We have 2 EV’s on order through Motability. We confirmed through Ohme that we would be getting 2 chargers and were told that would be the case. Yesterday, the installer came out and installed only one charger and told my wife that we wouldn’t be getting another. I’ve spoken to Motability, who have basically washed their hands of it and said that it’s between us and Ohme. Looking at the unit last night, you can only have one user and one vehicle on the app which Ohme have confirmed to be the case. Does anyone have any ideas about this. I know @kezo is our expert on the electrics side of things.
Sorry late to the party mate, been visiting family.
Firstly it is unlikely you will get 2 physical chargers through Motability, not because they are after saving money by only installing one charger. This is because any EVSE equipment has to be notified to your DNO, and by rgistering two chargers at the same address the DNO can (a) refuse due to an additional 7kW load on the system (14kW in total) with the potential of you power shifting your white goods during off peak times adding to that load. (2) Insist you have 3 phase or poly-phase installed, which the DNO might not be in favour of doing (3) if you managed to get 3 phase install, there are very few domestic 3 phase smart meters available as the DNO would want one charger on one phase and the other on another phase (4) there are even less 3 phase “domestic” metering guys, so the wait for such a smart meter is alot longer than your typical domestic smart meter installation. Ovo are one company I believe that is ahead with domestic 3 phase smart meters.
I do not agree with with the DNO’s stance, as you can fit a 7kW commando socket to charge a car or get someone fit you a dumb charger or if an electrician is prepared fit another smart charger!
Even if you did have two charger’s at your home, you can only have one electricity account with one supplier. This means you can only have one Octopus Inetelligent account at your home, so you are no further forward.
There are a few things you can try to do to mitigate this:
Link the car with the biggest battery to OI and charge the other car from 12 – 5am avoiding the bonus hours given by OI
On the Ohme app or on the chargers display there is the possibllty to “switch cars”
Charge one car x hour one night on Octopus go and the second car for the same x off peak hours the next night.
Octopus have a statemen on their intelligent tariff, which I read as meaning: Octopus can only knowledgeably charge one vehicle at a time. And that if you have a different vehicle you have to re-enter that EVs model details, otherwise it won’t know for example what the battery capacity is. By ‘knowledgeably’ I refer to Octopus knowing the battery kWh and uses this to plan the charge profile for the charge being added. Using the switch car on the Ohme charger would be helpful for this. I know Octopus check to see if the registered car is being charged once a month or so but, Ive know from another forum I’m on many have got around this and utilse this way to charger 2 cars at 7.5pkWh.
Have a commando socket installed and both cars can be charged at the same time on tariffs like Ocopus GO, EDF go electric and British gas etc.
If any of these ways interest you, we can go into more detail on any of them.
Lastly, it is typical of Motability customer service bods washing their hands and telling you to sort it! However if you feel you have being wrong done by, after being told you can have 2 chargers installed by Ohme, you should contact Motability CEO dept, where they will listen and go out their way if they way to help. andrewmiller@motabilityoperations.co.uk