EV tariff

[anotherjohn]

Our house has a smart meter. When I enquired about an EV tariff with Scottish Power I was told, months ago, that I needed a newer generation smart meter & was told that I'd get one (free) & to wait for a phone call to arrange an installation date. Many phone calls later I'm told that my request has been escalated. Yesterday I was told "we can't tell you when". Octopus seem to be in the same position. So the earlier everyone checks with their supplier that they could be put on a suitable tariff the better. I'd thought the only unpredictable long wait would be for the car!

[scratch113]

Sounds like a feeble excuse to me - SMETS1 smart meters can be upgraded remotely to SMETS2 now, so no need for your current meter to be replaced if you already have one afaik. I'd go back to them and ask exactly what it is they need to put you an an EV tariff. If it's SMETS2 that's the requirement, just ask for your current meter to be upgraded.

Info here from OVO:
https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/national ... ts1-meters

[Dorsetandy]

I’m with BG and have a SMETs 1 smart meter - these meters can be upgraded to SMETs 2 via a remote software upgrade. Was getting nowhere with BG so in frustration escalated to a complaint - the result my meters have been upgraded and the upgrades recorded on the National database ( important if you want to switch to an alternative supplier with a smart EV tariff). The problem at the moment is every supplier advises either remaining with your current supplier if you have a fixed tariff or letting your supplier move you to their standard variable tariff.

It is worth getting your existing smart meter upgraded so you have the flexibility to change supplier when the economics of doing so work. Believe the government set a target for old smart meters to be upgraded by Dec 2021.

[BioHzrd]

Also to not your EV tarrif will be great for those 4/5 hours to charge your car but if you either worm from uome or spend alot of time at home your daily rate will kill you due to your usage.

[Bryanmet]

I’m not aware of any EV tariffs that are available anywhere. Be interested to hear if anyone knows who is providing them in the current climate.

[ComicGeek]

I’m not aware of any EV tariffs that are available anywhere. Be interested to hear if anyone knows who is providing them in the current climate.

Octopus still have their Octopus Go product, but the 4 hr lower rate has gone up to 7.5 p/kWh and the standard unit rate has shot up to 30.83 p/kWh. At that price it's cheaper for most people to stick with their current tariffs unless the vast majority of your electrical usage is EV charging. Our average usage without EV charging is around 10 kWh/day, so I worked out that I would need to charge for a minimum of 15 kWh per day to break even by switching - however, I also use free PV generation during the day to charge sometimes so the comparison starts to get even more complicated.

It's a case of waiting to see what happens at the moment, and being ready to switch when the right deals come along.