Smart charging

Smart charging refers to a system where an electric vehicle and a charging station share a data connection. This allows you to optimize your charging based on electricity prices, grid carbon intensity, and your own energy needs.

1. How Smart Charging Works

A smart charger communicates with your energy supplier and the national grid. Instead of charging as soon as you plug in, the charger “waits” for the best time to start.

  • User Input: You tell the charger’s app when you need the car to be ready (e.g., “80% charge by 7:00 AM”).
  • Supplier Input: The supplier provides the current electricity price.
  • Optimization: The charger schedules the charging sessions to occur during the cheapest windows while ensuring your car is ready by your deadline.

2. Benefits of Smart Charging

  • Significant Cost Savings: By shifting your charging to off-peak hours (e.g., 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM), you can save hundreds of pounds per year.
  • Lower Carbon Footprint: The grid is usually cleanest at night when wind power provides a higher proportion of total energy.
  • Grid Stability: By avoiding peak times (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM), you help prevent the grid from becoming overloaded.
  • Battery Health: Some smart features allow you to limit charging to 80% to prolong the life of your vehicle’s battery.

3. Time-of-Use (TOU) Tariffs

To get the most out of smart charging, you should switch to a specific EV tariff.

  • Fixed Off-Peak: Tariffs like “Octopus Intelligent” or “British Gas Electric Driver” offer a very low fixed rate during specific night-time hours.
  • Agile/Dynamic: Tariffs where the price changes every 30 minutes based on wholesale costs. In some cases, prices can even go negative, meaning you get paid to charge your car.

4. Solar Integration

If you have solar panels, “solar-aware” smart charging allows you to:

  1. Solar Tracking: Automatically adjust the charging speed to match the amount of excess solar energy your roof is generating.
  2. Zero-Cost Driving: On sunny days, you can effectively charge your car for free using 100% renewable energy.

Smart Charging Regulations: Since 2022, all new home chargers in the UK must have a default “off-peak” charging schedule and a randomized delay to prevent millions of cars from starting to charge at the exact same second, which would cause a massive spike in grid demand.

5. Getting Started

  1. Install a Smart Charger: Ensure your unit is compatible with your chosen energy tariff.
  2. Download the App: Use the manufacturer’s app to set your “Ready By” time.
  3. Sync with your Car: Some suppliers (like Octopus) can talk directly to your car’s software, providing even more precise control.