Should I stay with OVO if I buy an EV?

​@Scarborough Ken Congratulations on getting an EV. They are amazing and even after four years I still marvel at the fact that I've got one 

I would take the public charging in stages.

1)  Go and get an App called Zapmap as that will show you where public chargers are.

2) Have a look on the web for reliable types of chargers and using Zapmap find these in your area. Mine are Osprey, Mer, Pod Point and Genie Point. Ignore the last one as they can be temperamental but are reliable if you have an RFID card.

3) Learn about RFID cards.

4) Go to a site that is run a reliable operator. If you have chosen Osprey don't pass out when you realise they charge 82p/kWh. On the plus side there will be no queues.

5) Do a test charge for a few minutes. You can use a credit/debit card for this. Practice a few times with sites run by different operators. Everyone will have different procedures and screens. Get used to that. Take your own coffee and wear waterproofs if it is wet. Charge points don't come with a handy shop or roof. Enjoy the fact that well over 90% of your charging is going to be at home.

6) Ask about using your credit instead of cash. I'll try and find a link for you but someone else might remember where that cropped up before.

Enjoy your EV. Motoring reborn!

Peter

Watch out moving. I’ve been with OVO for years and am EV user for over 2. I was looking to move to octopus but they have just capped their 7p rate at 6 hours max. 
 

that will only get you 42kwh charge. For me a few days I need a full charge so the extra 40kwh on my 82kwh battery will be at 31p. So it’s still cheaper with OVO. 
 

there are still other options though. Scottish power offer a charge anytime option at 9p 

Thanks very much Peter and Bob? There’s some really useful tips there. Much appreciated. 
Ken

elp  ​@Scarborough Ken

I think this is the thread that answers your question.

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/electric-vehicles-166/charge-anywhere-will-credit-in-wallet-be-used-when-charging-20616

Have a read through and see if it does answer your question. If not or you have other questions then please come back on here. We will always try to help. I have an EV but I'm not with OVO or have Charge Anytime so I can't help out with detailed stuff with that but general EV stuff is fine.

Peter

Exactly as I’ve been saying would happen for several weeks. I knew that would happen, but alas a lot of folks didn’t seem to listen… All IOG has now done is basically reinvent Economy 7 at this point…

As for SP? Be warned - their customer service and platform has not been top tier in recent years. Caveat Emptor applies...

Hey ​@Scarborough Ken 

Best of luck on your EV journey! I’ve added an EV badge to your profile now.

I’m glad to see a few of our users have already stopped by with some helpful advice and PeterE linked to that helpful topic link about using the public charging credit.

Do let us know how you get on and if you’ve got any other questions.😊

Thanks very much to everyone who responded to my post. It’s been a steep learning curve and I still haven’t used public charging yet. 
However your responses have given me some confidence and I’m not frightened by it. 
Kind Regards, Ken

​@Scarborough Ken 

I did the first charge for my car coming back from the dealer (a fair distance away) in order to get back home so it was something that had to work and I had no prior experience. It went well. Almost.

The car did complain that the charging had stopped unexpectedly so the answer to that is to tell the car you want to stop not the charger. The car will also unlock the plug and the charger will just assume that the session has ended when you pull the plug from the car and tell you how much energy it has given you (kWh) and how much it was.

I would go on to YouTube and find some videos on charging basics for both DC (outside) and AC at home. That familiarity of knowing what to expect goes a long way to improving confidence when you first try it. The other thing I found is that your fellow EVers would probably be only too happy help you do that first charge. Try a place with lots of chargers. You will be among friends. We still think of ourselves as EV pioneers.

Happy charging

Peter 

​@Scarborough Ken 

I've found a good video for you to watch for the basics of EV charging. Covers all three types of connector and what they are used for. The actual practical demo starts just about the two minute mark.

youtube.com/watch?v=Ajrmw2jTdHM

Peter 

Hi Guys

I’m sorry if this is bit long winded but I’m trying to be accurate.
I have a Kia EV3. 
I also have a MyEnergie Zappi 2.1 home charger installed which is on the approved list. 
I have signed up for OVO Charge and I have the app. 
I have just charged my car at home for the second time. 
Can I ask a couple of questions please?
When I plug my car into the charger I enable the charger with my access code. 
The charger screen shows ‘vehicle not charging’ but I have an option to start charging by pressing one of the external button on the charger. 
I have done this and the charging process starts and runs continuously until the car is charged to my set level of 80%. 
Is this correct?
I expected to see the car charge periodically during the night leading up to my ‘ready by’ time of 7.30am rather than charge continuously. 
My OVO Charge app shows a smart charge on both occasions but as the Zappi charges continuously from the moment I plug in my car I’m wondering whether everything is working as it should?
In particular I wonder whether I should just plug my charger into the car and then simply leave it and not select the option to start the charge?
I would be glad of your advice.

Thanks again to everyone. This forum has been great for this EV novice. 
Best Regards

Ken