Ofgem has published some guiding principles for businesses operating electric vehicle chargers and supplying consumers with power.
It outlines the challenges in interpreting current energy supply regulations, and what these mean in an EV context.
Currently, selling electricity amounts to the supply of electricity, which generally necessitates a supply licence, though there are some exemptions.
The supply licence rules, however, cover supply to premises, which vehicles are not, says Ofgem. Therefore, selling power to the end user, the EV driver, does not require a supply licence.
But the regulator does consider conveying power to the actual chargepoint is supply, so the chargepoint effectively comes under the definition of ‘premises’.
Given the number of parties involved in public and private charging points, the regulator notes things may get complex. So Ofgem’s Innovation Link lays out a series of scenarios around what applies and where.
However, it says parties should seek their own legal advice on interpretation of the rules, given supplying electricity without a licence is a criminal offence.
See details here.
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The market for EV charging is going so well. Something had to come along to make us realize that being a great service provider was just too easy.
Given that many locations have multiple charge points, fed from a single supply who/ how is the supply licence to be applied for?
And what about the thousands already installed and live?
It would seem to me that this is muddled thinking by OFGEM ; surely the EV Charging Point has a contracted arrangement that already exists Generator>Distributor>Supplier and in this model the EV Charging point is actually the consumer who has been supplied [ Charge point = `Landlord`]. As a consumer the EV charging point can offer to resell or provide energy free to `tenant/s` [the electric vehicle/s]. The energy act Domestic rule `not for profit should be applied to recharge with technology using ANPR to add a connection rate to Commercial/Fleet Vehicle owners . We must avoid supplier licence process for a few reasons ~ admin burden and cost could impact number of installed EV charging points we need installed …. could end up with each EV point having a unique licence [ think franchise sites such as petrol forecourt / fast food outlets each individually contracted ] . Feels like a risk as more suppliers = more tariffs and confusion to the EV User. … just some thoughts as I feel we need simplicity to enhance EV take up.