EV charging costs in flat garages?

EV charging costs in flat garages?

0:01 AM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago 9

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Hi, I rent out a flat in a development of freehold flats where there’s an external managing agent to make sure relevant legislation is complied with. The issue is residents charging electric cars from their garages.

Prior to the flats’ management picking up the tab for electricity used, the meters were read every quarter by the then Chairman who allocated the cost to individual owners. This was so onerous and consumption so minor that in most cases, the cost was picked up as part of the service charge.

The first issue is a resident installing an EV charging point but then the management company gets debited with the cost. Assuming it is known who has these chargers, a system of personal payment could be implemented but the fact that cars can be charged using a 3 pin plug/lead from the standard socket outlet already in each garage (albeit slower than on a purpose-made EV point), no-one would be any the wiser apart from the subsequent inflated communal bill.

The only solution would seem to be for everyone responsible to have their own electrical consumption by using individual meters to generate individual bills. This would obviously mean them being read but perhaps self-readings could be taken or smart technology to automatically send consumption data to the energy company who then send the bills directly to each garage holder. What do Property118 readers think? If not addressed, the present situation has the potential to send service charges through the roof.

If meters are the answer, who should bear the cost of meter installation? Individual owners? Management company? Energy supplier?

And if a properly installed car charging point isn’t installed and owners just use a 3-pin plug – how safe and fire-proof would this be and if there was an accident would this be covered by block insurance?

There doesn’t seem to be much precedent for this as EV charging is still very new so any help/advice from readers would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Jonathan


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JeggNegg

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12:23 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

A great question.maybe manufacturers of plug in chargers will have to instal a meter reader with the unit so the additional cost of charging a car can be paid by tenant.
Or landlords stop including utility bills in rent. Wouldn’t it be nice if people who can afford to buy electric cars which I guess is to save fuel costs v other fuels could be honest enough to offer to pay for the electricity they use.

moneymanager

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12:24 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

i) are you certain the property us a freehold flat rather than leasehold
ii) by 'rent' do you mean you let it as the owner or occupy it as a tenant?
iii) rather than being concerned about the noted issues we should be considering the potential devestating consequences for the building in the event of fire, unlike public car parks, apartments have numerous water and sewage services and commonly these are routed at roof level in a car park; there has been more than one fire and South Korea is considering babbibg the charging of vehicles in such places.

Reluctant Landlord

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12:55 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

first thing that needs to be done is to determine the exact insurance position in regard to current charging on 3 pins in garages. If this is not permitted then all freeholders to be contacted asap and where properties are rented, the tenants also made aware.

If the owners themselves (or tenants) then wish for an EV to be installed, then the issue of metering and how it connects into the communal supply has to be addressed at that point. If the EV company refuses to install a meter with the charge point, then there is no obligation for the freeholder to agree to one being fitted as there is no way the individual cost of consumption can be determined/allocated as it links into a communal supply.

Jim K

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13:07 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

Johnathon.
This would i suggest be a matter for the Freeholder or if you have a RTN, the committee. Generally for such works (S20 may also apply) each leaseholder pays a proportion.

Graham Bowcock

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15:58 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

As ever, the starting point has to be what the lease says about such matters, although I doubt there will be any mention of EVs! Use of electricity may be covered.

It's a bit presumptious of those with EVs to charge them at the companies expense. They wouldn't want to pay for petrol for those with ICEs.

This needs heading off at the pass - NOW. I think you have every right to object to paying the shared cost so need to shout up.

Those with EVs need to make their own arrangements for charging points. if they ned management company consent, then it can be dealt with formally, covering off practicalities (e.g. cable runs, location, metering) and matters such as insurance.

Cider Drinker

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16:04 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

Management company should cut the supply to the garages until it is resolved.

The Forever Tenant

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16:22 PM, 2nd September 2024, About a month ago

I'm theorising a bit here but there could be something that may work.

There are chargers that use a RFID card reader in order to activate, at which point you know who is using the charger. It then also logs how much power they use, which can then be charged to the person who has used it.

If they were to install such chargers then they should probably lock down the 3 pin sockets for official use only. I suppose the one thing about this type of charging is it's pretty slow. It's not a massive power draw compared to a wall charger.

DPT

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17:18 PM, 3rd September 2024, About a month ago

Leaseholders will always ultimately bare the cost.

Martin R

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21:22 PM, 7th September 2024, About a month ago

You've already got the solution in metering and charging the individual tennants garages.
Unfortunately when designed, the vast majority of flats only allowed for the maximum demand of the time. When you discover the government (OZEV) offer grants towards flats to install EV points the Electrical contractor would want a new 3 phase supply dug in from the street ,this cost dwarfs any grants available.

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