ScottishPower has launched EV Optimise, an add-on for its domestic customers that manages electric vehicle charging through the ScottishPower app and credits the resulting savings back to the customer's electricity bill1. The company said the product lets customers charge at a rate of 9p per kWh both day and night1.
The add-on can be added to any existing ScottishPower tariff except its Time of Use tariffs1. Customers set how much charge they need and when in the app, and ScottishPower aims to charge during the cheapest and greenest times1. The company said the greenest times are those when the carbon intensity of the electricity used to charge the car is lowest, which varies daily with weather, renewable generation and grid demand1.
Under the terms set out by the company, all electricity used is charged at the customer's normal unit rate under their ScottishPower tariff, and the credit for the smart charging session then appears as credit on the bill1. The company lists three features: smart charging when demand on the UK power network is low, monthly credits earned by allowing ScottishPower to manage car charging, and charging preferences set in the app1.
Eligibility requires a smart home charger, a smart meter, payment by Direct Debit, consent to half-hourly reads and registration on the ScottishPower app1. EV Optimise cannot be added to any Time of Use tariff1. ScottishPower said it has installed more than 4,000 home chargers so far1.
Andy Mouat, Head of Smart Mobility at ScottishPower, said:
"We aim to make the transition to EVs as seamless as possible. With EV Optimise, customers can plug in and let us handle the rest, ensuring charging at the most cost-effective and eco-friendly times. Our EV-driving customers not only save on their bills but also contribute to the UK's decarbonisation efforts."
The company also said:
"At ScottishPower, we recently launched an exciting new solution for electric vehicle (EV) drivers."
The page cites Zapmap figures showing that about 15 to 20 per cent of new cars sold in the UK are electric1. No launch date, price for the add-on itself, or exit terms are given in the material published by the company1.
Why it matters for households
For a household with an electric car, the electricity used to charge it is one of the larger and more controllable parts of the bill. A flat 9p per kWh rate available at any hour, rather than only in an overnight window, changes the arithmetic for homes where the car is plugged in during the day, and it removes the need to schedule charging around a time of use tariff to reach a lower rate1. The trade is control: the credit depends on ScottishPower deciding when the car charges, and the customer must have a smart meter sending half-hourly reads and a smart charger the company can manage1.
The practical effect is that the home's charging cost becomes a managed service rather than a rate the household chooses by timing its own use. That matters for charging at home because the gap between home and public charging is already wide, and a rate of this kind widens it further for eligible drivers1. Households without a smart meter, a smart charger or a Direct Debit arrangement cannot take the add-on, and those on a Time of Use tariff are excluded outright1.
What happens next
ScottishPower directs customers to an eligibility survey before sign-up, and to a smart meter fitting appointment for those who do not yet have one1. No end date or future pricing for EV Optimise is stated in the published material1.