UK requires ‘random delay’ for new EV chargers sold from June 30

Every new EV charger sold from June 30 in the United Kingdom will have a “random delay” of up to 10 minutes whenever an EV starts to charge.

That’s the UK Government’s rules for home and workplace charging of EVs intended to avoid grid overload at peak times.

The rules don’t apply to certain public charge points or to rapid charge points (charge points with a power of at least 50kW).

It means that even when the EV charger is scheduled to recharge an EV, it won’t start charging immediately, MyEnergi explains.

“A random 10-minute delay is a blunt way of tackling congestion on the network, as it’s not reading the health of the grid,” says Octopus Energy NZ’s chief customer officer Margaret Cooney.

Octopus Energy is the UK’s fifth-largest power company, and it launched in New Zealand earlier in June.

“Later this year, Octopus Energy’s ‘Intelligent Octopus’ smart charging software will be available to Kiwi EV drivers, which takes into account forecasts and live signals when determining when to charge a vehicle, to avoid overloading the grid,” Cooney says.

“This technology allows EV owners to benefit from cheaper prices in exchange for us controlling the time of charging. Customers remotely connect their car to our app, and then set preferences for when it needs to be charged.

“If I arrive home at 6.30pm, plug in my car and need my car charged by 6am, our tech picks the best time to charge my car, taking into account my preferences as well as what’s happening on the grid.”

Cooney says the technology works directly with most late-model EVs purchased in New Zealand and for older EVs via popular smart chargers like Wallbox.

“It’s going to be increasingly valuable technology for managing the grid,” Cooney explains.

“When Transpower warned last week of potential outages, our tech lets us take that market signal and control charging to avoid times like that when there is lots of stress on the grid.

“Avoiding those peak times when energy prices surge lets us pass on the benefit of lower charging costs to our customers.”

Christchurch-based Evnex founder and chief executive Ed Harvey agrees a random 10-minute delay is a blunt way of tackling congestion on the network.

“By installing a smart charger, customers are locking in future energy savings by ensuring that their charger is compatible with developing smart-grid capabilities which will ultimately reduce electricity costs and grid carbon emissions,” he says.

“Evnex chargers are not locked into any one electricity retailer, and allow customers to automate their charging to off-peak, low-carbon times,” Harvey adds, explaining that Evnex is New Zealand’s only manufacturer of smart EV charging solutions.

“Because they’re integrated directly into the home energy system, Evnex chargers provide additional benefits such as home overload protection and solar charging mode.”