Answer
The one-year free charging period starts from the date you first activate FreeCharge in the app. We'll need to check you have a British Gas electricity account and smart meter before you can activate. 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 8,000 miles transferred to EV(s) by the charger, based on an assumed vehicle efficiency of 3.5 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 SmartCharge Roll Off
We’ll automatically switch you to SmartCharge 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).
SmartCharge 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 discount per kWh used. This is calculated as below:
| Length of time your electric vehicle is plugged in | Credit |
| Periods when your electric vehicle is continuously connected to your charge point for less than six hours. | 2p credit for each kwh of electricity used during that period |
| Periods when your electric vehicle is continuously connected to your charge point for six hours or longer. | 4p credit for each kwh of electricity used during that period |
Only electricity that has been used from the grid for smart charging will be eligible for a discount. Customers who have solar PV and charge their EV using their solar energy will not be eligible to receive a discount.
You can see the full terms and conditions for SmartCharge here.
Like FreeCharge you are free to switch off SmartCharge at any time and use one of our other charging modes.
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 kWh you have remaining.
After you have reached the end of your FreeCharge allowance, you'll be moved onto SmartCharge:
