- Energy firm Octopus says drivers can get free charging with its Power Pack deal
- But the deal has strings attached, including a shortage of compatible cars
Electric vehicle owners could charge their motors up for free with a new energy deal from Octopus Energy – but it only currently applies to three car models.
The Power Pack deal could save drivers more than £850 a year compared to charging cars on a variable-rate electricity tariff which is subject to the Ofgem price cap, Octopus said.
The deal utilises ‘vehicle to grid’ technology, which allows EV owners to discharge electricity from their vehicles back into their homes or the National Grid.
Drivers who sign up to the Power Pack deal can charge with cheap electricity at off-peak times and then export it back to the grid when it is most needed.
Giving back: V2G technology allows EV owners to discharge electricity from their vehicles back into their homes or the National Grid
By buying electricity low and selling it high, drivers effectively get to charge up for free, up to a limit of around 12,000 miles a year.
Octopus says all drivers have to do is plug their cars in to charge for around six hours a day, with the rest of the process being automated.
However, there are only three EV cars that will work with Power Pack. These are the Nissan Leaf, Nissan e-NV200 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
Anyone interested in Power Pack will need to have an existing Octopus Energy deal, as Power Pack acts as a bolt-on, not a separate deal.
Eligible homes will also need a Wallbox Quasar 1 V2G charger, a smart meter and permission to export energy to their local distribution network.
The Power Pack deal will work with additional EVs in the future, provided they are compatible with the CHAdeMO fast-charging system and are able to discharge electricity, Octopus said.
Octopus Energy head of flexibility Alex Schoch said: ‘EVs are going to be a major lever in our future flexible, green grid, but to get there we need to unlock the capabilities of their batteries.
‘Now we have Octopus Power Pack, it’s over to car manufacturers to build the cars that are compatible with V2G technology.’
Customers can register interest in joining the tariff via this online form.
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