Not every kilowatt-hour costs the same. Electricity prices and grid demand change through the day. Smart charging uses software to decide when and how fast each vehicle charges, so sites use cheaper power and avoid costly peaks.
What smart charging does
- Scheduling: starts or speeds up charging when tariffs are lower.
- Load management: keeps total site power below a set limit. See load management and demand charges.
- Prioritising: gives more power to vehicles that are leaving soon.
- Responding to signals: reduces load when the building or grid is under strain.
Time-of-day tariffs in practice
Under the Ministry of Power's 2024 charging guidelines, public EV charging uses a single-part electricity tariff with cheaper rates during solar hours, 9 am to 4 pm. Exact rates and time bands are set by each state's regulator.
Who benefits most
- Fleets: vehicles parked for hours can charge in the cheapest window and still leave full. See charging around shift schedules.
- Workplaces: cars parked during the day line up well with solar-hour rates.
- Apartments: overnight charging can be spread out so many cars share limited power.
- Public stations: lower daytime prices can attract drivers to quieter hours.
Passing savings to drivers
Operators can set time-of-day prices so drivers pay less when power is cheaper. This moves some demand away from peaks and fills quiet periods. See pricing your charging sessions.
What you need
- Chargers that accept power limits and schedules from software, usually through OCPP.
- A management system with smart charging features.
- A meter and tariff that reflect time-of-day rates.
- For fleets, departure times or vehicle data so the system knows deadlines.
EVee Buddy's CPMS includes scheduling, load management and time-of-day pricing, so sites can cut energy costs without leaving drivers short.
Sources
Tariffs and time bands are set by each state electricity regulator and change over time. Check your current tariff order.