Green tech & greener living

Ok so this seems to be a problem with Audis after doing some research. I have a project ev charger and after doing through all the options I can’t get the app to charge via the smart charge. So annoying. You connect it to the car, the app says it’s connected you tell it when you want it charged by and it does nothing all night. Even when you press for an urgent charge it doesn’t work. Contacted the support email, not much help to be honest. Anyone sorted this problem out?

Hi, I have been very happily using Charge Anytime with my Tesla for the past 2 years. My son is now also planning to get a Tesla but under a lease scheme. I believe he would have his Tesla account linked by the Lease company as a driver of the vehicle. The limitation on adding a second Tesla to your Charge Anytime account is you have to use the same Tesla account. Can this be achieved if the Tesla account I’m currently using is identified as a driver of the leased Tesla? I think added drivers get access to most features so I’m hoping this would work. Can anyone confirm this? Unfortunately I only have an older Hypervolt V2 charger so that’s not yet compatible with Charge Anytime. Many Thanks Rob

Hi I have an appointment on Friday to change THTC meter to new Smart economy 10. I'm worried it may not be the best option for me.I have a very old storage heater in lounge .I'm worried as I usually charge these at night for longer periods than the split economy 10 times.Is it likely they will ever be able to get warm enough to provide enough heat? I do intend to purchase a new storage heater at some point but can't at the moment. I know economy 7 may be an option but we are normally in alot though the day so Ovo thought economy 10 suited me better. Any advice is appreciated as very confused in what to do. Thanks

As an ‘Oldtimer’, a bit challenged re scanning the market for tariffs best suited for my ground source heat pump - for which Economy 10 has been the best so far.Requiring one overnight off-peak period and one daytime off-peak period, have OVO introduced any alternatives to Economy 10. As Heat Pumps (especially Ground Source) are likely to continue as ‘top of the league’, I hope OVO will be offering tariffs which will help retain existing customers. What’s the current status, please. Cheers

I have an Aclara SGB 1312 smart meter which says it works with Zigbee HAN 2.4 GHz Supporting SEP V1.2 HAN and WAN. I also have a ZigBee 3.0 Gateway Hub. Can I pair them? I am aware of in-home displays (IHD) that would connect to the Aclara (e.g. the Ivie Bud), but they are stand-alone. If I can connect to my home network, perhaps there is an app that would manage the Aclara? Sources https://hubbellcdn.com/brochure/SGM1300-Residential-Smart-Energy-Meter-Brochure-Aclara.pdf https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gateway-Wireless-Control-Compatible-Devices/dp/B095CBM1VG https://ivie.co.uk/compatibility/

My smart meter was installed yesterday at 7.40 this morning my electric usage was 42p & gas usage was 28p. Even taking into account fridge/freezer, broadband, TV’s on standby overnight 42p electric seems high. The gas at 28p is a bigger mystery as no gas was used overnight (heating is off at the moment). Does some of the cost include a daily standing charge? Can anyone shed any light on this please?

We left OVO at the end of last week but I now seem to be stuck with the OVO Anytime tarrff configured on my Ohme ePod charger. I’ve called Ohme, who say I need to speak to OVO, who say I need to speak to Ohme - it seems neither is sure how to remove the tariff, so I can go ahead and set up a new tariff with my new supplier. Has anyone here experienced this before, or know how to get this resolved? (Until its fixed I fear I’m either not going to be able to charge my EV at home at all, or wont be able to get the best rates from my new supplier)

We’re considering getting solar panels and battery from Ovo (we’re existing customers). Does anyone who’s already gone down this road have any thoughts - good or bad - on how it’s going for them? Thanks!

Given that there’s a number of organisations including OVO who are promoting solar PV systems, I thought it might be useful to note a few things about my own journey so far. We had solar panels installed in early 2012 Preparing for the install and more recently added battery storage. Retrofit Inverter for battery storage The systems mostly look after themselves but we’ve found support and expertise difficult to find. Our original installer moved out of the industry and so although we were able to get initial queries answered, any follow up from other suppliers has not been straightforward. No understanding of any equipment apart from those they install themselves, difficulty in matching different parts of the system when wanting any additional equipment, and a lack of technical understanding in the technology space of measurement and monitoring. Dual panel array facing East and West To be clear, we have not had any operational problems with the original equipment installed and it shows no signs of reduced performance or reliability. Given that has already given over 10 years of generation and more than paid back on the investment, we would certainly recommend having a solar installation if you can. The batteries are another notch along, giving support through much of the year and providing full evening coverage for many months in a busy household. They do require a close look at costs vs returns but as there is a high desire to be as self-sufficient as possible, I would suggest that they are worth the additional cost, even if provisioned for a later install. You find that you tend to watch generation and consumption and dislike the feed back to the grid (however useful that might be to the network as a whole), and so batteries can significantly help with self consumption. The latest technology has made improvements in efficiency and I expect this to continue but as with all similar innovation, a timely decision is useful, otherwise opportunities can be missed. Our general advice would be: • Ask for recommendations from other people from your installer. • Determine your general max kw peaks so that your system can support most of the demands of your household. • Ensure you get an approved MCS installer so that they can provide full documentation needed. • Provision for a system upgrade path if possible. If for some reason fitting is out of the question for your property, consider other options which include community power sources. This option also allows the financial returns to move with you should you have the need.

I've just switched to OVO and was told that we could have a smart meter installed, but since then I haven't heard anything further. I am concerned because our meter isn't in our flat, it is in a communal cupboard to which I don't have access. I'm worried I won't be able to read the meter regularly if we can't get a smart meter. Has anyone had experience of this?

Does anyone else have a Project EV charger and uneventfully using the Project EV app? For over a year that's what I did, got home plugged car in and the timer set in my car (Nissan Leaf e+) used the off peak electricity kindly provided to me by OVO. A few weeks back Project EV sent an email suggesting I migrate to Electric Miles, which I did. Setup wasn't straightforward, but it was manageable, however its reliability causes anxiety. Now when I plug in I don't know if I'll wake to a night without charge, like this morning. I went to the Electric Miles app and it's asking me to add a charger (already done, more than once). To be fair, their Support does respond, but not always with a solution. Some replies have been to the effect of stating awareness of a problem and working on it. Is it just me?

Hi, i have a BMW I4, a company car, and i need to enter the actual kwh into my company app for business mile reimbursement. I have been using 7p as this is the charge anytime rate but when i calculated the actual reimbursement i have had over the last 3 months it averages, each month, to 10p / kwh so less reimbursement than i was expecting. I was expecting a reimbursement per charging session of 16.44p (23.44p - 7p) to take me to 7p actual. I don’t have the override feature enabled so i was surprised by this. Anyone else see this? thanks for any help!

Hi All, I'm pretty sure that I signed up for a boiler cover offer at the end of 2023 but for the life of me cannot find any details regarding service. Where is the best place to look or people to contact? Thank you...

I have my EV signed up to Ovo charge. I have the App, I have the card but how does on use it!I’ve had a very stressful day trying to use public charging and had to resort to first downloading those charger Apps but failing to get them to work and eventually just using my debit card with still some difficulty! In fact it was an octopus customer who rescued me by simply holding his octo card to the contactless and it going right through thank god. I’m now fully charged to journey home. do I just hold it to the contact point? Like a debit card? I’m such a noob to this so clueless without instructions

The Leaf isn’t on the list of vehicles that OVO says is compatible with their systems. Does anyone know why? I’m asking as I have a smart meter, a smart charger (not one of the ones OVO recommends) and solar panels and was hoping to benefit from the V2G when is is fully up and running..

Updated on 07/02/25 by Abby_OVO Do you have a compatible electric vehicle for Charge Anytime? Then you’ll need the Charge Anytime app (for Android here , for Apple here ). The app will ask for an email address, you can use single-sign on with Google or sign in with Apple. You’ll then be asked to set your home location. Drop a pin where the charger is, or as close as you can get it. Finally, the app will ask you for your vehicle manufacturer’s app username and password. This will give Charge Anytime the permission to tell the car the best times to charge. Then you’re set up! You can add more cars in the Account tab. To use Charge Anytime just set the ‘Ready By’ time on the clock face of the app, plug the car in and leave it until the time that you’ve set. Avoid setting any other instructions on your vehicle or charger. Just set the ‘Ready By’ time in Charge Anytime and leave it until the time you’ve set. Check out the Charge Anytime FAQs or Charge Anytime page for more information, or see out helpful Charge Anytime topic hub below: Got a compatible smart charger instead? Check out this handy topic for more on how to set up your charger:

I have 8 panels producing 2.38kwh. Previously there were 2 1.1kw inverters which started playing up. My system was under guarantee and they said we will provide you with a single 3kw inverter. Is this OK as my system seems to be producing less or could it be that we have less sun at the moment where I am in England.

I am an OVO customer and have been running a heat pump for almost two years, so am really disappointed that existing account holders with heat pumps are not able to benefit from the heat pump plus tariff. Are OVO going to extend the tariff to existing heat pump users any time soon or is this yet another instance of existing OVO customers with heat pumps being disadvantaged for already doing what OVO wants householders to do - install a heat pump - but just not an OVO heat pump?

Hi. I am a bit concerned that, even though I have a smart meter, someone from Morrisons called to read my meter. I thought having a smart meter obviated having someone call to the house. Fortunately my daughter was at my house at the time as, if I had been on my own, it would have made me very uncomfortable.

Hi all, I’m a newbie to EVs and have just plugged my car into my Hypervolt Home Pro 3 and set my ready by time to 8pm this evening. The Charge Anytime app is displaying a status message of “Planning your next charge” but I’m curious how long this should be in this status and I’m wondering how soon it’ll start to charge the car. Any help would be warmly welcomed. Thanks.

Updated on 21/02/2025 by Bradley_OVO We've been working with Hypervolt over the past few months to improve the Charge Anytime partnership with the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro and Hypervolt Home 3.0. The trial was a success, which means we are thrilled to officially launch this feature with full Hypervolt compatibility. You can take advantage of all the benefits of Charge Anytime with your Hypervolt charger. See our full list of compatible EVs and chargers here . Since we launched the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro, we've been working with Hypervolt to make the charger compatible with Charge Anytime. And now we have some exciting news! Who is Hypervolt? Hypervolt is a UK-based manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. They focus on powerful software, design, and user experience. They also have a Trustpilot score of 4.9/5, so we know you’ll be getting one of the best EV charging experiences around. What are they offering? The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro EV charger is now compatible with Charge Anytime – in a trial phase. That means any customers with a Hypervolt charger can add Charge Anytime to their OVO energy plan – even without a compatible EV. Because the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro charger is in a trial phase, it might not have all the Charge Anytime features yet. Check our Charge Anytime trial terms page to find out what you can expect. You can also customise your Hypervolt charger. You can choose from 3 cable lengths up to 10m, and 3 colour options – so you can personalise the charger to suit your home and lifestyle. Find out more here . What’s Charge Anytime? It’s our smart charging add-on, that gives you smart charging for 7p per kWh – that’s under 2p per mile 1 – at any time of the day or night. Our clever tech means you’ll always charge when the grid is cheapest and greenest 2 . So it’s better for your wallet, and the planet too. To be eligible for Charge Anytime, you’ll need to: Have a compatible electric vehicle or EV charger Be an OVO customer, on any OVO energy plan Have a smart meter that's opted in to sending half-hourly readings Have an iOS or Android phone Have an EV charger* installed at your home Where can I find more information and sign up? For full information about Hypervolt and Charge Anytime head to our website at https://www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/smart-charger/hypervolt . The 2p a mile claim is based on an EV customer driving the UK average of 7,000 miles at an average of 4 miles per kWh. The Charge Anytime add-on rate on 01/01/2024 is 7p per kWh. Actual sum per mile is 1.75p. Individual costs will vary based on your vehicle efficiency and driving style. Our smart tech aims to charge your car when the grid has more renewable energy in it, within the time you’ve set. Meaning it’s less likely your EV will be charged by energy from fossil fuels. To be eligible for the trial you must have a Hypervolt Home 3 Pro or Hypervolt Home 3.0. Please note, the Hypervolt Home 3.0 charger model isn't available to be purchased and installed through OVO. Terms and conditions apply.

Updated on 07/02/25 by Abby_OVO We’ve reached capacity for Heat Pump Plus with Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan heat pumps for now. Register your interest and we’ll let you know when we are accepting new customers again. Our Heat Pump Plus add on is now compatible with Mitsubishi heat pumps. And it could save you up to £210 off your heating bills per year compared to a gas boiler. We're only opening this launch to 100 of our customers who have a Mitsubishi heat pump. What is Heat Pump Plus? It’s our heat pump add-on that lets you power your heat pump for less, at 15p per kWh. You’ll pay one rate for the electricity your home uses and a cheaper rate for the electricity your heat pump uses. You can save up to £210 off your heating bills per year compared to a gas boiler. What do I need to be eligible? To be eligible for Heat Pump Plus with a Mitsubishi heat pump, you’ll need: A Mitsubishi heat pump with an active MelCloud account (you can do this by downloading the MelCloud app) The internet module on the unit must be connected to your wifi ( Mitsubishi can help with this if it’s not already set up) Your Mitsubishi heat pump model must have a compatible internet module which is available on all models since 2015 If you're not with OVO yet but want to take part, you'll need to switch over. You can get a quote here if you’re not already with us, all you’ll need to do is switch over and then we can set up the Heat Pump Plus add-on. To check full eligibility to Heat Pump Plus, or if you have a heat pump from a different manufacturer, you can fill out the eligibility checker here .

Hi all, So I’ve joined the Power Move Flex with Charge Anytime. I’m looking for clarity on what constitutes a session. For every 3 hours is a session but if I plugged in for 6 hours does that count as 1 or 2 sessions? Wondering if I would need to unplug and replug in day every few hours or at least every day or can I leave it constantly plugged in, if for example I didn’t use the car for a few days. thank you

Hi, hope that you can help. We had solar panels fitted yesterday with a battery. i downloaded and setup the solis cloud app. This shows when the battery is charging or discharging but does not show any love input from the panels or the grid. Though in the case of the grid it shows an overall input amount. Do I need to play with the settings? Or have the sensors not been correctly set up? TIA.

Hi, I had my smart meters installed yesterday lunchtime, this morning my IHD tells me I used a combined gas and electric totalling over £25!! there is no way this is correct. My daughter had a shower this evening for 5 minutes and the electric cost went up on the IHD by £5.....anyone else having these unusual readings? its worrying me as my bill is going to be massive!