EV Charging from a 13A Socket

[Adam_151]

The signup process for Agile really left me wondering. I submitted it, got no feedback at all then 2 weeks later, an email saying that I will be on it from the previous midnight if I click to accept the terms.

I had a similar E-mail, but it arrived the next morning (Saturday). I'd had smart meters installed on the friday afternoon, chap finsihed about 5pm, I clicked to change over to agile straight away, expecting to have to ring them to follow it up on the Monday morning, but I got a email next morning saying I was on it from the start of Saturday at midnight if I clicked accept. I had asked them when booking the smart meters if I could start the tariff switching process in advance of having meter change so any waiting happened concurrently, but was told that wasn't possible and as it turns out wasn't a concern anyway. I had to call up about a week or so later to get the gas onto the tracker tarriff as I think the sign up for that on the website would move both onto that which I didn't want, but that was no troublem although she did have to go and speak to someone to confirm that it was possible.

Need to find something that warns me proactively of upcoming price drops like tonight's. Suggestions?

I think a lot of folk use apps like octopus watch, but pretty sure you have to pay a subscription. Theres an octopus energy group on reddit that has quite a few suggestions. Personally I'm just in the habbit of checking https://agileprices.co.uk/ in the evening, you can also get the prices out of the octopus app on your phone if you have it (Do you have one of those pink home mini things btw?) but its a little more faff.

My zappi EVSE pulls the pricing from the octpus API, so I can tell it "Charge between x time and y time, if the price is less than £0.z" or "Car will be plugged in between x time and y time, I need z amount of units, get them at the cheapest price" but of course that relies on the car being plugged in and being able to set a defintae rule (which would be the case for someone with a long commute, etc" I don't do enough miles to require charging every day, so I typically just try and charge on the day that looks best and pick a price point that I want it to charge at, and then let it start and stop throughout the night as requiredd. Unless I've got a longer trip comming up and then I tell it how many units I want and it gets them at best price

https://emoncms.org/ukgrid/app/view?name=UKGrid , https://www.carbonintensity.org.uk/ , https://energy.guylipman.com/forecasts?region=C
can be useful for getting an idea of when the lowest prices are going to be, but predicting the future is far from an exact science.

Sometimes to maximise it, you need to get a little OCD about it.

 

[Adam_151]

Bearing in mind that the RCBO must interrupt all live conductors, which will rule out many existing DBs even with spare ways in them.

Things are getting a bit better in that regard I find, A lot of the more common brands are responsing to the demand. Wylex and Fusebox *miniture* RCBOs have always switched the neutrals. Hagers original ADA3xxG series did not, but the newer ADC9xxR ones do. (You have to be caerful to make sure you've been supplied the part number you've ordered). BG IIRC have started doing a neutral breaking 40A RCBO. I think click might be similar? You do have to watch out though, I was talking to a rep from CPN in the wholesaler on a breakfast morning about this once, and he assured me that all their miniture RCBOs broke the neutral, went to confirm it later on, uh oh.... thats not what the datasheet says!

 

[Risteard]

There are RCBO's designed mainly for TT installations which do interrupt both lives, line and neutral, it does not monitor the neutral for overload, but it does switch it.

However when I looked not all consumer unit manufacturers offered them as an option, so this would need looking into.

However it would be a new circuit, so it would need registering, which is darn expensive going down the LABC route, so the electrician doing the work should know themode rules. Which I must admit are confusing. I have fitted many a fork lift charger, and charge my own e-bike from a 13 amp socket, but most of them use batteries under 75 volt, so are classed extra low voltage, and are normally charged within the equal potential zone, but the rules don't seem to say what an EV is!

Is my mobility scooter an EV, it is 24 volt, and clearly an electric vehicle, I wonder if I can use that to get EV charging tariff from Octopus? British Gas have given me an EV tariff, but Octopus seems odd, there are two tariffs with 7 hours at cheap rate, but the one for EV's is far cheaper than the one for storage radiators, so I assume some government help to promote EV's?

Yes absolutely it will depend on brand/range.

 

[Risteard]

Things are getting a bit better in that regard I find, A lot of the more common brands are responsing to the demand. Wylex and Fusebox *miniture* RCBOs have always switched the neutrals. Hagers original ADA3xxG series did not, but the newer ADC9xxR ones do. (You have to be caerful to make sure you've been supplied the part number you've ordered). BG IIRC have started doing a neutral breaking 40A RCBO. I think click might be similar? You do have to watch out though, I was talking to a rep from CPN in the wholesaler on a breakfast morning about this once, and he assured me that all their miniture RCBOs broke the neutral, went to confirm it later on, uh oh.... thats not what the datasheet says!

Doesn't seem to be a 40A device available in that Hager bi-directional range.

Hager Ireland have always had RCBOs which switch the neutral, but they are 2 module devices.

 

[Adam_151]

Doesn't seem to be a 40A device available in that Hager bi-directional range.

Thats one thing that is slightly annoying about Hager, they never made a 40A in the other range either, I think the excuse was something about issues with power disapation in that small a case - but other manufacturers manage it.

I know its not ideal, but a design load of 32A on a 32A device is compliant with BS7671*, so its a compromise I feel is acceptable, I tell guys to get it next to the main switch, and have the next way as a blank if possible, if not, a lightly loaded circuit such as intruder alarm, or upstairs lights.

The Zappi installation instructions actually specify a 32A circuit breaker, so arguebly you have not complied with the reg about taking account of manufacturers instructions if you fit a 40A. I'm not sure what the istruction of other manufacturer's units request

*What do the Irish standards say on the issue?, I know North Amercain ones say the design load should not be more than 80% of breaker rating. So it is clearly something that various depending where in the world you are. I'm assuming the Irish standards are largely the same as BS7671 with a few little tweaks here and there?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Isn't that what the fusing factor of devices takes into consideration?