OVO and Kaluza launched the Charge Anytime add-on on 12 April 2023, offering electric vehicle charging at 10p per kWh as a rate separate from household electricity charges1. Kaluza, which supplies the optimisation platform behind the product, described it as the only unrestricted time-of-use add-on on the market, meaning customers can charge at any time of day or night rather than within set windows1.
The 10p per kWh rate equates to about 3p a mile and is described as three times cheaper than the UK average rate of 34p per kWh1. Kaluza puts average charging savings at 71 per cent, or approximately £350 a year, based on an Anytime customer using 1,750 kWh a year to charge an EV, compared with a UK average unit rate of 30p per kWh1. The company notes actual savings will vary with vehicle efficiency, driving style, charging usage and the cost per kWh of a standard home energy add-on1. EV charging costs are split from home electricity charges, and customers receive monthly credits for the electricity saved through smart charging1.
"That's why OVO and Kaluza have launched a new, mould-breaking add-on, OVO Charge Anytime."
Kaluza reports that 1,000 customers signed up in the first 20 days, with a further 800 non-OVO customers expressing interest1. In under two months, 2,000 direct-to-vehicle customers were active on the plan; direct-to-vehicle means Kaluza uses the vehicle's telematics to communicate with and control the car rather than connecting through its charger, which widens compatibility1. Kaluza says its platform is currently compatible with more than 80 per cent of EVs1.
Across just under 2,000 direct-to-vehicle customers over 2.5 months, Kaluza reports £115,000 in total savings, an average customer saving of £66, average savings of £5.85 per charging session, 0.33 GWh shifted away from peak times and 97.5 per cent of charging smart charged1. Between 22 and 24 March, when wind generation in the UK reached 46 to 56 per cent, Charge Anytime drivers shifted almost 20 MWh, charging at times that maximised use of that wind output1. Kaluza also cites a comparison by Love My EV stating Charge Anytime will very likely save £200 a year against Intelligent Octopus, and says MoneySavingExpert ranked it the cheapest EV add-on and the cheapest two-rate add-on on the UK market1. It adds that the 10p per kWh rate applies whenever a customer chooses to smart charge, whereas Intelligent Octopus requires charging within a specific six-hour overnight window1.
Why it matters for households
For a household with an electric car, the add-on separates the cost of charging the vehicle from the cost of running the home, so the two are billed and credited differently1. Charging is controlled by software rather than by the householder choosing a time, and the reported figures show most sessions were optimised automatically1. The claimed savings depend on annual mileage, vehicle efficiency and the standard rate the household would otherwise pay, and Kaluza states actual savings will vary1. Shifting charging away from peak times also reduces demand on the grid at its busiest, which is the mechanism behind the reported carbon and cost benefits1. This sits within the wider picture of EV charging and household energy independence and of smart charging tariffs where the supplier controls the charger.
What happens next
Kaluza says it intends to expand the concept to new retailer partners and new markets, build new features including optimisation with solar for all customers and public charging integration, and significantly increase the number of UK customers on the add-on by the end of 20231. No dates beyond that have been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- UK�s Smartest EV Add-On - Charging Forward, kaluza.com