On the 30th June 2022, The Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 will come into force in England, Scotland and Wales.
Why do we need new regulations?
Over recent years, the nation has seen a huge increase in people opting for a cleaner and greener lifestyle with electric vehicles – and is not slowing down anytime soon! Domestic and commercial customers alike have reaped the many benefits EV’s bring – both financial and economical. However, the electrical grid is now struggling to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for car charging. That is why the Government has taken early action to ensure the National Grid will be able to cope with this wave of electrical car owners.
What are the new regulations?
These new regulations are only small changes to the minimum standards for car charging points – and the customer still has full control. Below are some of the main changes and what this means for electrical vehicle owners:
Off-peak charging
New charging points will be defaulted to charge during off-peak hours (weekdays 11am-4pm and 10pm-8am). This change is to try and encourage people to charge more economically – when electricity demand is at its lowest. But do not fret as peak-time charging is NOT going to be banned! It is simply a way of urging people to avoid peak hours. Users will be given the choice to accept these factory pre-sets or override them to set their own preferred charging times.
Security
New security regulations will also be put in place – but these will not apply until 30th December 2022. This will mean that all data received and given out from the charging points will be encrypted. For example, if there were to be a cyber-attack on your charger, this will be logged and the owner of the charger will be notified of the attempted breach of data. The deleting of private data must also be made possible for drivers.
Delayed charging times
Another change is that chargers will now have a 10 minute delay function when off-peaking charging. This regulation is in efforts to reduce the surge of electricity demand as soon as 10pm arrives after peak-hours. Smart chargers will also allow utility companies to delay charging by half an hour if demand is very high. So – if you are checking your charging status when plugging your car in at off-peak times, please allow some time for charging to start. Customers will still be able to override this delay function if they wish.
Our EV charging services
GlenFarrow offers EV charging installations for both domestic and commercial properties. Our fully qualified installers work closely with our customers to help advise and ensure a smooth installation process. To find out more about our EV charging services call Rob Black on 01775 722327.
