Charge Ahead
Charge Ahead gives Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) customers who own electric vehicles (EVs) the unique opportunity to help MGE manage the grid and keep electricity costs low. Plus, eligible customers could earn rewards while smart charging at home during off-peak times!
Sign up for the Charge Ahead program below. After signing up, you will need to download the ev.energy mobile app and log in to your account and enable smart charging.
Charge Ahead uses a free mobile app powered by ev.energy to connect to your EV or home charger to the program. Create an account and enroll in Charge Ahead today!
Your connected EV or home charger’s telematics tracks your charging in real time to determine when you are charging your EV during off-peak periods to earn your incentives.
Your EV will always be charged by your customized schedule. The app measures battery state of charge, charge speed and kilowatt-hours (kWh) required to ensure your EV is charged by your “ready by” time each day.
Your charging history is displayed on your personalized Dashboard and Stats screens in the Charge Ahead app, powered by ev.energy, including estimated charging costs.
Join Madison Gas and Electric EV drivers in the Charge Ahead program.
How Do I Earn Cash for Charging?
Spring-Summer Off-peak Charging
Fall-Winter Off-Peak Charging
MGE will not initiate charging during peak times. You can expect to see savings on your monthly energy bill by charging during off-peak periods.
Join your fellow EV drivers in the Charge Ahead program
If you need Charge Ahead support please refer to the FAQ or contact us by email at mgecharge@ev.energy
MGE uses a platform called ev.energy that allows us to connect to your vehicle and obtain your charging preferences (ready-by time) to optimize charging through the telematic system in your vehicle. MGE will primarily shift eligible customers' charging to times when the grid is less busy (off-peak), but may control vehicle charging during periods of high demand or high energy cost, when renewables are available and/or for testing purposes.
Learn more about how the algorithm works here.
If you are on MGE's standard rate and shift at least 80% of your monthly charging to off-peak hours, you will receive a monthly reward for participating in Charge Ahead. Rewards will be paid monthly at a rate of $8 per month for June through August and $4 per month for September through May. These rewards will be paid out on a monthly basis via Paypal or Venmo. You will be able to enter your Paypal or Venmo information through the ev.energy app. In order to qualify for monthly rewards, you must have smart charging enabled within the ev.energy app and must not perform more than three “unmanaged” (non-smart) at-home charging sessions per month.
If you’re enrolled in our Time-of-Use rate, you can expect to see savings on your monthly energy bill by charging during off-peak periods
When it comes to optimizing your charging experience, ev.energy's Smart Charging algorithm prioritizes your needs.
If there is flexibility in your charging schedule, the algorithm automatically selects the most suitable times to charge your EV, considering both grid and environmental factors, to provide you with a lower-cost and greener charging experience.The algorithm uses the following criteria for optimization, following a specific order of priority:
1. Ensuring your EV is charged by your designated "ready-by time."
2. Charging from the electricity grid during the periods when it is most affordable for you based on the program’s off-peak hours.
3. Scheduling charging sessions during low-demand periods when the grid is less congested.
4. Prioritizing charging when low-carbon energy sources are readily available.
It's important to note that you maintain complete control over your "ready-by time”, and if you require an immediate charge, you can initiate a "Boost" charge by tapping on the respective button. However, it's worth noting that Boost charging may utilize high-carbon energy at peak prices.
Off-peak is the time of day when energy use on our community grid is low.
MGE's off-peak hours are weekdays from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. as well as weekends and holidays.
Maximize your off-peak charging with these helpful smart charging tips. Remember, in order to earn monthly rewards, you must have smart charging enabled in the ev.energy app
Once you download the ev.energy app, we will ask you to connect using your EV account (BMW ConnectedDrive, Tesla, Audi Connect, Chevrolet OnStar or FordPass) username and password.
In the ev.energy app, you enter the time you need your vehicle charged and ready to go. You also can press the Boost button to override managed charging and begin charging immediately.
Learn more about how the algorithm works here.
No. MGE will manage charging only when your vehicle is plugged in at the address provided in the ev.energy app.
MGE residential electric customers who own or lease an EV and charge at home. A list of eligible electric vehicles and compatible chargers is below:
Supported Chargers
Yes. Apartment and condo residents are eligible to participate if your parking stall can be serviced by your electric panel. This is most often the case in townhome style units with attached garages.
There are 3 different charging modes available in the ev.energy app to suit your needs and preferences. These charging modes are designed to provide flexibility and convenience when it comes to charging your electric vehicle.
You can easily customize your charging experience to best fit your lifestyle and needs. Whether you want to take advantage of off-peak rates, need a quick charge, or simply want to plug in and go, the ev.energy app has you covered.
Let's take a closer look at each mode:
Smart Mode
This mode allows you to set charging schedules based on the program’s off-peak schedule to charge your vehicle during off-peak hours. By using smart mode, you can take advantage of the program’s off-peak incentives to earn rewards.
Read more: Scheduling a Smart Charge
Boost Mode
If you need a quick charge, boost mode is the perfect option. This mode allows you to override your scheduled charging and immediately start charging your vehicle at its maximum charging rate. It's a great option for when you need to top up your battery in a hurry.
Read more: What is Boost charging?
Unmanaged Mode
For those times when you simply need to plug in and charge without any scheduling, standard mode is the way to go. With standard mode, you can plug and play, allowing your vehicle to charge immediately without any additional input or scheduling required. If you have more than three unmanaged charging sessions in a calendar month, you will not earn your monthly off-peak incentive.
Read more: What happens when I disable Smart Charging through the app?
To enable smart charging, head to the Smart tab in the app and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the ‘Turn on smart charging’ button. Once you enable smart charging, you can tweak a few settings to make the most of your charging experience.
Smart Schedule
The ready-by time ensures your vehicle is ready for when you need it. This is set to 7 am every day by default, but you can override this on a one-off basis or set a Weekly Schedule.
To set the ready-by time, simply follow these steps:
1. Go to the Smart tab.
2. Tap on the Smart Schedule card.
3. Go to your Ready-by times section.
4. Pick your ready by times and the days of the week you'd like to apply it to.
5. Tap Done and Save.
Different ready-by times for different days of the week?
You can do that, too! To set a weekly schedule, just follow these steps.
1. Go to the Smart tab.
2. Tap on the Smart Schedule card.
3. Go to your alternative schedule or Add a new time.
4. Pick your ready by times and the days of the week you'd like to apply it to.
5. Tap Done.
Only charge off-peak and price limits
Within the Smart tab of the app, under Smart settings, you have the option to enable the "only charge off-peak" feature. Enabling this feature ensures that your vehicle will only be charged during the designated lower-cost electricity tariff period, preventing any charging from occurring during peak hours.
If you are on a dynamic rate tariff with three or more rates, you will also have the ability to set a price limit. By selecting a value on the slider, the car will only charge when the electricity rate falls below or equals this specified value.
It's important to note that if the off-peak period is not sufficient to achieve a full charge, users may not reach full capacity within that restricted period.
However, all of these settings can be temporarily overridden by tapping the "Boost" button, allowing you to initiate an immediate charge regardless of the time or pricing constraints
When your car is set to Smart Charge, we optimize charging based on the availability of the lowest-cost and greenest energy. This is determined by considering both the lowest price of energy on your electricity tariff and the carbon intensity index.
If you require an immediate charge for your car instead of waiting for the scheduled charging session to kick in, you can simply tap the Boost button. This will immediately start charging your car at the maximum rate allowed by your charger. To stop charging, simply tap End Boost.
At any moment, you have the option to disable the smart charging feature within the ev.energy app. Simply navigate to the Smart tab and tap on the option "Turn off smart charging" located at the bottom of the page.
Disabling smart charging sets your car or charger to what we refer to as "free vend" mode. In this mode, your vehicle will start charging as soon as it is plugged in and will stop charging either when the cable is disconnected or when the battery reaches its full capacity.
However, we highly recommend keeping the smart charging feature enabled to ensure you continue to get the benefits of smart charging and remain eligible to receive your monthly off-peak charging incentives.
ev.energy partners with a number of charger hardware manufacturers to provide smart charging services via our app and backend platform.
Our smart, cloud-based software turns integrated home chargers into 'smart chargers', allowing you to smart charge any car at home. This means that you will need a compatible charger or car to be integrated into the ev.energy app.
We're continuing to work to make additional charger and vehicle integrations available for our users. If your car or home charger is not supported yet, you can email our team at mgecharge@ev.energy with an integration request, and we'll take this into consideration when working on future partnerships.
Your home charger communicates with ev.energy's servers through Wi-Fi, Ethernet cable or GPRS modem fitted inside the charger. Your installer can activate your smart charger onsite by "commissioning" the charger to your home address and email. During the onboarding process in the app, you'll be asked to enter the same email address; the app will then identify your charger and tie it to your user account.
If you’re experiencing issues with your home charger, you will need to contact the manufacturer or installer. There could be a hardware fault, or it may have been installed incorrectly.
I have a connected car, do I need a special charger too?
No! We're integrated directly with a range of vehicles, so you can smart charge on any type of charger at your home address. However, a smart home charger means you can still smart charge if you would rather not connect your car.
Setting a timer in your car will allow you to have control over what time your charging will begin. Charging will then start and charge until the battery is full.
Smart Charging with ev.energy allows you to set a 'ready-by time' in our app. Your charging will then be scheduled to align with both the program’s off-peak hours and the carbon intensity forecast provided by your electricity grid. This means a fully charged car when required, at a lower cost and a greater benefit to the environment.
Additional features such as 'Only charge off peak' allow you even greater control over your charging, limiting charging to only the program’s "off-peak" hours.
From the Dashboard screen:
1. Tap on the Vehicle Switcher above the status roundel.
2. Next, you will be prompted to add your second EV. Tap Add a new vehicle.
3. Follow the steps to select your vehicle make, model and trim and then enter your account details to create a connection between ev.energy and your vehicle app.
4. Tap Okay on the success screen.
From the Vehicle Settings page:
1. Tap on the cogwheel icon to access your app Settings.
2. In the Settings panel, tap Vehicles.
3. On this screen, you should see the vehicles you already have on your account. Tap Add a new vehicle.
4. Follow the steps to select your vehicle make, model and trim, and then enter your account details to create a connection between ev.energy and your vehicle app.
5. Tap Okay on the success screen.
6. Once your new vehicle is added, you should see it on the list. Tap on the vehicle name to see more or to update details.
The "Last Updated" time and connectivity status are displayed on the dashboard page of the app for both connected vehicles and chargers. If you receive a notification stating that we have lost connection to your charger or vehicle, there are several steps you can take to resolve the issue.
First, try refreshing the app. If the status does not update after refreshing, it is likely that your charger or vehicle has lost its network connection.
I have a connected charger
If the connection is lost, your charger should still function as a standard charger. If your vehicle is not charging, there may be an issue with the charger. Please contact your installer or the manufacturer for assistance.
To restore the connection, please follow these steps:
1. To reset your unit, try rebooting it. If it is safe to do so, switch off the main consumer unit orisolator for your charger. Wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on.
2. Check your charger app for any necessary updates to the WiFi settings.
I have a connected car
We may have briefly lost communication with your car, or it might be in sleep mode. Please try opening the vehicle door orinteracting with your vehicle's app to wake it up.
When you first refresh your dashboard, we display the most recent information available on our server while simultaneously requesting an update from your car. If your car is in sleep mode, this request can take up to 60 seconds to reactivate it. Please press the refresh button on your dashboard again after this time.
If you recently changed the password for your connected car account, it may have invalidated the secure access token we use to communicate with your vehicle. To re-establish communication, tap on the vehicle status and then select 'Reconnect' to re-enter your credentials.
When we schedule the smart charging for your vehicle, we first optimize for getting your EV charged by your "ready-by time". This might not always mean that your vehicle will charge only during your off-peak hours.
Your car might charge outside of your off-peak hours in these situations:
1. You have a timer or schedule enabled in your car – Because smart charging works backwards from your ready-by time to ensure your car is charged when you need it, having a timer set in your car can cause smart charging to not work as expected. Car timers will typically start charging as soon as you have the charging window set, which can interfere with smart charging and cause charging to be pushed outside off-peak hours. For best results, please disable all timers and schedules in your car when using smart charging.
2. You have enabled "battery preconditioning" - when enabled, this feature will ensure that smart charging will run in the hour before the required time. This functionality will make sure to keep your battery warm before your departure. To disable this, please go to your advanced smart settings, and toggle this option off.
3. There's a delay in the communication between our platform and the charger or car - in some cases, a small burst of charge during the first few minutes after the vehicle is plugged in could be expected, as this is the time your home charger and app take to communicate and stop the charge. This also happens because the default mode of some chargers is to start charging as soon as they are connected. It can vary based on how frequently your vehicle communicates with our system, but as soon as our system communicates with your vehicle, a stop charge command will be sent when appropriate.
You can request to delete your Charge Ahead account at any time directly via the app. After you've put your request in, you will have 7 days to cancel this if you change your mind. After that, we will permanently delete your account and all associated data. You will not be able to recover the account after this.
Note: You'll lose all the data and content in that account and all the information on your charging sessions so far. Learn how to download the data you want to keep.
Deleting your account
1. Tap on the cogwheel icon at the top left corner of the screen
2. Head to your Personal Details page
3. Tap the option 'Close my account'
4. Confirm you wan to delete the account by tapping 'Request account closure'
5. You will see a confirmation screen that the deletion process was triggered
6. In case you change your mind, tap the option 'Cancel closure'. You can return to this screen at any time within the 7 day grace period.
If you have any questions about this process or would like assistance, please get in touch with support at mgecharge@ev.energy
ev.energy will not see or store your EV account, username and password. When you enter your username and password into the ev.energy app, ev.energy instantly exchanges them for a secure token that allows us to access your account and optimize your charging. Check out ev.energy's privacy policy.
The ev.energy app will measure battery capacity and charging power to estimate kilowatt-hours (kWh) required to ensure your vehicle is fully charged by the time you requested.
You can review the Charge Ahead Participation Agreement here. mge.ev.energy/participation-agreement
