Should I stay with OVO if I buy an EV?

Hey ​@Scarborough Ken,

Never apologise for asking questions as this is for the community are here for! 

The world of electric vehicles can be a bit of a learning curve, but don't worry—I'm here to help you find the information you need!

From my research, it seems the behavior you're seeing with your charger is normal. Zappi has a handy lock function to prevent any accidental or unauthorised use. Just enter your PIN to verify your access, and then press the corresponding button to unlock it and start charging.

Also, take a moment to check if you’re using any boost function; it can bypass  Charge Anytime and the savings you might be looking to enjoy. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

You can take a look on this support page it gives more information on the lock function - https://support.myenergi.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5768755331217-How-to-set-a-local-PIN-code-on-my-zappi

Thanks very much Chris. That’s reassuring and helpful. 
Ken

Thanks Peter. Very useful. 
Also I managed to speak to the Ovo Charge team and they were able to confirm that my home charging sessions were recorded as smart charging sessions so it looks like I was just lucky that I plugged in to charge when grid usage was appropriate. 
A supplementary question please. 
I have the Ovo Charge app and card. 
I have needed to use public charging a couple of times. Using the app I arrived at the charger but on presenting the Ovo charge card it was not recognised so I completed the charge without. 
Could someone explain the process for me please so I can use my Ovo Charge card when away from home. Is the card an RFID card?

Electroverse seems to have a good app so I was wondering if it might be worth setting up an account with them but I want to avoid multiple apps and cards if possible. 
I’d be glad to hear some real world stories about public charging. 
Thanks again everyone. 
Ken 

Hey ​@Scarborough Ken 

Glad to hear you were able to have the confirmed by the team.

In regards to your question about the card, it is an RFID card, there’s a little more about this in the terms and conditions, but I’ve quoted from them below;

‘Physical RFID cards (‘Charging Cards’) are available to purchase via the app. These can be used to Charge your EV at the Charging Stations and the amounts deducted from your Charge Anywhere account.

Your Charging Card will normally take up to 10 days to arrive. You will need to activate your card before you can use it by inputting the card’s unique ID number into the app.

In the event that your card is lost or stolen you will have to order and pay for a replacement card. We won’t be liable for any unauthorised activity on your account or any loss you suffer as a result of your card being lost or stolen.’

I wonder if this following topic helps to answer the part about how the card works out and about? 

If you’re still having issues after that it may be worth contacting the team so they can help get you sorted, you can contact the team at chargeanywhere@ovo.com.