The one-year free charging period starts from the date you first activate FreeCharge in the app. We will check you have a valid British Gas electricity account and smart meter during the FreeCharge set-up process. You can switch off FreeCharge mode or override FreeCharge during the period, then switch back to FreeCharge - but the end date will still remain as one year from the date you first activated it.

'Fair Usage' cap for FreeCharge

There is a ‘fair usage’ cap for FreeCharge of 2,290kwh across the 12 months. This is approximately equivalent to 7,500 miles transferred to EV(s) by the charger, based on an assumed vehicle efficiency of 3.3 miles/kWh.. Don’t worry though, if you want to charge more than the ‘fair usage’ cap, you still can but will pay for charging at your electricity tariff rate.

FreeCharge to Power+ Roll Off 

We’ll automatically switch you to Power+ when you reach the end of the 12-month period from activation, or reach the fair usage cap of 2,290kWh of electricity consumed by the charge point in FreeCharge mode (whichever comes first).

Power+ works in a similar way to FreeCharge, where we decide when your EV charges based on your ‘Ready By’ time, usually overnight. But instead of giving you a full credit for your electricity used in that mode, it gives you a partial saving, as a 25% discount off the cost of the charging when in Power+ mode.

Only electricity that has been used from the grid for Power+ charging will be eligible for a discount. Customers who have solar PV and charge their EV using their solar energy will only receive the 25% off when charging from the grid.

You can see the full terms and conditions for Power+ here.

Like with FreeCharge, you’re free to switch off Power+ at any time and use one of our other charging modes. You can also override the charge at any time if needed, although you won’t receive the Power+ discount for any overridden charges.

What you'll see in the Hive App

When you're approaching your FreeCharge allowance, you'll see something like the below, showing how many months or kWh you have remaining:

After you have reached the end of your FreeCharge allowance, you'll be moved onto Power+: