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Abby_OVO
Community Manager
Community Manager
September 24, 2025
PinnedF.A.Q.

Meet the new Charge Anytime!

  • September 24, 2025
  • 334 replies
  • 17379 views

Updated on 14/04/26 by Ben_OVO

 

Charge Anytime has evolved - we’ve introducing monthly plans

 

You can now choose a new, easy way of paying for your EV charging. One simple monthly payment, whether you’re smart charging at home, or out and about.*

 

With the introduction of these new Charge Anytime monthly plans will come questions, and we’ve put together this FAQ guide to cover everything you might want to ask or need to know.

 

If there’s anything you’re still unsure of after reading this, you can ask us below or get in touch with the team if you’ve got a more specific issue.

 


What are monthly plans?

 

Charge Anytime monthly plans are our charging products that offer one monthly fee for your home and public charging. Plus other perks depending on which package you choose. Here are more details of the current plans available.

 

 

How does a Charge Anytime monthly plan work?

 

Charge Anytime monthly plans offer combined home and public charging for one monthly cost. Each plan has a home mileage allowance. You’ll be billed a fixed monthly cost, and then we’ll credit you EV charging up to the maximum allowance. Included within the cost of the monthly plan you’ll also receive your public charging voucher and any other perks associated with your plan.

 

 

How does Charge Anytime pay as you go work?

 

All the electricity you use in your home and for smart charging will initially be charged at your standard home electricity rate. This is the rate you’ll see in your balance and on your bill. 

 

At the end of the month, we’ll work out how much energy you've used to smart charge your EV. We'll use this to calculate how much credit we need to add to your account. This will be applied in the following month.

 

 

How do I manage my plan?


Download OVO Charge from the App Store or Google Play to manage your monthly plan. Schedule charging sessions and track how much of your monthly plan you’ve used in the app. If you’ve gone over your monthly allowance, you’ll see this information in the OVO Charge app. You can also manage and redeem your perks in the app too. 
 

 

How does billing work?

 

There are a few different elements to how these plans are billed:

 

  • Your monthly plan fee - charged at the beginning of each month, this is based on the plan you choose and covers the cost of your plan’s home mileage allowance, public charging voucher and any other perks associated with your plan. 

 

  • Credits - we’ll credit the kWh that you use to charge your car, in line with your monthly plan home charging allowance (explained below). This is shown on your bill the month after you’ve used it.

 

  • Extra charging costs - any charging that you use over your monthly allowance will be charged at your usual home tariff rate, this will appear as normal electricity use on your bill. 

 

If you go over the mileage allowance of your plan, you’ll still be able to charge, but you’ll be charged for the kWh that you use above your monthly allowance.

 

For example:

  • You smart charge your car for an equivalent of 1,100 miles

 

  • We credit you for 1,000 miles, the premium plan monthly maximum allowance based on a vehicle efficiency of 4 miles per kWh. Which means we’ll apply a credit of 250 kWh to your bill

 

  • If your usual home tariff rate is 25p per kWh, we’ll credit you for a total of £62.50, which would appear on your bill the following month

 

  • This means for the 100 miles above your plan allowance you would not receive credit for. This will be charged at your usual home tariff rate, this will appear as normal electricity use on your bill

 

 

What will the credit look like on my bill?

 

We’ll apply either Charge Anytime pay as you go or monthly plan credit to your account at the start of every month. It’ll also appear on your monthly OVO energy bill under the heading Charge Anytime pay as you go or monthly plan credit depending what plan you’re on. The credit shown on your bill will be for the electricity you used for smart charging the previous month. So in the first week of December, you’ll see your credit for November in your OVO online account or OVO app.

 

If you’re on a monthly plan in addition to receiving charging credits up to your plan mileage cap you’ll also be billed your monthly plan fee. This will be displayed on your bill as “Charge Anytime - monthly plan” followed by the choice of plan you’re on, for example, “premium”.

 

 

How will I be billed if I sign up or cancel during the month?

 

When signing up to a monthly plan your first monthly fee will be adjusted depending on the day you sign up. For example, if you signed up to the premium plan, which is £37.50 a month, on day 16 of a 30 day month - you’d be billed £18.75. You’ll still receive your full monthly mileage allowance no matter what day of the month you sign up. 

 

If you choose to cancel your plan this will happen on the first day of the following month. This means you’ll still receive your full mileage allowance and be charged the full monthly fee for your final month. 

 

Usage of other perks included within your monthly plan won’t be affected by when you sign up and you’ll be able to use them straight away. When you cancel your plan any unused benefits including extra perks will be lost. 

 

 

What other perks do I get?

 

All our monthly plans include EV Charger Cover and a public charging voucher. Our premium, standard plus and premium plus plans include even more perks - with multi-car plus plans coming with a £240 public charging voucher. Here are more details on each plan and how to redeem your perks.

 

 

Am I locked into a contract if I choose a monthly plan?

 

No, you can cancel your monthly plan at any time. Your home energy contract won’t be affected. Cancellation starts at the end of each month so you can continue to access your charging miles and perks until then.

 

 

Can I switch between Charge Anytime monthly plans and pay as you go?

 

Yes, you can switch between monthly plans at any time. When you choose to switch, your new monthly plan will become active on the 1st day of the following month. Your existing perks will still be available from your old plan but they won’t renew. If you choose a plan with more perks or higher mileage this will be added to your existing allowance.

 

If you’re switching from pay as you go to a monthly plan this will start at midnight the next day. The fee you pay and the mileage available will be adjusted to reflect the day your plan starts.

 

 

Can home charging miles roll over and be used in other months?

 

No, your monthly miles for your plan will reset on the first day of each month. For example, if you signed up to the premium monthly plan and used 800 miles of charging, your next month will reset at the premium monthly plan amount of 1,000 miles.

 

 

Will my Direct Debit be affected?

 

Your Charge Anytime credit won’t affect your Direct Debit. You can ask for this to be refunded, if your account is in enough credit. Any refunds will be applied in line with our refund policy where you can find more information on refund eligibility.

 

 

What app do I need to use?

 

Download OVO Charge from the App Store or Google Play to manage your charging. If you’ve been using the Charge Anytime app you’ll need to start using OVO Charge instead. 

 

 

 

Can I continue to use my EV or charger app?

 

Yes, absolutely. It’s important to know that the OVO Charge app will instruct your EV to start and stop charging throughout your smart charging schedule. This is to maximise use of the greenest and cheapest energy on the grid. This means that if you manually set a charging schedule in your EV or charger app, it’ll be overridden by the OVO Charge app. We recommend not setting schedules in your EV or charger app and managing all your charging in OVO Charge.

 

 

Why do I need to pay monthly for my energy to get Charge Anytime?

 

Paying monthly for your energy means we can automatically add Charge Anytime credit to your account in the first week of each month. This avoids any delays or the need for any manual adjustments to your credit amount.

 

Your smart meter also lets us track your energy usage in real-time to charge your EV. This ensures that you're always charging at the cheapest and greenest times.

 

 

Charge Anytime for Volvo and Volkswagen Group customers

 

Why do partnership customers continue to get a lower pay as you go rate of 7p per kWh?

 

The lower rate is part of the special partnerships we have with Volvo and Volkswagen Group UK. We’ve teamed up to be able to provide exclusive offers for our shared customers with specific EV models. It’s a perk that comes from our tight collaboration with these brands, and within the terms and conditions of their offers. 

 

For Volkswagen Group UK customers, the 7p pay as you go rate is part of the terms and conditions for the VWG Free Miles Offers, as agreed with Volkswagen Group (VWG). VWG includes Audi, Skoda, CUPRA and Volkswagen. Customers must have taken up a Free Miles offer and then remain on Charge Anytime pay as you go to take advantage of the offers.
 

For Volvo customers who smart charge in the Volvo Cars app, we’re not able to offer monthly plans right away. We’re working to make them available to customers as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’ve agreed with Volvo to offer this exclusive pay as you go rate for customers. 

 

 

How do I get the exclusive pay as you go partnership rate of 7p per kWh? 

 

To be eligible to receive the special partnership rate:

  • Volkswagen Group customers: If you’ve been confirmed as eligible for one of our VWG Retail or Company Car Offers, you’ll be able to keep your 7p/kWh rate for now if you stay on pay as you go. This will also mean you’ll still be eligible for your future Volkswagen Group free miles offers, like your anniversary miles.

 

You can still switch to a monthly plan if you’d prefer, but if you do, you'll lose your 7p rate and access to your future Volkswagen Group free miles offers.

 

Please note, our VWG Retail and Company Cars Offers are only available to eligible vehicles purchased before the 30 September 2025. 

 

For more information, see the full terms and conditions here.
 

  • Volvo customers: You must have an eligible model and be smart charging through the Volvo Cars app on pay as you go. Eligible models include: XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, C40 Recharge Pure Electric, EX40 or EC40. Find more details about the Volvo offer here. At this time, you won’t be able to access monthly plans. 

 

 

Why can’t I get monthly plans as a Volvo Cars app user? 

 

Monthly plans are currently only supported in the OVO Charge app.  We’re working hard with Volvo to bring monthly plans to you, and will let you know once there's an update.

 

In the meantime, you'll continue to pay 7p per kWh until monthly plans are available to you.

 

 

If you still have any questions following these, please do drop us a question below. All compatible EVs and Smart Chargers can be found here. We’ve also got a dedicated topic hub of all things Charge Anytime, so if you’re having any issues, take a look through the guides below, and if you’ve got any other questions feel free to ask our community:

 

 

Best of luck on your EV journey! And if you need any help, we’re always here.😊🔌

 

* A fixed monthly cost for all your EV charging where the home charging element is based on signing up to a chosen monthly plan and using up to the home mileage cap associated with your plan. Any mileage up to the cap you will be credited for at your home tariff rate. Mileage over the cap you will not be credited for effectively meaning you'll be charged at your home tariff rate for mileage above your plan cap. Your home tariff rate will also apply to urgent charging. The public charging element is based on using up to the annual voucher amount for public charging associated with your monthly plan, for example £120 if you were to sign up to the premium monthly plan.

334 replies

Newcomer
September 24, 2025

So would be interested to know how many customers OVO will lose over doubling the cost… Octopus here I come.

Rank 2
September 24, 2025

So would be interested to know how many customers OVO will lose over doubling the cost… Octopus here I come.

Don’t jump too soon. Octopus charge more for normal electric so it’s not a great deal. Lots of smaller unheard of companies out there offering cheaper rates. Wait and do the comparisons. Meanwhile OVO will likely see the backlash and make changes.

Rank 6
September 24, 2025

On a more general point, with OVO doing this, and I fear other suppliers will be following, its another nail in the coffin of EV sales.

The cost of a decent EV car is so huge, the only way it makes sense is for cheap EV charging rates. I never use public chargers as the cost is extortionate. 

I only have an EV because of an attractive company lease deal. Mine ends in a few months and I was already toying with purchasing a 2nd hand diesel at that time. Certainly wouldn’t buy an EV/Hybrid privately at the moment for various reasons.

Newcomer
September 24, 2025

So would be interested to know how many customers OVO will lose over doubling the cost… Octopus here I come.

Don’t jump too soon. Octopus charge more for normal electric so it’s not a great deal. Lots of smaller unheard of companies out there offering cheaper rates. Wait and do the comparisons. Meanwhile OVO will likely see the backlash and make changes.

I doubt OVO will buckle to customer complaints - they failed to back down over the withdrawal of support for Ohme charges and they've not even posted any responses to this thread. I’ve already started looking around tor another supplier

Newcomer
September 24, 2025

I have been a loyal customer of Ovo for many years but will be changing when my current contract ends.

I can’t believe that you are actively encouraging EV users to drive more miles than they normally would - your new tariff is only good for those driving in excess of 8000 miles a year. How green is that! I am retired, as many of your customers no doubt are, and therefore do not need a car for commuting purposes.

I believe this new system is in fact discriminatory and I suggest you look at it again.

 

Newcomer
September 24, 2025

if anyone else is thinking of switching then visit Electric Vehicles (EV) Energy Tariffs UK - Uswitch

Newcomer
September 24, 2025

So we try and do the right thing by us, by the environment and by our community 

 

We get the solar panels and battery installed. We switch to a petrol hybrid and soon to swap a diesel for an all electric vehicle. 

 

We try to invest in our own future and try to establish a bit of self reliance from energy production. 
 

Yet along comes our energy provider to completely swipe the rug from underneath us, despite our many years of loyalty.

 

I appreciate that all energy companies are being forced to create energy packages suitable for folk who struggle with everyday finances and there’s an ongoing debate about the use of the daily standing charge that may see energy companies face a decline in income, but when your energy provider makes post tax profits of £817m for year to 31/12/23 (which means they are soon to publish 2024s results, and in fairness 2022s results were pretty poor) then it does feel that this EV hike in prices is a little targeted at the people who are perceived to have the broadest shoulders.

 

The whole thing is frustrating and feels like a very underhand approach by OVO right now. I for one would better appreciate an open and honest approach about the reasons for the change. But they have not been provided. So instead OVO have failed to recognise the impact of this on their customers and are likely to lose many as a result. 
 

Not their finest marketing hour.
 

 

 

Rank 6
September 24, 2025

I have this vision of an OVO management huddle and brainstorming session...hey team what can we do to increase profits, I know lets increase the EV charging rate...got any ideas?…yeah keep it simple and a nice round doubling, they wont notice...team hug...great work folks, lets go on an expenses paid trip to somewhere expensive now we have all that dosh coming...right I’m off to lunch. Rachel from accounts would be proud of us.

Rank 5
September 24, 2025

Truthfully I jumped ship from OVO when I got an EV end of May. Well, as soon as I could afterwards once I was in my ‘leave without penalty’ period of my fix. I left because I didn’t like the cap of effectively 500kWh/month with the £100/month rebate limit that was imposed. I don’t need that amount of charge, but I do tend to need about 300kWh/month which didn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for longer trips etc.

People saying don’t be too eager to jump ship are right, but also being a bit too cautious. On Octopus, if you have a compatible charger or car - and most of the big name chargers are compatible - if your car is plugged in and charging ALL your electric for your house during that time is at 7p/kWh no matter the time of day. There are some caveats like time of day etc., - in reality it’s probably unlikely you’ll get cheap slots in the afternoon for example - but in broadly general terms if you work anything like normal-ish hours (basically anything other than nights) it’s likely you’ll get SOME periods during peak rate where you’ll be paying 7p. I’m currently in one myself. Plugged the car in at 18:15 and am on 7p/kWh for the whole house until 23:30 when it becomes 7p anyway until 05:30.

They do sometimes offer fixes for their EV tariffs, but they’re not always cost effective. For example I was offered one due to the October price rise. My peak p/kWh is going up by 0.3p/kWh (the 7p off peak is unchanged) and my standing charge is going up around 2.5p/day I think it was. The fix I was offered was the same increase in standing charge but the p/kWh was almost 3p more than I’m currently paying. I’m staying with the variable for now.

I was with OVO for years and was very happy with them, but their EV tariffs/treatment is seeming a little haphazard for whatever reason. Kind of throw darts at a dartboad and see what stays in.

Newcomer
September 24, 2025

Just to echo the major disappointment that is already being bandied around.

My tariff is up for renewal in October, and I'm definitely going to shop around now. Seems like they've taken a successful lesson in "how to screw over your loyal customers". A real shame, since I thought they were different...