A smart home charging solution for the cheapest EV charging tariff
The Ohme Home Pro Smart Charger and the Intelligent Octopus tariff work together to give you the smartest, greenest, and cheapest EV charging tariff, and now come as part of the ultimate EV package.
Using clever tech from KrakenFlex, the Ohme Home Pro charger and Intelligent Octopus tariff are now fully integrated. In non-techy language, that means you automatically get the most charge for the least amount of money when you combine the power of both.
What is an EV energy tariff?
The clue's in the name! Intelligent Octopus is one of many energy tariffs that cater to customers charging their EV at home with their own home charger.
Charging an EV is different from using electricity for other devices in that it’s using electricity when you're NOT using it. So you can automate it to charge when it suits you, and when the cost of energy is cheapest and greenest, usually at night.
Is it cheaper to charge an EV at night?
It depends on the type of tariff you're on.
Many tariffs offer a single flat rate regardless of the time of day. This means charging an EV at night on these tariffs wouldn't be cheaper than charging in the day as the price is the same.
But new innovative tariffs are now offering time-of-use rates, meaning the price can change throughout the day/night. Generally, this will be based on how much demand there is for electricity. Energy will be cheaper during 'off-peak' times when fewer people are using electricity but supply is still high (mostly when we're asleep!).
This is great for EV charging as customers can schedule their cars to be powered up during the cheap 'off-peak' period overnight while they sleep.
How does Intelligent Octopus make energy cheaper?
Intelligent Octopus is both a tariff and a smart app that work together to charge your car super cheaply. Together with the Ohme Pro Smart Charger, which comes installed for free with the ultimate EV package, you set your charging level and the time you want to charge via the Intelligent Octopus app.
Simply plug in, brush your teeth, go to bed, and Octopus will work out the best time to charge your car, making sure it only uses the cheapest and greenest electrons.
Typically, it will schedule to charge your car during the fixed 6 hour off peak cheap rate at 10p/kwh from 11:30pm to 5:30am which your whole house can take advantage of, including your electric toothbrush.
And it gets even smarter than that. If we're having a very sunny and windy day on a Friday at 12 in the afternoon and the wind turbines and solar panels are just bursting with cheap green energy - you won’t miss out. Intelligent Octopus will always schedule a charge when the cheapest and greenest energy is available. Clever.
For now, the smart scheduling only works for charging EVs, but your whole house does get 6 hours of cheap energy every night! In the not-too-distant-future, Intelligent Octopus will eventually be able to work with lots of home devices, like heat pumps.
But what if I need my car sooner? All sorted in the app - do a ‘Bump Charge’ whenever you need it and your car will automatically start charging. If this falls outside of the off-peak period, you will only access the standard rate. As easy as setting your morning alarm.
Show me the money - how much can I actually save by charging my EV on Intelligent Octopus?
The off-peak rate is 10p/kwh, and average day rate 42p/kWh (depending on your postcode).
As an extra treat, you also get 4,000 free miles when you switch to Intelligent Octopus. Which is nearly 5 months’ worth of free charge for most drivers.
If you want the exact numbers for your area find your day rate and standing charge here.
How do I sign up to get intelligent, green, and cheap EV charging?
You need to do a few things before we get your EV rolling.
- Join the gang at Octopus Energy. Intelligent Octopus is exclusive to Octopus Energy customers. If you're not already in, join here.
- Get a smart meter we can connect to. If you already have one, check your Octopus Energy account to see if it’s compatible. If you don’t already have one, Octopus will install a smart meter at no extra cost. Read more about getting a smart meter installed with Octopus.
- Download the Octopus Energy app. This is where you find it all: get set up, switch tariffs and control your smart charging.
- Register your car or charger and get ready to charge! Use the app to register your car or charger, set your charging preferences and hit ‘Bump Charge’ if you need to charge right away.
Want more info on Intelligent Octopus? Read our Intelligent Octopus FAQs
