Please excuse I have just had my Givenergy commissioned so still figuring it out.
I am on Octopus Go 12:30 - 4:30 night tariff. Givernergy 2 x 9.5 KW 5kW Inverter
My batteries are set to charge between those times and will be empty tonight (sun's unlikely today).
If I charge my car (Kona EV charging at 7KWh) for those four hours also, will I get a full charge of the batteries (= 9 kW total) as well as the full 28kW for the car during that time?
Thanks
Pete Thomas Yes. Car will draw 7kWh and batteries will pull 3.7kWh, so the house will draw 10.7kWh during that time.
Yes, your house supply is more than capable of handling both at the same time. You will also be fine to run washing machine, dishwasher etc at the same time.
Although 4 hours isnt enough to fill both batteries from empty.
ProximusAl Although 4 hours isnt enough to fill both batteries from empty.
Ah, I assumed that the 5kW Inverter would allow 5Kw x 4 hours = 20, so more than enough.
Pete Thomas The battery packs can only charge at a maximum of 3.7kWh if I remember correctly.
So they can't charge at 3.7kWh each one?
I really must keep on at Octopuseto get on Their Intelligent (6 hour tariff) then - currently my car is supported.
Pete Thomas No, because its the inverter that is charging them. Two batteries are treated as one by the inverter. (So in your case a big 19kW battery). When mine charge its more like 3.2kWh too....
I should add, I have 2 x 8.2kW batteries, and I am on Intelligent Octopus Go, and the 6 hours are literally just enough to fill them from empty.....Same inverter as you.
I'd get Octopus to change your tariff - I was on Go, but got switched to Intelligent when I spoke to them. Tariff was changed the next day. Customer support is very helpful - chat with them about what you have and they'll give you the best option.
I have a similar setup.
Cpt Darling If only it was that simple... you only get Intelligent Go if your car or chargepoint is compatible, and I don't think the Kona is. And you have to hand full control of your charging over to Octopus.
A slight added complication is that Octopus can choose to give additional cheap slots outside of the usual off-peak hours, and (if the chargepoint is installed in such a way that the GE can see the load), you have to take steps to prevent the GE battery discharging into the car during those extra slots.
(Hyundai support seems to come and go - I think there were problems at one point with 12V battery getting drained due to the way it was polling for connection. I don't know the latest situation, but it doesn't seem to be offered as an integration on the Octopus app at the moment.)
Cpt Darling I'd get Octopus to change your tariff - I was on Go, but got switched to Intelligent when I spoke to them.
They won't. Wrong car, wrong charger.
However my very clever wife subscribed to the Octopus Compare app and worked out that we would be better off on Octopus Agile anyway (by about £400 p.a. ! with 14,000kWh annual usage)
DD at one point with 12V battery getting drained due to the way it was polling for connection. I don't know the latest situation,
Ours died last year. Hyundai Breakdown (via AA) diagnosed dead battery but as still in warranty they came with us to local Richmond Hyundai dealer who refused to change it for a new one then and there as they insisted their own mechanic had to verify it was faulty, even though the AA had already tested and confirmed. They would not be able to do that for three weeks and meanwhile the car was unusable as the battery would not hold a charge so we forked out for an AA approved Bosch with 5 year warranty.
I think they recently did a recall re: the 12v battery though so anyone still with a dodgy one can get that.
If you’ve got the new Gen 3 hybrid inverter and two new Gen2 9.5kW batteries mine charge at about 3.5kW total per pair and normally discharge at max 3.7kW total (but at 4.0kW total when using the “timed discharge” setting.)
So 19/3.5 = just under 5.5 hours to charge from empty to 19kW. (That is if they are both behaving and in sync.)
You said your car is supported, but if not; Is your car charger compatible with Intelligent Octopus GO? If so you can get on IOG even if the car isn’t on the list. You might find it’s a fine line between cost savings on IOG and flux. Depends if you are currently utilising the cheapest flux slots during your car charging. IOG is definitely better than your current tariff. On IOG; If you charge fully overnight at 7.5p you can always export any that’s left over at 15p/kW before 23:30.
If you go that route: Just set the cars end time (ready by time) and battery charge end time to correspond to the end of your Octopus off peak time (05:30 for IOG). Extra slots outside the cheap period are few and far between usually for us but when they are, this way they will be in the evening (when you’re awake) so you can adjust the battery charge time to start earlier. As long as it’s one block it’s fairly easy. Otherwise you have to monitor and/ or just use the pause play quick buttons. We’ve had about 2 slots outside the core 6 hours in 4 months (we usually plug in every night and charge to 80% from a minimum of about 25%).
On the rare occasions we need more car charge than that we may generate an extra slot. But it’s so infrequent it’s not really an issue. And you’ll be awake at the time because you just plugged the car in to generate the charging schedule!
Oh, and 6 hours off peak means you only have to survive on battery power for 18 hours instead of 20. So highly likely much less peak grid use in winter.
Maybe you might have to bite the bullet and swap to an IO compatible car charger to get the full potential out of your current set up? All the important wires are there; just change the head unit, you can always sell the old one on eBay !
Pete UK have to bite the bullet and swap to an IO compatible car charger to get the full potential out of your current set up?
Yes looked into this. Old Pod Point won't get much. However if we were going for a new charger it would make most sense to have Givenergy to integrate into the system.
But sadly they are not compatible with Intelligent either.
But we have checked Octopus Compare and we'd actually be better off on Agile anyway it seems