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FAQ's

Q, What  does  OLEV stand for 

 

A, The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is a team working across government to support the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV).

 

Q, What does OZEV stand for

 

A, The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles  aims to process claims for experienced installers within 30 working days

 

 

Q, What does DNO stand for

 

A, Distribution network operator (DNO) is the company that owns and operates the power lines and infrastructure that connects the network to your property - the  network operator doesn't connect directly to homes and businesses because its voltage is too high

 

 

Q, Why does the installer have to apply to the DNO to install a home charger

 

A, All EV charge point installers must notify the DNO of the charger point installation.

 Different DNOs have different processes, so the response and timescale for installation could vary depending on who your area DNO is.

 

If the maximum demand is likely to outstrip the supply at your property, then some chargers can be de-rated which means they will use less power - for example 16 Amps instead of 32. In most cases, this means the installation can safely go ahead until your DNO has upgraded your supply and your charger can be returned to full power.

 

Your DNO may wish to carry out works at your property, such as an upgrade. Any delay in the installation approval from your DNO is in addition to Smart Home Charge’s typical 3-4 week lead time.

In most cases, an EV charge point installation is a straightforward and just requires the DNO to check and approve the installation.

 

 

 

Q, What is OLEV Grant & How does it Work

 

A,  “OLEV Grant” refers to a government grant for electric car home chargers, provided by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

  • The OLEV Grant, specifically named the Electric Vehicle Home charge Scheme (EVHS), provides up to £350 off the cost of installing a home charging point.

  • It’s available for most electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars, old or new.

  • You can claim one charge point per eligible vehicle and up to two eligible vehicles per household.

  • An additional grant of up to £250 is available to Scottish EV drivers via the Energy Savings Trust Scotland.

  • OLEV also offer the separate Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) grant which can be claimed by any business, charity or public authority and provides up to £350 off the cost of purchasing & installing workplace charging points, up to 40 sockets.

 

Property requirements

This grant is for domestic properties only (for workplaces, refer to OZEV’s Workplace Charging Scheme).

The grant is only for retrofit (existing) properties; it cannot be used for new-builds or properties that are not occupied.

The customer must be resident at the property. This will be checked via vehicle registration details. Where the link between the customer and the property is unclear, additional supporting evidence may be required (for example, a utility bill).

Any necessary third-party permissions (such as from a freeholder or managing agent of a block of flats) must be obtained by the customer before an installation occurs. This will be needed for rented or leasehold properties where it’s the renter or the leaseholder applying.

Where an installation requires cabling or other parts of the installation to be placed in or on another person’s property, or public land, access rights and permissions must be agreed by all parties using legally binding arrangements, such as legal covenants, before an installation begins.

There is no requirement to inform OZEV if you are moving a charge point to a new house or if you move house.

 

Q, Who claims the OLEV Grant 

 

A, The grant works by a customer choosing an EVHS installer to install their charge point. The EVHS installer checks that they qualify and then applies on the customer’s behalf. The installer will bill the customer for the price of the installation, less the grant amount they have applied for. If the application is successful, the installer will be paid the grant amount that they have offset from the customer’s bill. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) aims to process claims for experienced installers within 30 working days.

 

 

Q, What does EVHS stand for

 

A. The Electric Vehicle Home charge Scheme (EVHS)

 

Q, Do I need a new energy tariff for charging my electric/hybrid car at Home 

 

A, The cost of charging your electric car at home will be included in your normal electricity bill, however you should carefully consider your energy costs and choose the right energy deal for you so you don’t overpay.

Car Charge Go can arrange for an independent energy consultant to review your energy costs based upon the fact you will also be charging your car at home which may increase energy costs.

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