Intelligent Octopus Go
EV not charging when you expect on Intelligent Octopus Go?
You're on a smart tariff to save money, but the car didn't charge overnight — or charged at the wrong time. That's frustrating, and it's rarely because you "didn't set it up right." More often, two or three systems are each trying to be in charge.
We run Intelligent Octopus Go with an EV at home. The same pattern comes up again and again in conversations with other IOG households: the tariff is fine, but something else in the chain decided not to charge.
Three places to look first
- The car's own schedule. Many EVs (Ford, VW, Tesla and others) have in-car charging timers or "off-peak only" settings. If the car thinks it's outside that window, it won't draw power even when the wall charger is ready.
- Charger apps trying to be clever. Zappi, GivEnergy, Ohme and similar often have their own smart schedules. IOG may be timing the car while the charger app still thinks it's in charge — or a battery system is steering the charger separately.
- IOG's cheap windows. IOG has a fixed overnight window (11:30pm–5:30am) plus shorter dynamic slots during the day that shift with the grid. Octopus only shows when it plans to charge your car once the EV is linked — and those times can still move during the day.
Quick check: Plug in during the fixed overnight window (11:30pm–5:30am) — the one window you can count on without relying on the app — with the wall charger on fast/unlocked, the car's own schedule off, and any charger-app smart modes disabled. If it works, the hardware is fine and it's a scheduling clash between IOG and something else — not a fault.
IOG talks to your car first — not your charger
Intelligent Octopus Go prefers to connect directly to your car's account or API. Charger integration is only offered when the car can't be linked — and even then, the setup flow pushes you towards the car if one is available.
We use Zappi and GivEnergy chargers at home. Octopus always wants to talk to the cars instead. So we've left the wall boxes on plain fast mode and let IOG handle timing through the vehicle. That sounds backwards if you assumed the charger was the smart bit, but it's how IOG is designed.
The clash is usually between IOG's car scheduling and everything else: the car's own timers, a charger app's smart modes, or a battery system trying to steer the charger. Pick one layer to own timing — for us that's IOG via the car, with the wall box left dumb.
It's probably not your fault
Plenty of people on IOG are tech-comfortable but still don't want a third-party monitoring stack or Home Assistant. They just want the car charged cheaply without checking three apps. If that sounds like you, you're exactly who we built these guides for.
Common questions
Why didn't my EV charge on Intelligent Octopus Go overnight?
Usually the car's own charging schedule, a separate charger app or IOG's off-peak window didn't line up. Check all three before assuming the tariff is broken.
Does IOG control my charger or my car?
Your car, if it can be linked. IOG prefers a direct car connection and only falls back to charger integration when the car isn't supported. Many households leave Zappi, GivEnergy or Ohme chargers on fast mode and let IOG schedule through the vehicle.
What time is Intelligent Octopus Go cheap?
IOG has a fixed cheap window overnight (11:30pm–5:30am). During the day there are additional dynamic cheap slots that shift with grid conditions. Octopus won't show you a charging schedule until your car is connected to IOG — and even then the planned times can change through the day.
Stuck? Tell us what's going on
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