Although the subject of electric cars is an ever increasing one, it did not until recently have any relevance to JCF Property Management.
The UK National Grid has predicted that 90% of new cars in Britain will be electric by 2050. One major electric company believes that pure electric cars would “become the rational choice for motorists in Europe” sometime between 2017 and 2024, as prices fall, ranges increase and the infrastructure required improves.
As a result, we now have queries regarding the options for charging points to be installed in properties, a request we expect only to increase in the coming years.
So, what are the options?
The OLEV provide a government grant, which gives electric vehicle owners £500 off the cost of purchasing and installing a home charging point. To be eligible you simply need to own an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle which was purchased from 1st April 2015 onwards, have an installation date for the home charger, have off street parking and an approved installer. More details are on: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-low-emission-vehicles
There are two different types of home charging points available. The first, a free-standing charge point which allows for one or two electric vehicles to be charged at a time. They are ideal for installation in locations where access to garages or alternative external wall or fixtures is not feasible, which would be beneficial for many of our properties. This is installed into the ground following initial civil installation works and then an electrical supply cable for the charging point is fed through the base of the unit and up through the core of the stand. This can be a timely process.
Secondly, the solo wall mounted charger, which must be attached to a wall. This can either have a universal socket which you can plug your own cable into, therefore meaning it will be compatible with all vehicles, or a tethered unit which has a 4.5m cable permanently attached for convenience; but this will only be compatible with selected vehicles. The installation process involves wall mounting the charging point on an exterior wall, near to where the car is parked and connecting it to the mains electricity supply. The whole installation should take on average three hours to complete, depending on the individual requirements and the location.
Paying your fair amount
Paying for charging can be done by installing a smart energy meter that shows how much electricity is being used and at what cost. This could then be added onto an individual tenant’s service charge. If more than one tenant has an electric car, keys can be installed to show who is charging, making sure tenants are only charged for what they are using.
Future-proofed
So far, interest in electric charging points in managed property is at a low level but we anticipate that this will change. Here at JCF Property Management we will be ready for the electric car revolution.
