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April 4, 2026
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Could someone offer advice to me as i'm new to chargers?

  • April 4, 2026
  • 24 replies
  • 246 views

Afternoon,

 

After a few hrs of light reading, I think I am up to speed on the OVO CA wotsit. I do not want to pay for a package, so it’s my understanding that if I plug the EV in then OVO can see it’s the EV charging and will bill me for that @ 14p .

 

My lad is buying the EV, he’s getting an MG4. Now, these aren’t mentioned anywhere on OVO so I assume MG cannot link with the CA, so I need one of the three chargers listed? Didn’t realise they were so expensive!

If I just get an OHME charger which is cheaper through the dealer he’s getting the car from, what exactly do I lose out on? The 14p?

 

I can see why I’ve not made the switch to EVs myself. Blimey. 

Best answer by Peter E

I agree with ​@Blastoise186. E7 is too much of an even split (discount vs raised day rate) to make any real savings against a Fixed Price tariff. CA is the best route with OVO and I've already commented with respect to other suppliers but I'll tell you what I did which is a bit unusual and also a tad scary for some people.

 

I went to Agile Octopus. You can use any charge point including a 2kW/granny charger. For overnight charging I'm getting a year-to-date average of around 12p snd 20p for the rest of my domestic use. Compared with the Standard Variable Tariff I'm saving about £700 a year (but the SVT is the most expensive way you can do that) and it's on a par with other discount charging tariffs. 2kW charging is easily enough for 10,000 miles a year. Maths: Charging speed is 7 miles added per hour (often called the charging speed). Five hours per night x 365 days is 12,700 miles. You are not restricted to any charging period. Midnight to 5-6am is normally the cheapest period but you can charge anytime it's cheap. Agile is always cheaper than commercial charging (50-90p / kWh).

 

Pros: Any charger. I can get very cheap electricity at times. Even negative prices (yes I get paid) when there is a glut of renewables. I have an air to air heat pump which averages 20p a unit and it comes out slightly cheaper than gas heating, and I'm using 8,700kWh less gas. There is no exit fee.

 

Cons: The scary bit is the unit price varies every half hour (wholesale settlement price related) and it can be as low as -19p (whoop whoop + money dance) or as high as 99.99p (Boo hiss!). It's effectively buying electricity on the wholesale market rather than retail and there are no safeguards on price except for the 100p/unit cap. Peak prices (4-7pm every day) tend to be in the range 30-40p but if you can mostly avoid usage during these times (certainly not charging the car) then that can be only a minor cost.

 

I'm not saying you should go to Agile (you need a Smart meter for that, or indeed any EV tariff) but it's one of the options out there and one that is not often talked about which is why I've laid it out in a bit if detail here. If you are only having EV charging at you house for a short while then that could be a temporary option which would be cheaper (no guarantees) than the SVT / FP tariff.

 

If you are thinking EV as a longer term solution then I would, as my top recommendation, go for an OVO compatible charger (charging speed 25mph) and CA.

 

Peter

24 replies

archermavAuthor
Rank 2
April 5, 2026

Thanks for everyones comments. All very useful. 

All you see is the headline discount EV rate, then once you look into it the actual “daytime”rates they are just slightly higher than OVO, so swings and roundabouts I suppose. 

Good shout re neighbour.

 

Thanks again.

Peter E
Super User
Super User
April 5, 2026

From experience you just have to go with what you think is best. Even with Fixed Price rates (no EV discount) it's cheaper than a ICE (internal combustion engine) car and then that gives you time to work out something more economical. A slow (granny) charger is ok to begin with whilst you come to a decision of who and what to go with. 

 

Here's a suggestion. Narrow the choice down to the suppliers you think you will end up using. Look at the compatible chargers in that group and go with the one that is most common. At least that gives you the best chance of changing suppliers if the first one doesn't work out. Give yourself three months to make a decision. Don't rush that one.  Perhaps come back on here for a second opinion on what you think is best and why. Even if you don't come back on here the process of thinking it though should result in a better choice.

 

Happy Easter

 

Peter

Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,700 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
archermavAuthor
Rank 2
April 5, 2026

Wise words, thanks very much.

 

Simon

Abby_OVO
Community Manager
Community Manager
April 6, 2026

Hey ​@archermav 

 

I’m glad to see the community have already stopped by with some really helpful advice.

 

I hope you’ve found it useful, do let us know how he gets on with the MG4 and charging options.😊

Currently Playing: She's Electric
archermavAuthor
Rank 2
April 7, 2026

Well, the MG 4 has rocked up. Still exploring charging options, other then granny. Why is the granny charger lead so short! 

Peter E
Super User
Super User
April 7, 2026

Possibly because it’s cheaper. The granny charger I bought from Screwfix has a 10m lead. You could always use an extension cable but please exercise caution with that because 10A is a lot of current and you have an extra plug and socket in the mix. If the cable is on a reel then it must be fully unwound otherwise you’ll end up with a big blob of melted plastic and possibly a fire.

 

Tip: If you are going away you may have the opportunity to charge at the place (with the owner’s consent) but never leave it unattended because of the possibility of the wall socket/plug overheating. If you make up a simple extension lead (mine is 10m) with 2.5mm sq (15A) cable then put a single socket on the end. You can post the socket through the letterbox so you don’t have to keep a door or window open all the time.

 

When the owner of the let we go to agreed to let me charge the car we also agreed that 40p/kWh was a reasonable rate which is sort of mid-way between the actual cost of the electricity and nearby commercial charging rates so we both benefit. You just need to log how many hours you spend charging and multiply it by two.

 

Alternatively, look for lets that have charging - a much better option and quicker.

 

Peter

 

Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,700 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
Ben_OVO
Community Manager
Community Manager
April 8, 2026

Thanks, I’m hoping he’s left home in 12 months so I don’t have to pay for his “fuel”!!! 

 

@archermav this made me chuckle 😆. 

 

Keep us updated as to your progress, even if you do decide to switch away. Charge Anytime gives great flexibility, whereas some other suppliers are based more around night time charging. If your son signs up with us once he’s moved then, as ​@Blastoise186 has mentioned, it’ll be worth him getting a discounted charger installed by OVO. I understand it’s a tricky choice around getting a charger installed at your home right now, given that he may not be there for too much longer. 

 

On the other hand, if you decide to switch then we wish you all the best with your new supplier, and feel free to remain part of this Forum community - it really is invaluable for EV users. As ​@Peter E has said, you’ll need to have a think about when most of the charging will likely be done. 

 

These articles will give you some further insight into Charge Anytime and its benefits:

 

 

I was looking for some MG4 related articles on the Forum, but there isn’t many at the moment. However, you might find some useful info on these forums:

 

 

As always fire any further questions our way 🚗.

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Nukecad
Super User
Super User
April 8, 2026

The granny charger I bought from Screwfix has a 10m lead.

 Well you don’t want your granny to be wandering about too far while she is on a charge. 🤣

I said, Hey - Watts going on.
archermavAuthor
Rank 2
April 8, 2026

Thanks again folks, great helpful place this. Seems my EV journey is just starting, but I’m already liking his MG. I am assuming that OVO don’t do a reduced overnight rate generally anyway? Not specific to EVs that is?

Blastoise186
Super User
Super User
April 8, 2026

That would be Economy 7, which is absolutely not recommended for EV Charging - the cheaper night rate is far more expensive than Charge Anytime and you’ll be punished with much higher day rates (often more than regular Standard Variable!).

If you’re not doing much charging e.g. once a month, it’s rarely worth E7.

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