How to best use the public charge network infrequently?

All Skoda Enyaq related discussions
IanJ
Posts: 229
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:32 am

Post by IanJ »

ChangoMutney wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:48 am
IanJ wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:41 am The £15 will be a pre-authorisation charge to your card which should be refunded in due course. For the 150kW chargers the pre-authorisation for PAYG use is a whopping £30
The pre-authorisation charge is something I haven't heard of before.
Pre-authorisation is something supermarket forecourts have been doing for a while with pay at the pump transactions to combat stolen card fraud.
This article explains much better than I can https://www.bankrate.com/uk/current-ac ... n-deposit/
iV 80 Suite, Arctic Silver plus various packages. ME 3.1
Ordered late Oct 21 for delivery June 2022. Scheduled production now Week 29 (was previously late September). In transit 25 July 22. Delivered as ordered 17 August 22.

Lorttrol
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 6:14 pm

Post by Lorttrol »

You'll find most petrol station pay at pump services also take a pre authorisation. It's a way of checking there is enough money in the account to pay for the amount of fuel/electricity you use. Because they dont know how much you're going to take they will put a pre-authorisation charge in place and either refund the difference if less or take more if you buy more. Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys etc were all moaned at recently by the media for upping their pre-authorisation charges. Used to be £1, now they can put a hold on up to £100.
Ordered 8th Jan 22 - 80, Energy Blue, Loft, Light and View +, Convenience +, Drive Pack +, Comfort seat basic, Climate Package basic, Drive Sport Basic and HUD. Delivery 41 weeks to the day!
Previous: Tarraco, 1st Edition Plus 2.0 TDI 7 speed DSG 4WD
Stripy
Posts: 211
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:39 pm

Post by Stripy »

snalbansed wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:15 am
Stripy wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:33 am With the Skoda, you get first year free on the Power Pass to reduced rates, ie Ionity for 25p/kWh and anything else they cover for 35p/kWh. When the year ends you have a choice of paying £9.99/month and you get one bill - but there is also cheaper subscriptions with them.
I thought this was only true while upgrading to a faster charging speed was a cost option? Once they made it standard (and bumped the base price accordingly) I thought they stopped doing it? Or the deal ended for other reasons. Either way, I think people who have had their cars more recently haven't had this option.
Ahh okay, but still the convenience of using PowerPass is a joy, and for me, it’s worth the £9.99 subscription. At 44p saving per kWh, it’s paid for at the first charge on Ionity
Rowly
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:20 pm

Post by Rowly »

So is the Powerpass worthwhile? I anticipate that probably 75% of my charging will be at home on my Zappi on the Octopuss Go tarriff / solar power, but obviously from time to time will need to use the public rapid networks. I'm used to how they work as ive been driving a Renault Zoe from ONTO for the past 8 months whilst waiting for my car to be built, but with them was restricted to the Shell Recharge (Inc Osprey & Ionity), BP Pulse and Instavolt networks. Does the Powerpass app give access to Gridserve, MFG, Fastned etc, etc too?
iV80 Black Magic ecoSuite, Heat Pump, Convenience+, Sunroof, Assisted Drive +, Comfort Basic, Climate Basic, Transport, Infotainment+. Orderd 24/10/21 Caffyns Tunbridge Wells. Confirmed build WK40/22 - Delivered 12/12/22
Goaty
Posts: 1576
Joined: Sat May 22, 2021 3:27 pm

Post by Goaty »

Rowly wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:46 pm So is the Powerpass worthwhile? I anticipate that probably 75% of my charging will be at home on my Zappi on the Octopuss Go tarriff / solar power, but obviously from time to time will need to use the public rapid networks. I'm used to how they work as ive been driving a Renault Zoe from ONTO for the past 8 months whilst waiting for my car to be built, but with them was restricted to the Shell Recharge (Inc Osprey & Ionity), BP Pulse and Instavolt networks. Does the Powerpass app give access to Gridserve, MFG, Fastned etc, etc too?

I don’t know about those other networks, but I use my PowerPass with Ionity.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever break even (I think it costs about £120 a year? I can’t remember how much I had to pay) - but for me, it’s absolutely worth every penny, as I can roll up to any Ionity station and pay just 28 pence per kWh. There are enough of them around the UK, that I can get to most stations within the range of my car and without much deviation from my intended route. We also drive abroad with the Enyaq and again - heading for Ionity stations never really takes us far off our planned route. I like the Power Pass because it removes hassle!
iV80 Loft, Black, 21” Betria, 125kW, Climate Plus, Asst Drive Basic. Tethered PodPoint. Ordered May 2021. Delivered Nov 2021. Regrettably returned Jan 2024 (Company car. Changed jobs).
User avatar
HarryHuk
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2022 8:58 pm

Post by HarryHuk »

AndyH wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:50 pm ... (Gridserve still haven’t rolled out their software upgrade announced a year ago to allow a charger to allow more than 1 charge per unit, so a 22kWh charge can commandeer a unit for hours preventing say a 50kWh charge for another vehicle “it is turning out to be more complicated than we thought” - in most places there was usually only 1 charger). Just our experience, but we’ve found turn up and use contactless very rare.
I got told this at the Pod Point 50kW charge at the local Tesco. Probably made by the same company.
It might not be just software, but also the strength of the supply might limit use of both at once.
60 Loft Graphite Grey ordered late Nov 2021, delivered late June 2022. UK based
Heat pump, 19" wheels,
chrome, transport, sport drive basic, assisted drive basic, parking basic, light and view basic. ME3.0.0 (from factory)
User avatar
HarryHuk
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2022 8:58 pm

Post by HarryHuk »

Goaty wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 10:19 pm
Rowly wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:46 pm So is the Powerpass worthwhile? I anticipate that probably 75% of my charging will be at home on my Zappi on the Octopuss Go tarriff / solar power, but obviously from time to time will need to use the public rapid networks. I'm used to how they work as ive been driving a Renault Zoe from ONTO for the past 8 months whilst waiting for my car to be built, but with them was restricted to the Shell Recharge (Inc Osprey & Ionity), BP Pulse and Instavolt networks. Does the Powerpass app give access to Gridserve, MFG, Fastned etc, etc too?

I don’t know about those other networks, but I use my PowerPass with Ionity.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever break even (I think it costs about £120 a year? I can’t remember how much I had to pay) - but for me, it’s absolutely worth every penny, as I can roll up to any Ionity station and pay just 28 pence per kWh. There are enough of them around the UK, that I can get to most stations within the range of my car and without much deviation from my intended route. We also drive abroad with the Enyaq and again - heading for Ionity stations never really takes us far off our planned route. I like the Power Pass because it removes hassle!

I signed up online for PowerPass several weeks ago, but didn't get as far as choosing a subscription.
Was interested in the Plug and Charge, but don't know if the car is ready for that yet.
Have just chosen the PAYG option, and ordered a card.
Can you use it just with the app? Not sure the card will arrive before I head off on a trip.

I do have plenty of other cards all on PAYG subscription, as 95% of the time I charge at home at 22.6p/kWh.
  • Electric Juice/Electroverse
  • ChargeMap (similar but for FR/BE/NL and maybe D)
  • Shell ReCharge fob
  • A couple of other French cards - I was preparing for the worst in the summer, but I mostly used Electric Juice here, and ChargeMap over there.
60 Loft Graphite Grey ordered late Nov 2021, delivered late June 2022. UK based
Heat pump, 19" wheels,
chrome, transport, sport drive basic, assisted drive basic, parking basic, light and view basic. ME3.0.0 (from factory)
Erakettu
Posts: 200
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2021 8:49 am

Post by Erakettu »

Powerpass does work with the app. However, sometimes a charger may (temporarily) not be visible in the app, but will still activate with the card.
Pict
Posts: 165
Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:41 am

Post by Pict »

We use the Powerpass all the time. Although we are still in the free period (which expires in January) I will be renewing it.

We make frequent 700+ mile round trips (maybe every 2 months) and it will repay it's cost very quickly. We prefer Ionity for rapid charging but use Osprey and others as well. I even use it in preference to my home charger, which currently costs 33.8p per kW, on some nearby Shell recharge 22kwh (11 to me) units which gives me a faster and cheaper charge at 25p

None of the local Shell chargers (6 x 22kw, 1 x 225kw) will start with the app and will only accept the card being tapped.
60 Lounge, Quartz Grey, 100 kW charging, Tow bar, Sunroof, Comfort Basic, Family Basic, Climate Plus, Convenience Basic, Drive Sport Basic, Assisted Drive Basic, Parking Basic

Mrs PIct has MG ZS EV, so a fully electric household
Post Reply

  • You may also be interested in...
    Replies
    Views
    Last post