Smart Charging and Electricity Tariffs

AUTOMOTIVE · GLOBAL

Smart Charging and Electricity Tariffs

Why timing matters, time-of-use tariffs, managed charging and battery habits

When an electric car charges matters almost as much as how much it costs, both for your bill and for the network.

Why timing matters

Electricity demand peaks in the early evening, which is exactly when most people plug in after work. Shifting charging to overnight uses cheaper, cleaner generation and avoids adding to that peak.

Most cars charge overnight in a few hours, so there is rarely a reason to start immediately on arriving home.

Time-of-use tariffs

Tariffs with a cheap overnight window make home charging dramatically cheaper than public charging or petrol. The saving is typically the largest single financial benefit of driving electric.

Check the standing charge and the daytime rate too, since a low night rate can be offset by an expensive day rate if you are home during the day.

Scheduling

Set the schedule in the car or in the charger rather than remembering to plug in late. Setting it in both occasionally causes conflicts, so pick one and use it consistently.

Managed charging

Some networks and suppliers offer schemes that adjust charging to grid conditions in exchange for a lower rate. Check what control you keep and whether you can override it before an early start.

Smart chargers sold in the UK must meet regulations on default off-peak charging and randomised start times.

Public charging costs

Rapid charging on a motorway costs several times a cheap home overnight rate, which is why home charging is the main saving. Work out pence per kilowatt hour and the car's consumption to get a cost per mile.

Check network apps and prices before a long journey rather than at the charger.

Solar

Charging from your own solar generation is the cheapest electricity available, and it requires the car to be home during the day. Some chargers do this automatically from surplus generation.

Home charger features

Scheduling, load management, solar integration and a clear app matter more than the headline power, since most cars cannot use more than 7kW at home anyway.

Check whether the charger keeps working if the manufacturer's servers go offline, which has happened.

Renting and flats

Get written permission before any installation, and check local schemes for on-street charging and cable gullies.

Running costs overall

Work out pence per mile from your tariff and the car's real consumption in kilowatt hours per hundred miles, which varies considerably in winter. That figure is what to compare against fuel.

Servicing and tyres are the other ongoing costs, and electric cars are heavier on tyres.

Battery habits

Charging to around eighty percent for daily use and avoiding long periods at very high or very low charge extends battery life.

Preconditioning while plugged in uses mains power rather than the battery.

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