EV Owners Thread

[BrumJim]

Any sensible electrician will want to see approval from National Power before they fit it, the risk is that the system gets overwhelmed and either you or your neighbour loses power.
The stipulation of fitting our charger is that we have to install a restrictor in case the we are overloading the system. This would only happen if next door where using loads of power hungry devices at the same time as we were charging the car and also using loads of devices.
If you charge at night it will probably never be an issue.

And most of the power-hungry devices won't be on for a long time, so it would be just a temporary reduction in charging power. Unless someone is keen on having a 2 hour shower.

 

[figbat]

And most of the power-hungry devices won't be on for a long time, so it would be just a temporary reduction in charging power. Unless someone is keen on having a 2 hour shower.

Except the low-rate overnight tariffs do encourage load shifting. In my house, at midnight the car starts charging and the washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher start up. If we had a loop with a similar-minded neighbour then they might also do the same thing.

 

[icowden]

Except the low-rate overnight tariffs do encourage load shifting. In my house, at midnight the car starts charging and the washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher start up. If we had a loop with a similar-minded neighbour then they might also do the same thing.

Same here but without the tumble dryer as we don't have one of those.

 

[Legs]

Same here but without the tumble dryer as we don't have one of those.

Same here (no tumble dryer), but we also charge our (house) battery when the cheap tariff kicks in at nighttime.

 

[BrumJim]

Except the low-rate overnight tariffs do encourage load shifting. In my house, at midnight the car starts charging and the washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher start up. If we had a loop with a similar-minded neighbour then they might also do the same thing.

Looking at the power consumption from the dishwasher, it only uses significant amounts of power for a short while, and guessing the same for the washing machine, where most of the power is for heating up the water, and not so much for rotating the drum.

But tumble drier, washing machine and dishwasher all run off 3-pin plugs. Shower runs off a separate circuit, so uses 3 times as much?

 

[Tenkaykev]

Looking at the power consumption from the dishwasher, it only uses significant amounts of power for a short while, and guessing the same for the washing machine, where most of the power is for heating up the water, and not so much for rotating the drum.

But tumble drier, washing machine and dishwasher all run off 3-pin plugs. Shower runs off a separate circuit, so uses 3 times as much?

It surprised me how little energy the washing machine uses apart from the time when it's heating the water and thats not much. The volume of water is quite small, and washing at 30 degrees needs less energy. I have an iPad monitoring real time energy usage ( updates every 10 seconds ), the air fryer heating element is constantly switching on and off to maintain the set temperature, similar when we run the bread machine.

 

[icowden]

It surprised me how little energy the washing machine uses apart from the time when it's heating the water and thats not much. The volume of water is quite small, and washing at 30 degrees needs less energy. I have an iPad monitoring real time energy usage ( updates every 10 seconds ), the air fryer heating element is constantly switching on and off to maintain the set temperature, similar when we run the bread machine.

What are you using on the ipad to monitor energy usage?

 

[CXRAndy]

Does that work with looped electricity supplies? My neighbours have the same issue. We are in an 1980s build close and all of the terraced houses have looped electricity supplies.

All you're doing is adding a 32A circuit. As long as you are not exceeding your total demand for the house.

Plus all new installations mandate that a hardwired CT clamp is installed to restrict power to the EV charging when overall power limit is reached.

If you have a 60 Amp main fuse and a few powerful appliances, then you might need the DNO to do an upgrade.

All our installations have been on properties with 100A supply. We still had to have hardwired CT clamp

 

[CXRAndy]

It surprised me how little energy the washing machine uses apart from the time when it's heating the water and thats not much. The volume of water is quite small, and washing at 30 degrees needs less energy. I have an iPad monitoring real time energy usage ( updates every 10 seconds ), the air fryer heating element is constantly switching on and off to maintain the set temperature, similar when we run the bread machine.

My son in law has setup the Zappi and EV, talking to Octopus energy, so he gets intelligent charging at anytime of the day at 7.5p/kW

 

[CXRAndy]

Does that work with looped electricity supplies? My neighbours have the same issue. We are in an 1980s build close and all of the terraced houses have looped electricity supplies.

Lazy builders/DNO saving a few quid on cabling. When I did a house extension it had looped supply. First thing I did was get DNO to put in new separate main. They got on with double quick because cables were on the side of the property where I was taking down that elevation. I kindly let them know the neighbour would be without power when I started, if they hadn't laid a new service beforehand

 

[icowden]

My son in law has setup the Zappi and EV, talking to Octopus energy, so he gets intelligent charging at anytime of the day at 7.5p/kW

How? Intelligent Octopus charging rates only kick in for certain scheduled hours?

 

[Tenkaykev]

What are you using on the ipad to monitor energy usage?

It's the free " Inverter " app from bbcbasic.co.uk. Four simple pages, that allow some measure of basic control, Charge, Discharge, Pause, Normal.
Written by the guy who wrote the BBCBasic language for the original BBC home computer ( if you are old enough to remember)

 

[icowden]

It's the free " Inverter " app from bbcbasic.co.uk. Four simple pages, that allow some measure of basic control, Charge, Discharge, Pause, Normal.
Written by the guy who wrote the BBCBasic language for the original BBC home computer ( if you are old enough to remember)

Ah I see - you have a GivEnergy inverter.

 

[CXRAndy]

How? Intelligent Octopus charging rates only kick in for certain scheduled hours?

He says it tells him when they have excess energy, he can use it for overnight rate.

He has an extra box from octopus. I was surprised too, but he was very clued up.

He went through the set-up, where octopus would check the Zappi and car were smart compatible.

He just plugs in the Tesla and sets car must be 80% charged for next day. Octopus communicates with Zappi and car, stops and starts charging when cheap electric is available

 

[icowden]

He says it tells him when they have excess energy, he can use it for overnight rate.

Oh ok - so same as mine then although I don't have an extra box. If the car is plugged in and Octopus decide they have a surplus then it charges at the 7.5p rate. It's usually between about 11pm and 6 to 7am. Occasionally you get some daytime hours or early evening hours.