing you to charge your vehicle when electricity prices are at their lowest but also allowing you to take advantage of more hours of off-peak electricity for your entire house.
Check out this snapshot of a random day with intelligent octopus:
The peak slots (normal rate) are in dark pink and the offpeak slots (reduced rate) are in light pink.
As you can see we had the scheduled 6 hours of offpeak rates from 23:30pm - 05:30am however, we also received 7 random offpeak slots during the day while our EV was plugged in and ready to charge - totalling 3.5 hours of additional offpeak rate allocation. This shift from peak to offpeak for an extra 3.5hrs makes a significant difference to overall electricity costs for that day, as this rate applied to all the electricity we used during these windows, not just electricity used to charge our EV.
It's also worth pointing out that your vehicle doesn't need to be charging for the full half hour for these offpeak rate to apply, if you plug in your vehicle at 2pm but it only needs a small top up and finishes charging by 2:15pm you will still benefit from the offpeak rate for the full 30min slot as metering is applied half-hourly.
In this picture below you can see our current energy tariff:
Based on this we can work out that on this specific day our average unit rate fell from 22.58p to 19.55p (9.5hrs @ 7p/kWh and 14.5hrs @ 27.77p/kWh), this might not sound like alot but that's a 13.42% reduction, and these daytime "bonus" offpeak slots will typically occur during periods of higher consumption than the overnight slots, as they usually kick in when you've just arrived home and started using appliances such as your kettle or washing machine.
Top tips for making the most of your smart tariff
To make the most of your home EV charging setup, consider the following practical tips:
Plug in anytime you need charge: It might sound obvious, but you need to make sure your EV is plugged in during the day, so for example - after the school run in the morning and the afternoon, this is the perfect time to take advantage of random slots as your car will always need a little top up after short trips, and even if it only needs 1-2% charge it will still trigger that full half hour offpeak slot if your energy supplier offers it.
Schedule your "ready by" time: You can configure your smart tariff to make sure that you still achieve maximum charge by a set time, if you need to use your car at 5am everyday make sure to configure this in your energy suppliers app.
Set large appliances on a timer: To make best use of your EV tariff try to set big appliances like dishwashers and washing machines on a timer to start their cycles at the beginning of your standard off-peak time - 23.30pm for us. This helps to shift more of your electricity usage to the offpeak rate.
What Are Smart Tariffs?
Smart tariffs are innovative electricity tariffs that energy providers offer to help customers save money by charging their EVs during times when wholesale electricity costs are low, which often occurs outside of typical peak usage hours. Electricity demand changes throughout the day, leading to varying rates. These tariffs control the charging schedule and tells your EV charger to charge when wholesale rates dip significantly.
For example, I'm signed up to the Intelligent Octopus tariff, which allows me to charge my vehicle overnight at reduced rates. As standard from 23:30PM to 5:30AM the cost is much lower, leading to substantial savings. But my car also charges whenever my energy company activates an intellegent charging slot, these slots are random and could come at any time. The opportunity to align my charging with these cheaper rates not only cuts my expenses but also supports broader sustainability initiatives by reducing peak demand on the power grid.
Using a smart tariff has allowed me to maximize my home charging experience while minimizing costs.
Other intelligent tariff providers include:
OVO Charge Anytime unfortunately they separate out the EV consumption from the home consumption so you can't take advantage of the cheap slots for all of your home power consumption.
Scottish Power EV Optimise the same at the tariff above, Scottish Power will separate your EV consumption from your home consumption and the off-peak rate is higher at 10p per unit.
The Role of Intelligent Octopus
Intelligent Octopus stands out as one of the top providers of smart tariffs for home EV charging.
The Intelligent Octopus mobile app adds a layer of convenience, allowing me to track energy usage, manage charging schedules, and control boost charging if needed from my smartphone. This ease of use helps me stay on top of my energy costs while reducing my environmental impact.
Advantages of Merging Intelligent EV Tariffs with Solar Generation
Not only can you take advantage of offpeak slots during the day with a smart energy tariff like intelligent octopus, but using the right EV charger that integrates with your Solar PV system can elevate your charging game to the next level:
Surplus generation
Additionally, setting my EV charger to operate when my solar PV system generates excess power can further enhance my savings. This approach allows me to utilize energy that would otherwise be exported to the grid, maximizing the efficiency of my solar investment while minimizing reliance on grid electricity.
Smart home integration
Using smart automation systems like Home Assistant you can set your batteries in your solar PV system to charge during your offpeak slots provided by your EV tariff, this allows you for greater power discharge during peak hours.
Tips for Optimizing Home EV Charging
To enhance my home EV charging experience, I have developed several effective practices. Here are some valuable tips for fellow EV owners:
Choose the Right Charger
Selecting the ideal charger based on your needs is essential. If you plan to have solar PV integration now or in the future choosing an EV charger that supports this feature is critical.
You must also make sure that your EV charger is compatible with your chosen Smart EV tariff provider, for intelligent octopus at the time of writing that list is 4 brands:
Alternatively you can set any charger to plug and play and have Octopus control your charging schedule via your vehicle instead, aslong as you have a vehicle that is compatible with intellegent octopus.
The most up to date list of compatible chargers and car manufacturers can be found on the octopus website.
Utilize Smart Charging Features
Make sure all schedules in your car and via your charger are disabled when switching to a smart tariff as these can override your energy provider's schedule causing you to incur additional costs.
Stay Informed
Keep yourself up to date with any changes to energy tariffs from your provider. Being informed about new rates allows me to adjust my charging strategy to continue saving money and enhancing efficiency.
Quick Summary: 5 Tips for Cheaper Home EV Charging
Switch to a smart tariff: Tariffs like Intelligent Octopus offer ultra-low rates (as low as 7p/kWh) during off-peak hours - perfect for overnight charging.
Charge overnight: Set your charger or vehicle to charge between midnight and 5am to take advantage of lower electricity prices.
Use a compatible smart charger: Install a smart charger (e.g. Ohme, Zappi, Hypervolt, or Indra) that can communicate with your energy provider for scheduled, cheaper charging.
Pair with solar panels: If you have solar, consider charging during the day using excess generation - or combining with battery storage for even bigger savings.
Monitor your usage: Use your supplier’s app or a smart home energy monitor to track patterns and optimise your charging routine.
Looking Ahead at EV Charging
As the electric vehicle industry expands, so too will the technology and services available for home EV charging. Innovations will continue to improve user experience, making charging smoother and more efficient.
One exciting development on the horizon is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. This allows EVs to send stored energy back to the grid during peak demand. Not only could this help stabilize energy costs, but it also presents new savings opportunities for EV owners, creating a future where my electric vehicle not only acts as a means of transport but also serves as a power resource for my home and community.
Wrapping Up
Optimizing my EV charging experience using Intelligent Octopus and smart tariffs has transformed how I manage costs and convenience. The ability to charge at home and capitalize on intelligent charging slots has been a game-changer for my budget and my commitment to sustainability.
By learning about different charging methods, choosing appropriate equipment, and implementing smart strategies, I’ve successfully improved my experience as an EV owner. My journey is just one example, and I hope to inspire others to explore the many benefits of optimizing home EV charging.
As technology advances in this space, I eagerly anticipate the future of electric vehicles and home charging solutions. Taking the time to understand and apply the right charging strategies can have a significant positive impact on us all. Whether you're a seasoned EV driver or just starting, optimizing your charging experience is not just beneficial; it’s essential for our shared green future.
Ready to Get Your EV Charger Installed?
If you're based in Milton Keynes or the surrounding areas, MK Sparks can help you choose and install the right EV charger for your home. We offer expert advice, smart charger options, and a clean, professional installation—no stress, no mess.
Book your EV charger quote today and take the first step toward smarter, cheaper charging.
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