Switching to Chargepoint

[Scorpio3d]

I know Ford did a deal with TXU here in Texas so you could get off peak or free charging.(I don’t remember now). I looked into it briefly about a year ago. I think the rate was like 16.7 cents per kilowatt hour, so it was not a good deal they just charge you a lot for your other electricity usage!

https://www.ford.com/support/how-to...u-energy-free-ev-miles-for-ford-drivers-plan/

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[RickLightning]

Weird, and thanks for the explanation. No such program where I am however they did cut me a check for $400 when I bought a heat pump water heater. Go figure.

In 2021, my utility mandated either a ChargePoint Homeflex or a Juicebox, and you got a $500 rebate. They got the data from the companies.

We had to switch to a time of day plan with peak and off-peak rates, but we had done that in 2018. We also could have gotten an EV only meter, but we had to get an electrican at our expense.

In 2023, it was any UL listed EVSE. Now, it is income-based and impossible to get.

There is also a program called Ford Energy Rewards (also a handful of other car makers and EVSE makers). https://www.ford.com/fordenergyrewards
This program gives you money IF you agree that a handful of times a month when generation is tight, the utility, via Ford, MAY turn off your charging (they do this by Ford changing the charging settings in the truck remotely), or at times of excess generation, they might force you to charge. You can override any request - and I cannot tell you the last time they made one, sometime in 2023 or 2024. So far I have banked like $700.... It used to be $100 a year, it is now $5 a month.

I prevent peak charging via time setting on the charger.

In our market, Ford, BMW, Tesla, as well as Wallbox, ChargePoint HomeFlex, and Emporia owners qualify.

I looked, and New Orleans doesn't participate.

 

[molsonmatt]

In 2021, my utility mandated either a ChargePoint Homeflex or a Juicebox, and you got a $500 rebate. They got the data from the companies.

We had to switch to a time of day plan with peak and off-peak rates, but we had done that in 2018. We also could have gotten an EV only meter, but we had to get an electrican at our expense.

In 2023, it was any UL listed EVSE. Now, it is income-based and impossible to get.

There is also a program called Ford Energy Rewards (also a handful of other car makers and EVSE makers). https://www.ford.com/fordenergyrewards
This program gives you money IF you agree that a handful of times a month when generation is tight, the utility, via Ford, MAY turn off your charging (they do this by Ford changing the charging settings in the truck remotely), or at times of excess generation, they might force you to charge. You can override any request - and I cannot tell you the last time they made one, sometime in 2023 or 2024. So far I have banked like $700.... It used to be $100 a year, it is now $5 a month.

I prevent peak charging via time setting on the charger.

In our market, Ford, BMW, Tesla, as well as Wallbox, ChargePoint HomeFlex, and Emporia owners qualify.

I looked, and New Orleans doesn't participate.

No shit! That’s interesting. I just checked. Not available in my area.

 

[hturnerfamily]

we've dealt with Georgia Power's SUPER-OFFPEAK pricing, which is a huge discount on their 'EV Charging Overnight' rate plan. ANY power usage during the 11pm to 7am timeframe gets the rate, no matter what EVSE you use, how many devices or appliances are in usage, etc... EVERYTHING used during those hours gets the lower rate. Dry your clothes. Bake a cake. Take a Shower. Charge your EV. Use your welder. It doesn't matter.

It's interesting that some EVSE's can report to the utility, or provide amperage usage data, which is why some regions have these 'specific device' options, I suppose. Georgia Power doesn't get that specific.

Some other regions, generally with EMCs, have some EV Charging Overnight rate plans, but they can be very confusing, and hard to ascertain if they make 'cents', since the rules about 'when' these lower rates are in affect are not easily deciphered...

 

[Jodokk]

Love my Chargepoints.
Electric company leased my first one to me for $5 a month four years ago. Gave it back and bought my own two years back, it stopped talking to my innernets, so I called Chargepoint and the sent me a new one, tossed the old one in the box and sent it back.
I did get an automatic email saying it never arrived, but I have a feeling it'll all shake out. Anyhow, I like that 3 year warranty... So far!

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

Interesting how the utilities do different approaches in different markets.
I bought two Grizzl-E chargers, and love them. Very solid units for exterior application.

Our overnight rate from Hydro-One is 2.8 cents plus delivery and with a solar-ESS for the whole property we never use any "on-peak' power ever, even during winter.

The whole solar set up was an expensive build, but now that we have it, there are no 'outages' ever and the utility cost per month is 30-90 dollars even with the Lightning, instead of several-hundred dollars per month before the solar install. Planning to expand the solar set up for a second EV next year.

 

[Calvin H-C]

Wow! I didn't know just how good we have it here in Ontario, Canada.

We get to choose from three pricing plans for hydro (electricity). Nothing about your EVSE matters, it's just what is measured by your meter.

There is a regulatory charge and delivery charge and a taxpayer-funded rebate that basically adds about 4 cents per kWh to start, then your plan adds the electricity cost as one of:

1) Tiered pricing.

9.3¢/kWh for the first 600kWh​

11¢/kWh after that each month​

2) Time of use pricing

7.6¢/kWh off peak​

12.2¢/kWh mid peak​

15.8¢/kWh on peak​

• Off peak is 7 pm to 7 am weekdays and all day weekends and holidays
• Mid peak is 7-11 am and 5-7 pm weekdays in summer
• On peak is 11 am to 5 pm weekdays in summer
• On peak and mid peak reverse in winter

3) Ultra Low Overnight pricing

7.6¢/kWh off peak​

12.2¢/kWh mid peak​

28.4¢/kWh on peak​

2.8¢/kWh overnight​

• The overnight rate applies every day 11 pm to 7 am
• The off peak rate only applies weekends and holidays from 7 am to 11 pm
• Mid peak rate applies 7 to 11 am and 9 to 11 pm weekdays year round
• On peak is 4 to 9 pm weekdays year round

Choice 3 works out best if you have an EV. Bonus if you can run other heavy items after 11 pm, so we usually use the electric clothes dryer overnight. The oven's use is usually dictated by meals, but running the self cleaning cycle can be done overnight.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

Choice 3 works out best if you have an EV. Bonus if you can run other heavy items after 11 pm, so we usually use the electric clothes dryer overnight. The oven's use is usually dictated by meals, but running the self cleaning cycle can be done overnight.

And if you added a battery-inverter system (don't even need any solar) your oven would run anytime you like, but be powered by the battery that charges over-night.

 

[chl]

Our utility, Dominion Energy or whatever they are calling it at the moment, has a special program where they can control the EVSE and limit it to 3 or 4 models, not the FCSP.

However, they also have a time of day program I signed up for years ago called EV Plus Home. It was originally a pilot program but it has been on auto-pilot for many years it seems: "Residential (Schedule 1EV)" is what my bill still calls it.

The details of the current EV plans Dominion Energy has is in the attached pdf.

They limit some to the particular chargers because they can remotely control them.

 

[Calvin H-C]

And if you added a battery-inverter system (don't even need any solar) your oven would run anytime you like, but be powered by the battery that charges over-night.

Very true.

Before the Ultra Low Overnight rate existed, I considered this idea. With the Time of Use plan, it would have saved us about $15 per month, so the payback time from the investment would be far too long.

However, with the greater spread between peak price and ultra low price, the additional mid price time, and the lower cost of equipment, the numbers work out significantly better, so I'm seriously looking into it again.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

The low cost power is a nice bonus, but our motivation was reliability - living rural and running our business next door to our home made a battery-inverter system an easy decision.
After seeing how well it supported the shop, we added in the whole house instead of just some critical circuits to the system, and changed the battery-inverters to be our primary power, utilty is secondary power source.
Now with the Lightning, we have another back up to the system - one that can drive to a DCFC and return to power the system if required.

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