British Gas and Zaptec have launched a communal electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot scheme, designed to make EV charging less costly for landlords, developers and flat residents.
The scheme is expected to lower charging costs by 50%, while lowering shared infrastructure costs from £400 to £40 per month.
British Gas expects daytime charging rates to be around 22p per kWh, with night-time rates around 15p per kWh.
The scheme will explore residents’ use of communal chargers, allowing the companies to tailor the next stage of roll-out to customer needs.
Michael Braybrook, managing director for the UK at Zaptec, said: “Until now, residents in flats and shared buildings have been stuck on the sidelines of the EV transition.
“This partnership finally changes that. It gives a long-overlooked segment of the market access to fairly priced, high-quality charging that simply hasn’t existed before.
“Partnering with British Gas allows us to deliver a complete, scalable solution that makes communal charging both practical and affordable and that’s a major step forward for EV accessibility in the UK.”
Matt Wood, director of business at British Gas, said: “For years, the lack of fair and accessible charging options has been a barrier to EV adoption for those without private off-road parking.
“This is an important project, championing lower costs for both landlords and residents. British Gas are proud to be leading this change with Zaptec.”
The pilot scheme will take place over 12 months.
Jade Edwards, head of insights at Zapmap, said: “Our analysis of annual driving costs shows that the ability to charge at home, rather than relying wholly on public charging, can make a dramatic difference to the cost of driving electric and in turn encourage more people to make the switch.
“Giving people fair access to home charging, regardless of their living arrangements, together with measures to address the high cost of public charging, will be critical to ensuring that EV adoption continues at pace.”
