OVO Vehicle-to-Grid Trial
Our trial is moving to it’s next phase - Here’s whats happening,
Building a better grid for everyone
The grid is the UK’s energy network, connecting millions of homes to thermal power stations and renewable energy sources. And it’s getting greener. But green energy is intermittent by nature. We can’t switch it on when demand is high. And without flexibility, adding more renewables to the grid is complicated and expensive.
For a flexible, balanced grid, we need more control. And that starts on your driveway.
Powered by Kaluza
Kaluza is the intelligent energy platform that controls the V2G charger. Through the Kaluza web-app, participants are able to:
- Set charging schedules with the option to override them for unexpected journeys.
- Set minimum charge levels.
- See live charging updates (i.e. when your car is discharging or charging).
- Keep a close eye on things by viewing your historical charging data.
More information on Kaluza can be found on their website.
How it works
The charger handles most of the clever stuff – the Kaluza web-app just needs to know a time for the car to be ready and a minimum charge level. Once that’s done, just plug at home. The Kaluza intelligent energy platform will decide when to charge the battery and when to export to the grid – all while having the car ready for when it’s needed.
Step 1
Enter a time for the car to be ready and a minimum charge level in the Kaluza web-app.
Step 2
Plug into the charger when at home.
Step 3
The charger will charge up when demand on the grid is low, and export when demand is high (working around the charging schedule set up in the web-app)
Step 4
Anything exported that isn’t used to power the home, we’ll sell back to the grid, with any money saved appearing on our monthly statements.
Shaping the UK’s Low Carbon Future
We’re excited to have been specially selected by the UK Government to pioneer vehicle-to-grid technology in the UK in collaboration with Nissan, Indra and Cenex.
Over the last 18 months, we’ve been installing V2G chargers across the UK. The funding for this has been provided by the government’s innovation agency Innovate UK.
Specifications
Power Output: 6kW on charge and export
Weight: 27kg
Dimensions: 520 x 230 x 690mm
Charging Cable: 5m Waterproof CHAdeMO cable
Installation: Outdoor, wall mounted
Compatible with: Nissan electric vehicles with a battery capacity of 30kWh or more
For full specifications please see our user guide
More about Electric Vehicles
Frequently Asked Questions
Registrations closed on 13/03/20. We’ll be reviewing any registrations submitted before this date on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee an installation for every registration. Our team will be in touch shortly to review eligibility.
If you’ve had a charger installed before this date, your tariff, export credits and charger will continue as normal.
You’ll need to have purchased and registered a 2020 reg Nissan LEAF or Nissan e-NV200 before 01/04/2020, or have registered for our trial before 13/03/2020.
You’ll also need to:
- Be an OVO Energy customer on any of our fixed term plans.
- Have a smart meter installed.
- Have your data sharing preferences set to half-hourly.
- Have a suitable space to install the charger.
Unfortunately, we can’t support Economy 7 tariffs.
To remain eligible once on the trial, smart meter data preferences need to be kept as half-hourly and the V2G charger should be the main way participants charge up. If not, the charger may be removed.
The trial is for OVO customers only.
At this stage, the trial is only for people on a single-rate tariff. If you are on a dual-rate tariff and want to be part of the trial, let us know and we can get you switched over.
The LEAF, and the e-NV200 are currently the only vehicles we will be supporting as part of our trial. So you’ll need to drive one to take part.
Our agreement with Nissan currently only guarantees warranty coverage for the following:
- Nissan LEAF - 30kWh, 40kWh, 62kWh
- Nissan e-NV200 - 40kWh
If you have a 24kWh Nissan LEAF and your existing warranty period has expired, you are also eligible to join the trial.
However, if your battery capacity is 24kWh and you are still in your warranty period, we are working on an agreement with Nissan that will allow you to take part in the trial.
We are working closely with Nissan to ensure that no battery degradation is caused by V2G charging beyond what would be expected from normal charging using a standard EV home charge point. We continue to work with Nissan to make sure that during our trial, your existing warranty will remain unaffected.
If you have a 30kWh, 40kWh, or 62kWh Nissan electric vehicle, your existing battery warranty remains unaffected by your participation on the trial.
If you have a 24kWh LEAF that is already out of warranty, you are also eligible to join the trial.
If you have a 24kWh and are still in your warranty period, we are still working with Nissan to confirm that you can take part and hope to have more news soon.
Participants are taking part for 24 months from the date the charger is installed. They’ll need to remain OVO customers throughout the duration of the trial on any OVO plan. During the trial, we’ll ask for regular feedback to help us develop and refine the product for the future.
As it is a trial, the terms may be subject to change. At worst, if we need to change or cancel the trial, we will let participants know 30 days before doing so.
At the end of the trial, you have two options:
- You can keep the charger and have the ownership of it transferred to you. You will be required to pay a fee of 1p for administrative purposes.
- You can have the charger removed for free
To install the V2G charger you’ll need off-street parking and a wall we can attach the charger to. We'll assess your property as part of the installation process, and confirm whether we can install a charger.
We will support any standard installs for free as part of the trial. If it’s a very complex install, we’ll provide you with a no-obligation quote for the work, or advise you that we can’t install at your house during the trial. Either way, we’ll make sure you’re 100% happy with the detail of the install process before we start any work.
You'll see your export credits as a line item on your regular statement. The amount shown will be for the entire calendar month previous.
For example, if you get your statement from us on the 10th of each month, on the 10th July you'll receive your export credits for June 1st - June 30th. You'll see July's credits in August, and so on.
If you have solar panels, we will be paying you for all of your exports, not just those from your vehicle-to-grid charger. As we'll be paying you at a rate of your 26p per kWh, you will be receiving significantly more than your current deemed export payment.