Is it OK to turn off Blink if you don't use it?

[Volusiano]

I got my Blink installed today. However, I'm not taking delivery of my Leaf for another month. Is it OK if I unplug the Blink to avoid wasteful standby power draw if I don't need it? Or does the agreement with Blink requires that I have to keep it on 24/7 no matter what? The installation tech said I should leave it on.

[DarkStar]

If you aren't taking delivery yet it should be fine to turn off the Blink. Once you're using it and they start collecting data they ask that it not be turned off on a regular basis.

[whoami]

...they start collecting data they ask that it not be turned off on a regular basis.

With all of ecotality's problems in networking and simple things, its going to be a miracle for them to collect data. Even if they collect it, how accurate is it? (See existing thread on kWh inaccuracies).

[GroundLoop]

I'm looking, but didn't find info on kWh inaccuracy.

The Blink (via blinknetwork web page) seems to match the SDG&E meter pretty closely. It reads 1.3% low, by my calculation. I'll check again tonight to compare.

[GroundLoop]

So Blink reported
5.6686 kWh
for the last charge. SDG&E meter recorded
5.7491

98.6% accurate. It could be that the Blink is not including the power that it consumes itself.. closing the relay, lighting the garage, and running the intense software algorithms to compute the date and time..

[LEAFfan]

I got my Blink installed today. However, I'm not taking delivery of my Leaf for another month. Is it OK if I unplug the Blink to avoid wasteful standby power draw if I don't need it? Or does the agreement with Blink requires that I have to keep it on 24/7 no matter what? The installation tech said I should leave it on.

My Blink tech told me that it was okay to turn off the breaker to the Blink until a few days before the car is delivered and hopefully by then they will have a 'sleep' update.

[evnow]

(See existing thread on kWh inaccuracies).

That has nothing to do with Blink - it is about Leaf.

[jcesare]

I got my Blink installed today. However, I'm not taking delivery of my Leaf for another month. Is it OK if I unplug the Blink to avoid wasteful standby power draw if I don't need it? Or does the agreement with Blink requires that I have to keep it on 24/7 no matter what? The installation tech said I should leave it on.

If you have a 2nd meter there is probably a minimum charge per day (SDG&E is $0.17). If that is the case, it doesn't matter.

[davewill]

If you have a 2nd meter there is probably a minimum charge per day (SDG&E is $0.17). If that is the case, it doesn't matter.

It's still a waste, even if it doesn't have a direct monetary cost.

[garygid]

Personally, I would probably switch it off when not using it, at least until Blink gets an efficient "sleep" mode.

If Blink calls you to request it ON for a good reason, like sending a software update, then try to accomodate them, of course.