How to stop being a free charging point?

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Cherry
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Post by Cherry »

It can be very expensive if all your friends and family have an EV, Free for them but not for me.

They keep saying they want to charge their car. They don't use public charging points as they have to pay.

They want to charge at the home at peak time, not the 4 hour 5p window.
It is like saying, "pay to fill up my tank".
EV is the nightmare for others, especially with high electricity charges now at peak time.

Currently it is using a 3-pin plug all day and when my EV arrives it will be via a faster home charger.
I will become a daily free charging station as a stop over.

Which home charger is best to install which would force them to use their own credit card to charge their car?
Surely, it is essential that all home chargers have such a facility to stop people using other peoples chargers as a free money machine.
I don't know much about home chargers, so any advice is appreciated.
Last edited by Cherry on Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
9 Sep 21 Ordered ID.3 Family Pro, Stonewashed Blue & East Derry
13 Sep 21 PCP approved. VW No: 3131xxxx
24 Sep 21 Temp build wk43, conf' 46
22 Nov 21 Conf' build wk 49
10 Jan 22 Code 38 Awaiting ship-release (wk48 build)
01 March preferred collection

daesimpso
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Post by daesimpso »

Just be honest. Ask them why they refuse to pay £0.25/KWh on a public charger but they find it acceptable that you pay roughly the same amount on your electricity bill to charge their car for them.

If they are good friends/family it shouldn’t be a difficult conversation.
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

Many EV chargers allow remote enable/disable of charging an attached EV. The Andersen I have installed is a simple “Enable/Disable” slider on the first page of the app for example.

In addition charge point schedule features disable charging outside of the schedules by default so if people rock up at peak without your knowledge so it is easy to configure to only charge during cheap rate and to prevent charge at any other time.

More expensive chargers can also have physical RFID access cards attached to them but they tend to be for commercial use and very much more expensive.

In short if you put in a well researched charger, you can easily discourage freeloading without affecting your own charge experience.

I’d suggest that the solution to the “granny charging” problem you indicate is a verbal “No”. This would work equally well for a charge point solution as well. There are no “home” chargers with RFID /card readers, because that would be “commercial” use.
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Cherry
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Post by Cherry »

It is often "I cannot be bothered to wait 30 mins waiting at a public charging station".

Many are not close family or friends but distant family.

I am too soft to say no or pay up, and many people are selfish. It would not be a good look.

Surely, home charging companies must have thought of cheapskates.
A good strategy would be everyone uses their credit card, even an owner and (the owner's is recognised and not billed - specify x free owner cards).
Everyone else is charged. One can also have a report of the cost to charge for owners.
If there was an override key, the "guests" would expect me to use it.

Are there any chargers, with such facilities?
9 Sep 21 Ordered ID.3 Family Pro, Stonewashed Blue & East Derry
13 Sep 21 PCP approved. VW No: 3131xxxx
24 Sep 21 Temp build wk43, conf' 46
22 Nov 21 Conf' build wk 49
10 Jan 22 Code 38 Awaiting ship-release (wk48 build)
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korky
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Post by korky »

put the granny into a smart plug, then when they think it's charging switch it off via your mobile :D
of course this way you may end up providing free b&b too :D
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

Cherry wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:41 am It is often "I cannot be bothered to wait 30 mins waiting at a public charging station".

Many are not close family or friends but distant family.

I am too soft to say no or pay up, and many people are selfish. It would not be a good look.

Surely, home charging companies must have thought of cheapskates.
A good strategy would be everyone uses their credit card, even an owner and (the owner's is recognised and not billed - specify x free owner cards).
Everyone else is charged. One can also have a report of the cost to charge for owners.
If there was an override key, the "guests" would expect me to use it.

Are there any chargers, with such facilities?

Not to my knowledge, at least to your specifications re credit card billing.

The closest I can think of is that the Andersen app already has a “per-charge” calculator which you could simply ask for the cash for (or PayPal/Square etc). Doesn’t work on Agile, but works perfectly happily for peak/offpeak pricing (you configure it in the app) so you have a record of all the charges, their duration, and cost by day/week/month/year. Here’s a picture of my Dad’s Tesla charging for a couple of hours on our charge point last month by means of illustration. I didn’t bill him the £2.10 😀

69898919-7BEE-4A90-B088-82B537F6C3F5.jpeg

One other upside of this kind of detail is that you know exactly how much you’re spending/using on charging your EV. I’m sure many/most other charger manufacturers do this as well, I’m just not aware of any others than Andersen and Hypervolt, because those were the two primary candidates for my home charger install.
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monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

My Ohme will provide a cost of every charging session.

Where's the shame in asking someone to weigh over a fiver if they've used a fiver's worth of your electricity?

Unless you're reciprocating a free charge when you visit them, I wouldn't put myself out of pocket to the tune of £5+ multiple times a month.

If yourchosen charger has a MATT-E device fitted (my Ohme does), you can flick the switch on that and claim your charger is out of action.
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digital
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Post by digital »

Cherry wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:05 am Which home charger is best to install which would force them to use their own credit card to charge their car?
Install a Zappi and set it to Eco+. It will only charge if there's surplus solar generation greater than 1.4kW. No solar panels? No surplus. ;)
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Cherry
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Post by Cherry »

monkeyhanger wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 12:46 pm My Ohme will provide a cost of every charging session.

Where's the shame in asking someone to weigh over a fiver if they've used a fiver's worth of your electricity?

Unless you're reciprocating a free charge when you visit them, I wouldn't put myself out of pocket to the tune of £5+ multiple times a month.

If yourchosen charger has a MATT-E device fitted (my Ohme does), you can flick the switch on that and claim your charger is out of action.

I feel great shame in asking for £10 each time at peak charging! I can afford it but it is the attitude which annoys me.

No reciprocation. No ID3 yet and journeys are not reciprocated in numbers.
digital wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 2:05 pm Install a Zappi and set it to Eco+. It will only charge if there's surplus solar generation greater than 1.4kW. No solar panels? No surplus. ;)
In which case they will use the their 3-pin connector and charge all day and night. Electric cars are the worst thing out as they cost others money!
9 Sep 21 Ordered ID.3 Family Pro, Stonewashed Blue & East Derry
13 Sep 21 PCP approved. VW No: 3131xxxx
24 Sep 21 Temp build wk43, conf' 46
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monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

Feeling great shame is a hang-up you need to get over. If they can afford a current EV,they can afford to pay for charging.

If I was wanting to charge at someone else's house, first thing I would do is work out in my head what I would be using, cost it up, add a bit on and offer to pay. Distant relatives or close family, no-one is going to ponce off my electricity bill.
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mish
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Post by mish »

Try an honesty box? See what happens, they might get the message without you having to confront them.
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Post by Deleted User 1426 »

Just say no
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

Electric cars are the worst thing out as they cost others money!
No, it’s the freeloading drivers :-)

You wouldn’t put a Jerry can of petrol or diesel on the drive for your friends and rellys just because they couldn’t be bothered to fill up at the local forecourt. Your home charger, and indeed your 13A plug sockets, are not public services.

Just say no and deal with the self-inflicted shame.
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sausageroll
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Post by sausageroll »

Cherry wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 3:39 pmElectric cars are the worst thing out as they cost others money!
To be brutally honest, it's nothing to do with electric cars, and it's not a problem you should be expecting technology to solve for you.

You will need to decide whether to suck it up, or stand up for yourself. If you try and make it someone else's fault, there'll always be a workaround. If they did that 'charging only cards that aren't yours' then they'd end up asking to use your card, and no doubt you'd submit to it.

The answer is simple - inform them that it isn't "free" to charge - it costs you money, and you can't afford to pay for their electric consumption; not least during an 'energy crisis'. Well, not just simple, it's the only acceptable answer (paraphrasing withstanding).
MotMot
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Post by MotMot »

My charger (SyncEV - not expensive) has two features for this. One charge can only be started with an RFId card or two when you plug in you have to use the app registered to the charger to accept and start the charge. Message pop up comes on Home Screen then accept in the app.
Cherry
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Post by Cherry »

MotMot wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:01 pm My charger (SyncEV - not expensive) has two features for this. One charge can only be started with an RFId card or two when you plug in you have to use the app registered to the charger to accept and start the charge. Message pop up comes on Home Screen then accept in the app.
Thanks. But they will ask to use the RFid card or my app. Better to have a billing system where they scan their credit card and money taken from their card (mates rates + other rates can be selected by me). People would be reluctant to ask to use your own credit card as it is like asking for money. You just say, scan your credit card and it will work!
This is how I would design the system.

SyncEV does not give much confidence. No prices on website. One has to input fake details to get a quote (£599) to ensure they do not make contact.
One should get 070 premium rate numbers for such companies to make contact!
What sort of company will not provide a price without forcing you to enter contact data?
9 Sep 21 Ordered ID.3 Family Pro, Stonewashed Blue & East Derry
13 Sep 21 PCP approved. VW No: 3131xxxx
24 Sep 21 Temp build wk43, conf' 46
22 Nov 21 Conf' build wk 49
10 Jan 22 Code 38 Awaiting ship-release (wk48 build)
01 March preferred collection
Southwellpeter
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Post by Southwellpeter »

My Podpoint tells me how much a charge has cost - just show them the price on your phone and if they're friends they should offer the money. I'm more than happy to offer my friends money to charge - it's still cheaper than using a public charger
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StuartT
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Post by StuartT »

I don't know if this Zap Map thing will help you?

Screenshot_20211010-195202.jpg

Screenshot_20211010-195216.jpg

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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

Cherry wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:45 pmBetter to have a billing system where they scan their credit card and money taken from their card (mates rates + other rates can be selected by me). People would be reluctant to ask to use your own credit card as it is like asking for money. You just say, scan your credit card and it will work!
This is how I would design the system.

You just specified the largest possible hammer to crack the smallest imaginable nut.
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MotMot
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Post by MotMot »

Cherry wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:45 pm
MotMot wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:01 pm My charger (SyncEV - not expensive) has two features for this. One charge can only be started with an RFId card or two when you plug in you have to use the app registered to the charger to accept and start the charge. Message pop up comes on Home Screen then accept in the app.
Thanks. But they will ask to use the RFid card or my app. Better to have a billing system where they scan their credit card and money taken from their card (mates rates + other rates can be selected by me). People would be reluctant to ask to use your own credit card as it is like asking for money. You just say, scan your credit card and it will work!
This is how I would design the system.

SyncEV does not give much confidence. No prices on website. One has to input fake details to get a quote (£599) to ensure they do not make contact.
One should get 070 premium rate numbers for such companies to make contact!
What sort of company will not provide a price without forcing you to enter contact data?
Generally you contact your local installer rather than sync ev. Btw mine came in at £540 not £599.

I found their number on Google straight away.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=synce ... ent=safari#
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