The combination of falling wholesale prices, a slump in demand, and weather conditions increasing energy production led to the unusual exchange.
Octopus Energy customers using the Ohme cable were able to charge up their battery when electricity prices were at their lowest.
The smart system asks users how much battery capacity they’ll need the next day and chooses the best time to charge a vehicle over the next 24 hours.
Ohme then turn charging on and off to minimise costs, while also using surplus energy which could otherwise be wasted.
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On Saturday 23 May, prices were negative for more than 12 hours and drivers were paid up to 11p per kWh.
One electric car owner charged his Jaguar I-Pace with 82 kWH of electricity and was paid £1.43, giving him a saving of £34 compared to refuelling a petrol equivalent.
The motorist said: “Unfortunately, I did not have enough empty space in the car battery to take full advantage of electricity prices dropping.
“So I invited my father, who drives a Tesla and lives around the corner, to plug into my home charger and enjoy free electricity and earn me some money.
“Because the charger and cables are outside, there was no need for us to go within two metres of each other, so we could still social distance and get paid for charging.”
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David Watson, CEO and founder of Ohme said: “EVs will have a profound positive impact on the grid, unlocking value by cheaply shifting demand to times where there is an excess of renewable energy on the system.”
Octopus Electric Vehicles CEO, Fiona Howarth, said that drivers “were able to seamlessly take advantage of the negative prices without having to think about when to start and stop their charging - it just happened automatically - a great snapshot of a smart, green future.”
Electric vehicle owners received more good news earlier this month when the Government revealed their plans to provide a minimum of six ultra-rapid chargepoints at every motorway service station.
The move is part of a £1.7bn boost to transform the UK’s roads.
Are you convinced by electric vehicles yet? Let us know your take in the comments below.
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