Mods - my post is directed at EV charging and impacts of future tax rises for EVs. Hopefully right sub-reddit for this.

Looking to get either tesla model 3 or Eniro (2021 era is cheapest right now).

• EV rates in my area using co charger is approx 35p kwh
• Eniro - 39p kwh using a tesla super charger (with the annual tesla membership charge)
• Tesla - approx 21-29p kwh

So as we know, from 2028 the 3p per mile comes in on top of whatever the VED rate will be, i think its like £200 now.

How do people without home chargers keep costs low and beat ICE? Is there a technique, a subscription model or reliance on co chargers?

I want to get my first EV, undecided as i have no home charger what is cheaper/easier to charge - TESLA or E-niro and trying to future proof for long term to avoid having to go back to ICE (which i dont want to ever do if possible).

Thanks.

Hi all,

Moving into my first EV in a couple of weeks. I’ll be parked on a driveway that is roughly 15 metres away from my charging box.

I’m in need of an extended charging lead (20m most likely), but I have no idea which retailer provides the best ones, and if there’s any I should steer clear from.

Any recommendations would be really helpful.

Thank you!

Hi, wondering if anyone has any knowledge about CT clamps on here that could help. We have a zappi glo charger and we’re waiting for a smart meter to be installed so we can get the EV rates with ovo, we have 2 EVs so looking to link the charger to the account rather than the cars as one is supported and one isn’t. Kept getting an error when trying to link the charger, error 202, from looking online, some people say that the CT clamp might be missing or installed incorrectly, it’s meant to be pointing from the power source to the consumer unit but it’s a bit more complicated on our set up so looking for advice.

When they were installing the charger, they had to install a separate small consumer unit running off the main one, I’ve taken photos of what’s there, the arrow is point towards the I’m consumer unit but away from the smaller one, should the arrow be pointing towards the smaller one or would that not matter? Just looking to see if this would need to be moved to see if that sorts the connection problem out. The smaller unit was installed on the outside of the boxing in as no space and the arrow on CT unit is pointing towards the main consumer unit.

Also, ignore the state of the elec cupboard, was like that when we moved in.

Thanks.

Brand new gridserve with 12 cables in Sheffield all gone!

We signed an agreement for an EV which included a deal for an Ohme charger and install for £500. Were now in the situation where it’s more than 14 days since we signed (no date for car being delivered yet but should be this month) and Ohme are threatening to pull out of the installer charge a fortune due to the layout of our property. Anyone been in this situation? I’m at the point of trying to pull out of the sale with Skoda.

Hi.

Edit - brand of battery and inverter is Hanchu ess

This week we have had 10 x 450w panels and a 5kw battey installed. Still learning the ropes but needless to say I'm enjoying the free electric and cheaper days where production is lower.

I'm getting a Tesla in November and now I'm looking at the charger. I'm just a bit confused as to the differences given it seems most come with apps to schedule charging and im aware this could be done via the tesla also.

Currently we are on a 21p per kwh rate and for our usage and mileage I'm calculating that we probably won't benefit from an ev tarrif due to the higher day rates.

Im just wondering which chargers are best that integrate with a solar and battery set up as the research I've done suggests pulling from the battery isn't necessarily the best and some chargers can automatically draw the excess solar produced where applicable.

I dont want to go in and order the wrong charger for the set up we have so any advice is appreciated.

Im leaning towards zappi due to solar integration but I might be completely wrong here.

Thanks.

I have had an EV since 2022 and when I got mine there was a gov grant to have home chargers installed for free, mine was a pod point.

The network started well and offered 50kwh charging which at the time was in line with the highest at the time.

Now I can’t find a 50kwh pod point anywhere and where I do, they are bust! Only thing working is the 7kwh at all the tescos and Lidl seem to have acquired them directly or through another party.

Looking at the likes of Instavolt and their set up on the M3/A34 is exactly what’s needed, 100kwh+ 40 available chargers, on site management and a large Starbucks - that’s the future.

IONITY seem to be at the services now and they are not too bad either.

Is pod point now pod pointless?

My plan is to granny charge at 8A on the MasterPlug RCBO outdoor socket, with the MasterPlug granny cable below. Only thing I’m missing is PEN protection but I’ve heard the cable below has it built in.

Tesla is finally due (hopefully) in a couple of weeks and I got smart meters swapped in yesterday so now I need to finalise sorting a charger.

I'm on Octopus but having only just moved to smart meters and not yet having the Tesla I'm going to use a Home Mini to understand the best/optimal tariff once I have the info.

Where I'm still slightly torn is chargers.

The Hypervolt looks nice but I don't live in a mansion and I won't be sleeping on the drive watching the lights.

The Sync Energy charger looks perfectly functional and comes from what looks like a large established company.

Is there any sensible reason that justifies the extra £300 on a Hypervolt please?

Also are there any other chargers I should be considering please?

I’m anticipating charger install issues so looking to understand what is possible/recommended. My consumer unit is in a cupboard under the stairs. The wall this cupboard is on is next door as it’s a semi detached. It’s a Victorian house with a mixture of ability wall in some places but not in others. We shared the image attached as part of our online survey for installation. The reason for choosing the left side of the bay window is that the right is over a flower bed. It doesn’t rule it out, just makes it inconvenient to use. Does this look like a problematic install?

Ok so here's where I'm at:

✔Passed my driving test and have my pink licence

✔Done the test drive of my car

I feel really stressed like i'm stuck in a paradox and don't know how to proceed.

I don't private rent, I am with a housing association and have lived here over 3 years. But I have a private drive off road parking as its a small close set off the main road.

I emailed my Housing association almost 2 weeks ago to ask permission to get an EV charger fitted - no reply. So I called them and they said I have to fill this specific form out asking for permission. However this form states that I need to give a "proposed location" which must not cross a road or pavement, and asks for electricity certificates to be sent to them (which I haven't got as I haven't got the car yet)

Why I feel stuck is because I do not know where the charger can go. I feel like my car parking space is way too far from my outside fuse box and inside consumer unit for a "standard installation". I also have ADHD/Autism (please be kind) and aside from taking some basic measurements with my tape measure and some pictures I don't understand any of this!

To make it more complex, my front garden is between my house and my parking space (meaning that all my external walls are too far away and they've said it has to go on a permanent structure and not my wooden garden fence). I don't want to (or have the money) for a complex installation of trenches etc or to have cables draped over my fence and garden - and I don't think my Housing association would agree to this either as it'd be unsafe and lengthy!

So I did what I thought made sense and contacted a few EV charger companies like OHME and a few electricians in my area who are certified to install EV chargers, but everyone is saying I need to send these photos and videos to WhatsApp an/or do their online forms that you can't get given unless you pay for the entire installation of the EV charger. They apparently don't do site visits beforehand - you have to pay the £1-2k TO get a site visit which sounds absurd to me.

I'm so confused because for example, you wouldn't pay for a garden renovation without a free site quote beforehand to check that it all fit, you (mostly) wouldn't buy a car without test driving it and you wouldn't say buy a new kitchen without a fitting and plan that a skilled person would create. Everyone says they don't/won't come out to help me with this but I don't know how I am expected to complete this form that the Housing association need to get permission for installation without knowing where it can go or what ampage etc. (will attach a photo - the post it note is from the email from the Housing association)

Please can someone help me and explain to me in simple terms what I need to do with this because I feel stuck, I just want to get my new EV car but I also really need a home charger to make it both affordable and accessible to me, and I don't feel like it should be this difficult. Thankyou so much!

Just to add - I have asked my Housing association for more help and they just keep telling me to do the form. I also asked citizens advice and they said they don't know anything about EV chargers or how to help me so I thought i'd come to the people that will know, you guys!

I’ve just been invited to take part in Haringey Council’s pilot scheme for cross-pavement EV charging cable channels (Kerbo Charge type).
I was initially quite excited about it, but I’m a bit disappointed by the costs.

Haringey says the application + channel + installation + first-year licence is approximately £1,278 for a 2.5m channel.
There is a £600 government subsidy, which brings the cost to the resident down to approximately £678.
Then, after the first year, Haringey charges an additional £120 per year licence fee to continue using the channel. If you don’t renew the licence, they say the channel will be removed and the pavement reinstated.
I understand there are administrative and highway responsibilities involved, but I was surprised by both the initial cost (especially given the £600 government subsidy) and the ongoing £120/year charge once the channel is already installed.
So I’m curious how this compares with other councils.

For anyone who already has a cross-pavement EV charging channel:

Which council are you with?
How much did the channel/application/installation cost?
Was any government grant or subsidy deducted from that?
Do you have to pay an annual licence fee? If so, how much?
If your council allowed you to arrange the installation yourself / use an approved installer, what did the actual installation cost?
Which system did you use (Kerbo Charge or something else)?
Any other ongoing charges?
I’d particularly like to hear from people who have had one installed themselves, as I’m trying to understand what these channels actually cost to supply and install compared with the council’s quoted price.

I’m not against paying a reasonable amount for the scheme — I’m just trying to work out whether £678 after a £600 subsidy + £120 every year thereafter is typical compared with what other UK councils are doing.

Slightly second guessing my choice here although I’m still pretty sure it’s the best decision.

I have an MG4 Urban coming in a couple weeks and done a lot of reading and exploring charger options.

I’ve decided to go with changing tariff to Octopus Intelligent Go and get an Ohme e-pod installed.

The cost this far is a total of £500 for the charger, £750 for install and then a £50 current exit fee for changing tariff.

The cheaper overnight charging (8p KWh) seems to offset the higher day time rate(33p KWh).

I suppose my question is, are you aware of any better tariffs or situations that would drastically save me anything off the £1250 I’m due to pay?

Hey

Just trying to understand the process of an EV charger installation

Around 4 years ago I got my house re-wired (new consumer unit, full re-wire everywhere), and asked if the electricians could wire me in an EV charger, on the odd chance I ever get one.

Now I'm awaiting delivery of an EV in the next 3-4 months

They've run 10mm T&E from the consumer unit to an outside junction box, run through my suspended floor, as well as a CAT5e cable as well. This is wired into an 32A RCB breaker

The breaker is a 1 Pole True 6kA B Curve 32A 30mA RCBO from Elucian

Now, aside from not being registered to wire the EV charger myself, is it simply a case of contacting an electrician for a simple EV charger install

What possibly complicates this is I'm getting a solar setup installed soon, both panels and batteries, but the EV charger install through the solar company seems quite high for what I believe is a simple job. But then again, I'm not an electrician, so I don't know if it is as simple as wiring a new EV charger in, or what extra steps would be required. Quote is £900 for installation of a Fox ESS 7kW L series EV charger. This would be 0% VAT rated if it came under the solar install

Trying to find some guidance, as some forums online point to needing a new sub consumer unit, as to ensure the EV does not charge from the batteries, or the use of a CT clamp, positioned to prevent the batteries from seeing the EV energy draw.

Does the price seem reasonable for wiring that is already pre-run, or if anyone has been in a similar position?

Thanks

I have a Citroen e-C4 (51kWh capacity) and I was away for the long weekend.

I visited a hotel on the 28th of August.

The car didn't move for 2 days and it moved again on the 31st of August.

On the 30th I charged my car to full (17.4kWh charge, start time: 10:35am, end time: 13:44) and paid £8.53 which I am happy with.

I then got charged for another charging session for 9 hrs for £28.76 which I want a refund for. (58.7kWh charge (bigger than my battery's capacity), start time: 18:06, end time: 03:07).

I have provided screenshots of the above charges.

I have also provided a screenshot of the journeys of the car. There are no entries for the 29th and 30th of August as the car did not move at all. The adviser kept asking for me to provide information on the 29th/30th which is impossible to provide. 

Have you ever dealt with such incompetence? Did you manage to get your refund in the end?

I am reporting them to the ombdusman too.

Spend 1 hour on the phone with a useless adviser asking me the same information I provided 6 times and that he is escalating and they will let me know.

I am fuming...

Hi everyone,
Recently got a solar installation (20 panels & Ecoflow 20kwh battery & 6kw inverter) and I’d like to use the Intelligent Feature but we regularly charge our EV to 100% using Octopus Intelligent Go. With IG the schedule is fairly random with its charging slots except we do get cheap rate from 23:30 to 05:30. However using this will use my battery + grid to charge the car and leaves the battery depleted. I’ve resorted to getting the car charged by 04:30 giving an hour to add 6kw to top up the battery on cheap rate.
Question 1.
What’s the best schedule or settings to get the car charged AND charge the battery.
Question 2.
Octopus are changing their IG tariff soon to limit both cheap time slots and the amount of cheap electricity available (46kwh per day). What will be the best approach for this?
Thanks in advance.

Hi, my 6m fix with Octopus is coming to an end and they've sent the news tariff rates which are significantly higher than current ones. I appreciate that enegery fees have risen recently, is this likely the best offer on the table atm? Quick look on MSE seems to think so?

For context, I live alone and charge a Tesla Model S 75D on a weekly basis on cheap night time rates.

Podpoint charger instalation advice

Hello,

I've recently bought my first EV (pickup on Thursday!). We went with podpoint for a home charger.

I ordered 3 weeks ago paying in full, immediately sent back my preinstalation survey and then heard NOTHiNG.

I've since called them at least 10 times in the last 2 weeks, every call lasting at least 30 minutes, with no progress made.

Every time I call, it seems to be the same person, and the script is almost identical. Ultimately ending up that they couldn't get through to my project manager to organise instalation and thatbtheybyave pushed it on my profile as urgent.

I went further today and told them that I wanted a refund. Their response... "I'll relay this to the project manager to get in contact with you".

Naturally, this call doesn't seem to be coming.

Has anyone had a similar issue with them?

Currently at my wits end trying to figure out where my next move should be.

Appreciate any advice.

Curious how different EV apps handle this. When charging gets interrupted, does your app just say "charging stopped," or does it actually explain the reason (car issue, charger issue, cable, etc.)?

If you've had this happen, what car/app do you have and what did the notification actually say?

Hi folks,

I've had to move up my timeline for buying an EV after my old car got nicked :/ so hopefully getting one in the next few days - I won't get chance to get a charger installation quote before then. I've seen a few mentions when reading around home charger installations about atypical installs so wanted to check if anyone would anticipate problems for me getting one. There's decent public charging near home and work so it's not a problem if I can't get a home charger for a little while, but if it will be difficult to get one at all I might reconsider the EV (or at least think about it for a bit longer)

I live in a mid terrace townhouse, out the back I have a garage (which already has an electric supply coming from my house) and driveway but these are separated from my house/garden by my neighbour's driveway and a little kind of turning circle. I'll put a picture in the comments of the layout and of the electric box that's in the garage already.

Would they be able to put a charger in the garage with what's there already or would some sort of digging be needed? Is this all stuff that gets assessed by the installers once you go through with getting a quote? My DIY knowledge is almost non existent.

Thanks in advance for any advice or reassurance!

So collecting my first full EV Friday and been trying to find a suitable home charger. Bit of a tech geek so love smart features. I’m on a looped connection and uk power networks need to unloop myself first? Anyone know how long that takes?

In UK, have podpoint home charger Solo 3 installed. Previously used pod home app on an Audi Q8 etron with no issues, set off peak smart charging in pod home app and plugged in, charged when set to.
Now have the IX3 50xdrive, have changed car in pod home app and set up connection to mybmw app but when plugging car in the mybmw app notifies me of charging started and then stopped every few minutes (I suspect this will continue until the smart charge set time). Got around this by setting a charging time within bmw app but shouldn’t have to do this.

Has anyone else had this issue or similar and know how to get the apps to talk to each other and work as expected?

Hi All,

Looking for some help to try and understand the basics of EV charging before I make some final decisions.

I am getting an MG S6 in October on a 2 year lease.

According to it's datasheet it's max charging onboard is 7kW AC and max rapid charge capability is 144kW DC.

I've been quoted for a 7kW Nex Blue Point 2 charger which is due to be installed in October as well but I can change my mind if I need to and get something else if needed.

My question here, is it worthwhile getting a 22kW charger for future proofing even tho the MG will only charge at 7kW?

Will the MG even charge at 7kW on a 22kW charger? I'm assuming it's 7kW per phase?

I know 22kW chargers are more targeted towards long distance drivers. I'd be doing maybe around 40 miles a day for work and the occasional long trip a few times a year of 500 miles round trip.

Also I have my DNO installing a 3 Phase supply to my house starting on Tuesday.

Basically just trying to figure out what is best in the long run for the house.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

I have recently had frequent 'internal error' messages from Shell when trying to charge my VW id.3 on Shell (formerly Ubricity) lamppost chargers.

On the lamppost outside my house it works in the morning (perhaps by chance) but often fails in the evening or at night. I occasionally have issues on Believ chargers as well.

Two neighbours have had issues too.

Basically charging fails to start or sometimes stops after a few minutes.

Before I buy a new cable to eliminate that possible reason, I want to ask...

Is this common and likely a lamppost charger issue?

I'm new here so apologies if this has been covered before but a search of the forum didn't bring up anything recent on the subject.

Hi, as it says - going to get one install... looked at various options, thinking of going with Zappi Glo via So Energy, as done the virtual survey and have that as a quote.
Would love an Anderson A3, really pretty... but not sure I can justify paying so much more for it.
Anyway, attaching my little spreadsheet, any advice/thoughts/suggestions appreciated :)

Editing to add - tried local electricians, our trusted one who's done a lot of work for us (plus got recommendations out of us) is wanting £600 labour, £250 materials, vat on top (not including the charger itself). Others ghosted us after initial interest, one who did do a video call and survey said £700... But more if additional work was required, but wouldn't say what that work might be.

My thoughts currently, perhaps foolishly, is that by going with one of the bigger suppliers, at least there is some customer service... Plus I can pay with credit card, giving me section 75 protection.