British Gas to install car charging points

[Aurora]

Press Association - 02/03/11

British Gas is to supply vehicle charging points for Nissan's Leaf electric car and will offer to install solar panels in owners' homes so they can charge their car for free.

The energy giant said it will install charge points in homes and businesses across the country, including domestic driveways and garages and office car parks.

Customers will pay from around £1,000 to have a charge point installed, while solar panels start from around £9,000.

Phil Bentley, managing director of British Gas, said: "From today, Britons can drive an electric car powered by solar energy.

"We want our customers to use greener and cheaper energy. Partnering with Nissan on powering their electric cars is a very exciting driver of growth for British Gas as electric vehicles move into the mainstream."

Paul Willcox, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB), said: "The Nissan Leaf is pioneering the electric car revolution in the UK. Leaf drivers will be 'filling up' with cheaper, cleaner fuel."

Original Article

[DominicJ]

£1000 for a 100amp socket installed?
Bloody robbery!!!

[adam2]

If it really is a 100 amp socket, then £1,000 is fair, perhaps even cheap, as this would require a substantial upgrade to the supply, a new consumer unit, and probably rewireing most of the rest of the house.

I very much doubt however that it is 100 amps, they refer to charging in 8 hours rather than 12.
That suggests a rather more modest supply, probably 16 amps, 32 amps at the most.

Very few domestic electricity supplies exceed 100 amps, and a great many are only 60 or 80 amps.
Many of these are already marginal if electric cooking or an electric shower are used.

[DominicJ]

Adam2
My electric cooker has a semi dedicated 100amp line (it also powers the boiler and a couple of sockets). Technicaly, it could draw 55amps.
My supply from the grid is probably only 60amps.
The Consumer unit is very unlikely to need an upgrade.

If its just a new 16amp socket on its own ring, thats even worse.

[adam2]

Adam2
My electric cooker has a semi dedicated 100amp line (it also powers the boiler and a couple of sockets). Technicaly, it could draw 55amps.
My supply from the grid is probably only 60amps.
The Consumer unit is very unlikely to need an upgrade.

If its just a new 16amp socket on its own ring, thats even worse.

£1,000 to install a 16 or 32 amp socket does sound a bit steep.

If done properly, almost any electrical work can require a new consumer unit.
Regulations are routinly updated, and although the changes are not intended to be retrospective, in practice they are enforced thus.

It goes something like this

Can you install a 32 amp socket for charging of an EV ?
Certainly sir, a routine job. But you must understand that this must be protected by an RCD.
Of course.
But your consumer unit is not compatible with RCDs or is not big enough, we will have to replace it.
Oh dear, how much will that cost ?
Only £218, but changing the consumer unit means that we have now "worked on" all the other circuits in your house. These must be brought up to the latest standards in order that we can issue a certificate for our work. Most such circuits will have to be replaced in line with the latest requirements. And everthing must be on RCDs, you cant have too much saftey can you ! And the main bonding conductors to the gas and water pipes are not big enough, need replacing. And your supply is PME which cant be exported outside the house, so an earth electrode will be needed. Oh and the extra load of more than 3KW requires to be notified to the electricity company, who may require a contribution from you for "upgrading the network"
Oh no ! that will cost thousands ! I think that I will just use an extension lead instead.

[DominicJ]

Adam 2
Fair point.
I'd forgotten how Part P infects pretty much everything now from a minor job.

[adam2]

Indeed, I installed a 16 amp outdoor socket at my Mothers home, long before part pee, just in case Mother or anyone else wanted to use an EV in the future.
Existing installation, exempt

Has been very useful for power tools, and for the toaster or kettle if eating outside.