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SmartCharge: How It Works & Eligibility

Created on Thu Mar 20 07:35:36 UTC 2025 | Last modified on Thu Mar 20 07:35:36 UTC 2025

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Answer

Hive SmartCharge is an intelligent scheduling feature in the Hive app designed specifically for our EV charger. Simply set a "ready by" time in the app, and Hive will schedule your charging accordingly.

Using the Hive intelligent energy platform, we identify when electricity on the grid is cheaper and greener. By using this feature, you can enjoy discounts on your EV charging:

  • 4p/kWh discount if plugged in for more than 6 hours consistently.
  • 2p/kWh discount if plugged in for less than 6 hours.

These credits are applied to your British Gas energy bill as a SmartCharge PeakSave credit at the end of each month.

Most customers are billed monthly. Some customers are billed quarterly and will receive three months' credit four times a year.

How to Get the Best Out of SmartCharge

To get the most out of SmartCharge, plug in your EV whenever you're not using it and try to leave it plugged in for at least 6 hours. Remember, you're only paying for the time your EV is actively charging, not the entire time it's plugged in.

Setting Up and Using the 'Ready By' Feature

Getting Started:

  • Set a 'Ready By' Time: During the onboarding/setup journey or at any time via the schedule menu, you can set a 'Ready By' time for SmartCharge. This lets us know when you need your car to be charged and ready to use.
  • Default Setting: When you plug in your car and SmartCharge is enabled, the default 'Ready By' time is set to 08:00. You can adjust this time to suit your needs.

Charging Process:

  • Energy Forecast: Once the 'Ready By' time is set, we forecast the amount of energy (in kWh) needed to fully charge your car.
  • Optimised Charging Plan: We create an optimised charging plan to ensure your car is charged to the forecasted amount by the 'Ready By' time.
  • Continued Charging: If your car is not fully charged by the 'Ready By' time, we will continue charging until the session is ended by you.

Time of Use (TOU) Tariffs:

  • Charging Boundaries: With a TOU tariff (e.g., the EV Driver Tariff), we will not charge beyond the boundaries of the off-peak rate (typically 05:00).

Eligibility

To qualify for Hive SmartCharge, you must:

  • Have a British Gas electricity account (NEP or SAP).
  • Be a credit customer.
  • Have an Alfen (S-Line or Pro-Line) or EO charger.
  • Have a Smart Meter.