A NOT SO short update on our British Gas Hive EV charger installation.

[Spinynorman]

Guys, do any of you work from Home? I have to as I’m now disabled which means most of my expenses are down to daytime use especially for electricity. Add to that I don’t use my car as much as I used to so cheap charging doesn’t balance it out. What works for me is a reasonable standing charge and a minimum daily rate so I use Octopus tracker. I used to be on their ‘Go faster’ tariff but now find I’ve saved at least 35% on my previous costs. Do wish I could go back to work though and switch off the gas heating and other base electrics that I need on 24/7 now…
Hate BG BTW they screwed me over a boiler service some time ago to the tune of £300 now they’re like EVRI -a company I’ll never again deal with!

 

[Ian Key]

Guys, do any of you work from Home? I have to as I’m now disabled which means most of my expenses are down to daytime use especially for electricity. Add to that I don’t use my car as much as I used to so cheap charging doesn’t balance it out. What works for me is a reasonable standing charge and a minimum daily rate so I use Octopus tracker. I used to be on their ‘Go faster’ tariff but now find I’ve saved at least 35% on my previous costs. Do wish I could go back to work though and switch off the gas heating and other base electrics that I need on 24/7 now…
Hate BG BTW they screwed me over a boiler service some time ago to the tune of £300 now they’re like EVRI -a company I’ll never again deal with!

I'm now retired so like you I'm at home most of the time. I also have rheumatoid arthritis so I probably have the house warmer than some.
I set up a spreadsheet using my annual consumption of gas and electricity so I could easily compare the various tariffs available.
I also worked out by taking meter readings before and after using the washing machine, bread maker etc. how much I could power shift onto the cheaper rates. For my circumstances E.on next Drive worked out best especially as the cheap tariff runs from midnight to 7am.

 

[johnb80]

Guys, do any of you work from Home? I have to as I’m now disabled which means most of my expenses are down to daytime use especially for electricity. Add to that I don’t use my car as much as I used to so cheap charging doesn’t balance it out. What works for me is a reasonable standing charge and a minimum daily rate so I use Octopus tracker. I used to be on their ‘Go faster’ tariff but now find I’ve saved at least 35% on my previous costs. Do wish I could go back to work though and switch off the gas heating and other base electrics that I need on 24/7 now…

I'm at home most of the time and well into my autumnal years, I too have heating on most of the time. My approach is perhaps different to most, I have installed battery storage system so that I can store electricity at 7.5 p/kWh. I use this to operate air conditioning units through the day which keeps me warm (or cool) at very reasonable rate (less than 2p per kWh of heat). It's a bit involved to setup initially but then straight forward to use once done.

Hate BG BTW they screwed me over a boiler service some time ago to the tune of £300 now they’re like EVRI -a company I’ll never again deal with!

Yep, totally agree with you on this, theyre a dreadful company.

 

[Cornish Paul]

A NOT SO short update on our British Gas Hive EV charger installation.

David

British Gas Hive are a total joke. Ordered mine 6 months before the car arrived. A similar run-around. 12 months after the car arrived I am still using the granny charger! To be honest that covers my usage so I have stopped chasing as I found I don't need to spend £700 for a faster charger.

 

[Deep purple]

Went onto BG EV tariff and it took nearly 6 months for them to get the smart meter (which was only 7 months old) to work and for me to get cheap electricity overnight. It cost them £350 in compensation once I got the Ombudsman involved.

 

[johnb80]

Went onto BG EV tariff and it took nearly 6 months for them to get the smart meter (which was only 7 months old) to work and for me to get cheap electricity overnight. It cost them £350 in compensation once I got the Ombudsman involved.

I cant for the life of me understand why people still go to BG, some people even after horrendous experience still promote them, incredible. Cut, run and go to Octopus a.s.a.p.

 

[Ruislip Resident]

I cant for the life of me understand why people still go to BG, some people even after horrendous experience still promote them, incredible. Cut, run and go to Octopus a.s.a.p.

Never had much of a problem with them.

 

[Grriff]

I've had problems with BG Customer Services over meter readings when moving to Octopus. I've never come across such incompetence before. Definitely avoid BG.

 

[DBedford]

 

[johnb80]

The BG circus continues from one disaster to the next. The sooner it gets taken back to a public company the better.

 

[Ruislip Resident]

The BG circus continues from one disaster to the next. The sooner it gets taken back to a public company the better.

Yet I am happy with the EV tariff they give me. Plus on the smart meter the various other times they give you give 50% off (via a cash back to your bill). They have more on this summer and the Sundays ones are from 9 till 5 until the end if Sept, plus a couple of Saturdays thrown in. They just seem a bit of a mix bag. Not so great on the charge point front , but ok on the tariffs. On the regular gas / central
heating / servicing side, plumbing repairs etc, I've never had any problems.

 

[johnb80]

Yet I am happy with the EV tariff they give me. Plus on the smart meter the various other times they give you give 50% off (via a cash back to your bill). They have more on this summer and the Sundays ones are from 9 till 5 until the end if Sept, plus a couple of Saturdays thrown in. They just seem a bit of a mix bag. Not so great on the charge point front , but ok on the tariffs. On the regular gas / central
heating / servicing side, plumbing repairs etc, I've never had any problems.

BG are as low as they can get in terms of customer service. They constantly dart around like headless chickens with their tariff prices and schemes. Their track record with Hive also leaves a lot to be desired.
If it’s working well for you that great but caveat emptor for the majority.