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Developers, why skimp on home chargers?



Under new regulations coming in for new build developments in the UK, all homes and retail developments must have EV charging infrastructure. Already, having a charger installed in a home is known to improve the value of it so why not then install a future-proofed system with the ability to charge an EV more quickly?


Home Charging is Cheaper

Most EVs today are charged at home. At current capped prices of 28p/kWh, a full charge will cost the driver of a car with a 40kWh battery £11.20 for around 140 miles of driving range. Public charge points can cost 55p/kWh and more or £22 to fully charge the vehicle. With the price of public charging almost double that of home charging, this is a major incentive for EV owners to have a home charge point.


Many energy companies have off-peak tariffs and EV tariffs that offer the car owner as little as 9p/kWh, or £3.60 for a full charge even today. Compared to diesel at around 15p per mile these days you soon see the advantage of going electric with an EV tariff on your electricity!


UK Government Announcement

In November 2021 the Prime Minister announced plans to come into force in 2022 that will require all new housing to have electric vehicle charge points installed. The likelihood is that the more notorious housing developers will go for something cheap and cheerful as opposed to kit that will stand the test of time.


Currently most EVs have a battery of around 40-60kWh, but as consumer demand pushes car makers into making cars with ever bigger ranges, this is set to increase. A bottom end, 3.6kW charger will charge one of today’s electric cars in around seven hours. With car batteries getting ever larger - batteries with 100kWh and more are entering the market today - then a 3.6kW charger will be almost useless when it comes to charging the vehicle overnight.


House buyers: Will pay more for better energy efficiency

There is a surge in demand for retrofitting home energy efficiency measures, as people realise that they can save as much as half their grid energy needs through solar generation. This can impact the value of a home too, with consumer champions Which? showing that a home with better EPC ratings can sell for as much as £40,000 more than their less efficient neighbours.


EV owners specifically look for good energy efficiency measures and of course quality charging equipment. There is evidence that homes with EV chargers can sell for as much as 13% more than homes without.


Taken together, the housing developer can charge significantly more for their homes that have higher energy efficiency and EV chargers.


Why not build in quality?

Given these trends for homes with EV charging equipment and energy efficiency measures, why not install these from the outset? Here at ZPN Energy we have two sets of products for new build developments - the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) and rapid, 50KW chargers for home use.


The HEMS is a software and hardware system that is built into the home, with energy storage of up to 150kWh and a computer system that stores excess solar energy to the battery. In theory with the system it is possible for the homeowner to use a variable rate electricity tariff to charge up the system and go off-grid during peak demand hours. This can add a premium to the final cost of the home by making it ultra-energy efficient.


At the same time the Street HUBZ charger is unique in the market by giving the EV a charge of up to 50kW - more than twice the power of the most powerful systems currently on the mass market today. With integrated battery storage, so the homeowner will be able to give a massive charge to their vehicle at any time or day or night while only paying off-peak rates for their energy. This is future proofed as EV batteries get ever larger and power hungry.


Premium equipment attracts a premium

More and more home buyers want to live in cheaper, climate friendly housing. This is why with the equipment we showed above, housing developers can add a premium to the final sale price of their new build homes by installing equipmentthat will serve their customers well into the future.


Story by ZPN Energy

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