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

[johnb80]

Unfounded assumption John, Hive have stated they will be moving their chargers to WiFi in the future.

Yeah, right, did Hive not tell you their remote reset would sort everything on your initial install? If they're going to move to WiFi in the future, why wait, why not do it now rather than waiting for 2G to be switched off? Unfounded, you think? it's been mentioned on here (in this very thread #171) that Hive kindly switched off peoples security cameras for no apparent reason, simply switched off the server leaving blank screens.

And a point of note ‘all’ dated products get pensioned off.

I hope you feel that way when your EVSE is pensioned off. It's not true that all dated products get get pensioned off, my CCTV system cameras some are 20+ years old and still working, simply because it's not relying on a manufacturers server / control system. Thats the danger with Hive and many other similar wallboxes they cant work without the connection to the remote server. You can (and probably will) be left high and dry by these clowns.

 

[DBedford]

John , take a break…

Have a Kitcat and a chill, life is too short ??

 

[johnb80]

John , take a break…

Have a Kitcat and a chill, life is too short ??

I'm all chilled, just hate seeing people getting ripped off., making the same mistakes of others.

 

[dspencer12345]

Well thanks to this thread, I cancelled my Hive install and am going with Podpoint instead.

 

[johnb80]

Well thanks to this thread, I cancelled my Hive install and am going with Podpoint instead.

You dodged a bullet there for sure

 

[DBedford]

FINALLY
So the story with our British Gas HIVE EV charger has finally come to an end, for myself and other British Gas customers with the same issue.

We hung-on in there, and have been rewarded with a full year of free Home EV charging.

Applicable to:
British Gas customers with their EV tariff and their smart meters
Hive EV Charger

All's well that ends well

 

[johnb80]

FINALLY
So the story with our British Gas HIVE EV charger has finally come to an end, for myself and other British Gas customers with the same issue.

We hung-on in there, and have been rewarded with a full year of free Home EV charging.

Applicable to:
British Gas customers with their EV tariff and their smart meters
Hive EV Charger

All's well that ends well

That speaks volumes for the quality of the Hive / British Gas partnership and equipment. I'm glad you've got some compensation, it doesn't bode well for future years though.

 

[DBedford]

it doesn't bode well for future years though.

British Gas and Hive are one of the same company. Well it gives them a year to sort out their scheduling routine, so should be fine ?.

 

[johnb80]

British Gas and Hive are one of the same company. Well it gives them a year to sort out their scheduling routine, so should be fine ?.

You must tell me where you get your rose tinted spectacles from, you have a much more positive outlook on BG & Hive than they deserve and have earned.

Good luck.

 

[Ian Key]

British Gas and Hive are one of the same company. Well it gives them a year to sort out their scheduling routine, so should be fine ?.

I share your optimism. If they don't sort it out in a year's time their customers will be out of contract and will go somewhere else.

 

[Laurence1982]

Hello all, I've just read this entire thread and off the back of it am still unsure as to whether to get a hive EV charger (the year's free charging with BG is a big pull -currently open to anyone with BG and a hive charger). Any final recommendations from you all?

 

[DBedford]

Yes buy one.

You should have no issues, it’s just us who had our installed prior to November who are having teething problems.

If you don’t have the BG EV tariff your car ‘may not’ fully charge over night but use low demand electricity during the day time, so off you need your car each day for work there should be no issues if you have the BG EV tariff. And you get to do your washing at 9p/kWh ?.

Note: only bad experiences get talked about, those who don’t have issues say nothing.

 

[Laurence1982]

Yes buy one.

You should have no issues, it’s just us who had our installed prior to November who are having teething problems.

If you don’t have the BG EV tariff your car ‘may not’ fully charge over night but use low demand electricity during the day time, so off you need your car each day for work there should be no issues if you have the BG EV tariff. And you get to do your washing at 9p/kWh ?.

Why prior to November? What changed? And should we be worried about 2g/3g being switched off? Will this not affect the connectivity (of the Alfen Eve S-Line)?

 

[DBedford]

Why prior to November? What changed? And should we be worried about 2g/3g being switched off? Will this not affect the connectivity (of the Alfen Eve S-Line)?

NetZero (division of BGas) are working on the fix so those who had their chargers installed prior to November will also have access to the FreeCharge offering for a year. So I guess it’s a programming issue. But does not impact those with installs November onwards.

 

[Laurence1982]

And any thoughts regarding the connectivity moving forward?

 

[DBedford]

When 3G is finally turned off in 2033?, not sure, although I was told by Hive they would move over to WiFi (or maybe**), easier going to 4/5G wireless module!
**My thought’s.

For now our Hive EV Chargers off-peak charging has been faultless, as the schedule once set on the app ; with the charger being on-line), the schedule downloaded to the charger.

 

[Laurence1982]

So is gprs 3g as well as 2g? If that's the case then yes 10yrs is fine. My understanding was that it was only 2g (but I don't know this stuff well). And how would they "move over" to WiFi/4/5g without adapting the hardware?

 

[DBedford]

Can’t comment any further sorry, as don’t want to guess.

GPRS Working, Advantages, Applications

GPRS is a mobile communications standard that operates on 2G and 3G networks to enable moderately high-speed data transfers. Learn how it works.

www.spiceworks.com

 

[johnb80]

Hello all, I've just read this entire thread and off the back of it am still unsure as to whether to get a hive EV charger (the year's free charging with BG is a big pull -currently open to anyone with BG and a hive charger). Any final recommendations from you all?

You perhaps should ask yourself 'Why do BG want to give away a years free charging'? That should provide with some answers.

The years free charging, it actually isnt, it's 2290 kWh of electricity worth around £677 at Octopus prices. I don't know if you're allowed to charge at peak times, if it's off peak only then the cost of the energy off peak would be £171.75.

What steps should you take? BIG ONES, get away from BG and Hive, they're a dreadful combination and who knows when they'll bite.

 

[DBedford]

You perhaps should ask yourself 'Why do BG want to give away a years free charging'? That should provide with some answers.

The years free charging, it actually isnt, it's 2290 kWh of electricity worth around £677 at Octopus prices. I dont know if youre allowed to charge at peak times, if it's off peak only then the cost of the energy off peak would be £171.75.

What steps should you take? BIG ONES, get away from BG and Hive, they're a dreadful combination and who knows when they'll bite.

John, maybe you should take the axe you have to grind somewhere else!
You dislike British Gas intensely because they discontinued support for your Hive security cameras. Time to move on don’t you think?