Intelligent Octopus and Cupra

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RKJM30
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:44 pm

Post by RKJM30 »

Although when trying to sign up for Intelligent Octopus while following their normal “Sign Up Now” link replies with “not yet integrated” it appears they have a beta third party integration.

Yesterday morning I found Cupra (beta) in the Octopus app and am now being switched to Intelligent Octopus (IO). The test charge through IO was successful.

The process was as follows:

1. You must be an Octopus customer with a suitable smart meter.
2. You must be signed up to the My Cupra app and have the car linked.
3. You must have and be registered to the Octopus app.
4. In the Octopus app on the Home Screen click the link to car charging. I can’t quite remember what it states, something like Super cheap charging.
5. Follow the whole process using the link to car type, not charger, and choose the Cupra then My Cupra choices.
6. This will then take you through the process to link Octopus to My Cupra using their 3rd party integration.

My process has started and I have been successful with getting the Octopus App to take over the charging (it is easy to suspend their control by clicking the icon top left of the screen-> Devices -> Intelligent Octopus -> scroll to bottom and turn off Smart Charging).

As yet my Tariff switch has not shown up on my account, so I have suspended smart charging until it does, in case it chooses to charge outside my current Octopus Go window.

One catch with the whole provision is that with smart charging active, Octopus must stop the charge after the car is plugged in and they say this could take upto 30 minutes (this is how frequently the Octopus app checks in with the car - to prevent keeping it out of sleep too much). During this period the car will be charging (probably at peak rate). This means on average (for a 7kw charger) there will be 15 minutes of peak rate charging every time the car is plugged in costing 58p extra ((43.37-10)p x 7 x 0.25kwh). Over one year this amounts to £210.

I am trying to find work arounds to get the Octopus App to stop the charge sooner after plugging in. The methods I am trying are:

1. Immediately after plugging in go to My Cupra app and click “Stop” button on the charging screen. This does stop the charge but I’m yet to find out if Octopus can then restart it from their app at the next scheduled window.

2. Immediately after plugging in go to Octopus app and click “Bump Charge”. Then wait a few seconds and cancel the Bump Charge. The idea here is that the Octopus app might try to communicate with the car immediately rather than wait for the next scheduled wake time. This one has not been promising, but I will be continuing to try it to see how long it takes for the Octopus app to stop the charge straight after plugging in using the bump on off method.

Any thoughts?
Born V3-Tech L Heatpump
Hypervolt 2.0
Intelligent Octopus

RKJM30
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:44 pm

Post by RKJM30 »

Update - Octopus have switched the tariff from Go to Intelligent Octopus. This confirms it is possible to switch to intelligent octopus using a Cupra Born.
Born V3-Tech L Heatpump
Hypervolt 2.0
Intelligent Octopus
AntonB
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2022 4:09 pm

Post by AntonB »

I have been using the beta intelligent for a few weeks now. No issues with plugging in, it literally stops after a few mins max. Very happy with intelligent works a treat.

I have the car set to 100% all schedules switched off and let octopus charge to 80% or whatever I need. 👍
Born2Ride
Posts: 63
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2022 1:32 pm

Post by Born2Ride »

This is interesting to me, I have all the prerequisites. However, I also have heat pump heating which is v.hungry on electrons plus solar with SEG payments back from Octopus Outgoing at 15p/kWh. Before I ask Octopus directly, have you any more info on the daytime rate and whether it is compatible with solar export?
RKJM30
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:44 pm

Post by RKJM30 »

In response to the questions about exporting. As far as I understand from the FAQs:

It states “ As a beta product, only customers with Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) can use Intelligent Octopus. You'll still receive 4.1p/kWh for your export and will be able to benefit from our smart charging schedules.”

You would have to check the prices in your area for import, as the peak rate varies depending on area.

In terms of how solar and IO might work together would require some management.

As far as I can tell the IO interface controls the charging by starting and stopping the car charging using the my Cupra interface. This means that the car would not take any solar power unless it happened to be in a smart charging window (unlikely during daylight hours). It would mean that if you wanted the solar power to be sent to the car, rather than be exported, you would need to ser bump charge on in IO and activate the solar charging only function of the charger during daylight hours and then reverse those 2 actions at sunset.
Born V3-Tech L Heatpump
Hypervolt 2.0
Intelligent Octopus
Born2Ride
Posts: 63
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2022 1:32 pm

Post by Born2Ride »

Thanks for the reply. The issue I have is that Intelligent charges more for daytime energy, rather than simply reducing night time rates for compatible EVs. For many people, the higher day rate is OK since the night time charge savings is significant, around 24p/kWh vs staying on the standard variable Octopus tariff. With an 80% Born charge, that's about £10 saved each time - not to be sniffed at. Clearly the more you drive the better the savings. This means that while you pay about 10p/kWh more in the daytime, this is just your household consumption which will be much less.....

Except if you have gone full electric and have a hungry appliance for heating the house, such as a heat pump, then your demand throughout the day is disproportionately more than an average user (who buys gas or oil). Suddenly that 10p/kWh on each unit becomes problematic, on colder days in Jan 40kWh of energy for heat each day wasn't unusual for me. With Intelligent it costs £4/day extra to heat the house each day. So using the previous sum, you need to be using about 40% of your car battery every day to keep the bills the same, but this does get better as it gets warmer and you use the heating less.

Oddly, with solar export paying 15p/kWh, you'd actually be better pushing that into the grid and being paid for it, and then paying to charge at 10p/kWh at night. This is why knowing what Octopus pay for export on Intelligent is important, but I may be mistakenly thinking they are linked, they may not be.

I've asked Octopus for more clarity but it seems to be getting harder. They now have Octopus Cozy, a heat pump orientated tariff, Octopus Flex for solar/battery users and so it goes on. They definitely have great intentions are are so far ahead of the other suppliers but it is increasingly confusing and that's for someone who understands this stuff, the general public won't have a clue!

Oh for the days of 10p/kWh flat rate & 20p standing charge without any of the hassles - hard to believe I was on such a tariff in Feb 2020.
RKJM30
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:44 pm

Post by RKJM30 »

I have an update on the charging occurring immediately after plugging in.

Immediately after plugging in go to the My Cupra app and click on STOP on the battery charging page. The car will still start to charge when the Octopus app requests it even if it were stopped in the My Cupra app. Waiting for the Octopus app to notice the charge has started can take time and could more than wipe out any savings made from the cheaper unit price.

Turning the bump charge on and then off did not stop the charge quickly enough.
Born V3-Tech L Heatpump
Hypervolt 2.0
Intelligent Octopus
davmatjo
Posts: 66
Joined: Thu May 05, 2022 2:08 pm

Post by davmatjo »

This is good to know as I've just switched to Intelligent Octopus too. Can you also just press "stop charge" in the e-manager section of the infotainment screen and have it all still work?
RKJM30
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:44 pm

Post by RKJM30 »

I have not tried pressing “Stop Charge” in the infotainment system to suspend the charge after plugging in. I will try it over the next couple of days.

The method I will use to prove the Stop charge is:
1. Charger set to “plug&charge” (Dumb mode)
2. Smart charging enabled in Octopus app
3. eManager routines deleted and charging limit set well above current battery level.
4. Plug in (green light on car starts pulsing indicating charging).
5. Press the eManager Stop charge button.

Then to prove Octopus has control:

6. Click bump charge in Octopus app.
7. If the car starts charging, this proves all will be OK.
8. Stop bump charge in Octopus app
9. Press Stop charge on eManager page of infotainment system.

The car should be ready to smart charge using Octopus’ schedule.

This process is only to prove the idea works. After that the only actions required are plug in then press Stop Charge each time it’s plugged in.
Born V3-Tech L Heatpump
Hypervolt 2.0
Intelligent Octopus
Born2Ride
Posts: 63
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2022 1:32 pm

Post by Born2Ride »

Just to help understanding, if you don't press stop charge the car will charge until Octopus notices it, and then it will send remote signal to car to stop? You're trying to avoid that period of ? mins at full price electricity?

What happens to anything else that uses energy during the overnight window, full price?Presumably Octopus only apply the discounted rate at the time they have enabled the car to charge? I.e. you get the cheaper rate for anything consuming but only during those times?
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