What is EV Optimise?

Two smartphones displaying EV Optimise information. The phone on the left shows a lock‑screen notification stating the car is 100% charged. The phone on the right shows the EV Optimise app with a charging progress screen indicating 76% charged, along with range information and charging preferences.

EV Optimise is a smart charging solution from ScottishPower that helps you lower your EV home charging costs and supports a greener energy system.

EV Optimise isn’t a tariff with set off‑peak hours, which means there are no fixed times when your electricity is cheaper. Once you sign up and set your charging preferences, as long as smart charging is enabled and your car is plugged in at home, we will charge your car at our lower smart charging rate - anytime, day or night.

How does EV Optimise work?

Connect your car: When you sign up for EV Optimise, you connect your car to our smart charging platform via the ScottishPower app.
Set your charging preferences: You set your charging preferences (how much charge you need and when you need to be ready by) in the ScottishPower app.
Smart charging sessions: With your permission, we read key data from your car (e.g. charge state and location) and use its remote access capabilities to start and stop charging when your car is plugged in at home. This allows us to manage your charging sessions automatically, based on the preferences you set.
- Once everything is set up, EV Optimise will charge your car at the greenest and cheapest times, when the grid is less in demand.¹Any savings from your smart charging sessions are credited directly to your electricity bill.²
- In some cases, we may ask you to also connect your home EV charger to our platform. This is needed if your car doesn’t have all the capabilities needed for smart charging, or if the connection to your car is less reliable than expected.

For more details on how smart charging works, see our smart charging support page.

For more information on billing, see our EV Optimise billing page.

Who can use EV Optimise?

EV Optimise is exclusively available to ScottishPower customers and only works when you charge at home. If eligible, you can add EV Optimise to any ScottishPower electricity or dual-fuel tariff (excluding our time-of-use tariffs).²

To sign up for EV Optimise, you’ll need:

electricity with ScottishPower
a compatible EV
a home EV charger
a communicating smart meter

Find out more about eligibility.

Not a ScottishPower customer yet? You can switch to us easily, then add EV Optimise to your account once you’re on supply.

Check your eligibility 
Take our short eligibility survey to confirm you meet the requirements.
Link your EV (and charger, if prompted)
Link your EV in the ScottishPower app. In some cases, we’ll ask you to also link your home EV charger.
Set your smart charging preferences
Choose when you need your car ready and how much charge you want, all within the app.

Check if you’re eligible.

Troubleshooting

Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements by taking our survey. You can also find more information about eligibility here.
Access sign-up by tapping on the EV Optimise tile in the ScottishPower app home screen. The tile will be available once you successfully complete our survey while logged in to your ScottishPower account.
Check that you have the latest version of the ScottishPower app installed and a stable internet connection. If you don’t have the ScottishPower app, download it from the app store first.
If you have multiple accounts with ScottishPower, please make sure you select the correct electricity or dual-fuel account for your property when you log in to the app.
When prompted to link your car (and, when relevant, your charger), please enter the credentials you use in your car manufacturer’s app.
In some cases, your car (or charger) may not have all the capabilities we need to smart charge. Learn more about supported devices in our FAQs.

If you’re still unable to sign up, please contact our dedicated EV Optimise Support team for assistance.

What if EV Optimise isn’t right for me?

If you’re not eligible for EV Optimise or feel the product isn’t quite right for you, you can still benefit from cheaper overnight rates with our EV Saver tariff,³allowing you to charge your EV for less between midnight and 5am.⁴

Frequently asked questions

You will receive the cheaper charging rate for every smart charging session. There are no time limits – you can get the cheaper rate anytime, day or night. As long as your preferences are set and smart charging is enabled, we will aim to find the cheapest and greenest times to smart charge your car.

The greenest times of day are when the carbon intensity of the electricity required to charge your EV is at its lowest. This will vary each day depending on factors like weather conditions, renewable energy generation, and grid demand.

Yes, households with solar panels and/or batteries can join EV Optimise. However, the algorithm does not currently consider electricity from solar panels or residential battery storage when calculating the smart charging schedule and bill credit - only electricity drawn from the grid is eligible for smart charging credit. If you have solar panels and/or a battery, you can still join EV Optimise and take advantage of the lower smart charging rate alongside any self-generated and/or stored electricity.

1

The greenest times of day will be when carbon intensity of the electricity requested to charge your EV is at its lowest. This will vary each day depending on a number of factors including weather conditions, renewable energy generation and demand on the grid.

2

All electricity will be charged at your normal unit rate based on your ScottishPower tariff. The credit for your EV smart charging session will appear as a credit on your bill. EV Optimise can be added to any ScottishPower tariff free of charge (excluding our Time of Use tariffs, which include EV Saver, Heat Saver and Solar Saver tariffs). Find out more about billing in our support article and further details in our Terms and Conditions.

3

To be eligible for the EV Saver tariff you must be a ScottishPower electricity customer, have a single rate smart meter that sends half-hourly readings and pay by monthly Direct Debit. If you are not currently a ScottishPower customer, you can join us on our Standard Variable tariff and then switch to the EV Saver tariff through your online account. Terms and Conditions apply.

4

These timings are based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, during British Summer Time (BST), the time periods will change on selected SMETS1 meters to reflect the new time zone. BST runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October

What is EV Optimise?

How does EV Optimise work?

Who can use EV Optimise?

Troubleshooting

What if EV Optimise isn’t right for me?

Frequently asked questions

Was this information helpful?

Related/Useful Links

Unable to sign up or need more help?

What is EV Optimise?

How does EV Optimise work?

Who can use EV Optimise?

How do I sign up?

Troubleshooting

What if EV Optimise isn’t right for me?

Frequently asked questions

Was this information helpful?

Related/Useful Links

Unable to sign up or need more help?