EV Charging

At H2ecO, we run one full electric vehicle and one plug in hybrid so understand the concerns, practicalities and technical issues around EV charging.

We are a specialist installer of renewable energy solutions, providing clients with the most relevant technologies. We see Electric vehicles as a fundamental and vital part of the decarbonisation of the UK and recognise the importance of providing quality installations that do not create a bad image of charging infrastructure.

We are a Tesla, My Energi and ROLEC Approved Installers.

WHAT IS THE OLEV GRANT?

This is a Government grant towards the install of an electric vehicle charge point at your home or workplace from the office for low emission vehicles (OLEV).

More information can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-low-emission-vehicles

Home Chargers: Grants of up £350 Available

Workplace: Grants of up to £500 Available per point

HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR THE OLEV GRANT?

For the installation, you must use an OLEV-approved home charging point installer AND satisfy the following criteria:

You have off-street parking.
Your property is within the UK.
Your vehicle is eligible for the grant: Please check here https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants/eligibility
You are the registered keeper or primary user of the vehicle after 1 October 2016.
You can provide evidence that you own or lease an electric vehicle (even if you haven’t yet received the vehicle).
You have not already claimed the grant for your vehicle.
By claiming the grant, you are not exceeding the limit of two OLEV funded charge points per household.

GET IN TOUCH

See it in action

If you have solar PV or are considering installing it to complement your new Electric vehicle we would recommend considering the Zappi charger from Myenergi.

This video from Fully Charged explains nicely how it works to allow you to charge your car only from your own electricity generation.

Installation considerations

There are some important factors to consider when installing a new EV charger:

The size of your main electrical supply (not always what it says on the fuse) and the existing load on your supply.
Your current Earthing arrangement.
Location of charger and cable route to supply it.
The connector type (1 or 2). Type 2 is becoming established as the default connector type though the very popular Mitsubishi outlander PHEV still uses a Type 1 connector.
Tethered or untethered. We generally recommend tethered where possible as it removes the need to rummage in the boot for the charging cable every time you park at home. It doesn’t sound like a big issue but it gets irritating very quickly, especially if its raining or bad weather.

Installation workmanship

You may find adverts with apparently very low install prices. Please be aware that a low price means a job needs to be completed very quickly and with the minimum outlay on components. To do the job properly, there may be changes to earthing that are required, cables should be of an efficient size to minimise losses, not just the minimum technically required.

We would suggest you ask at least the following questions before committing to an installation

Have they explained your eligibility for the OLEV grant?
Have they reviewed your existing earthing classification and are any amendments proposed?
What cable size are they suggesting to supply the car charger?
Do they know and apply the IET guidelines for EV charge point installation?
Have they carried out a load assessment to ensure your charger can operate safely?
Will they apply to or notify your local DNO (District Network Operator). This is a requirement but many do not, potentially leaving you as the charger owner in a difficult situation.

H2ecO is a long-established electric vehicle charging point installer in Dorset and surrounding counties and is approved by OLEV. Your installation will be done with a minimum of disturbance to your house or business and all installations are carried out by our ELECSA approved installation teams.