5 Reasons to Install EV Charging at your Apartment Buildings Today

By Giles Desforges, CEO, Energy Park

As the government introduces a new £650 million grant scheme to reduce the cost of some electric vehicles (EVs) and public charging networks expand, one vital piece of the puzzle is still being overlooked: how residents in apartment buildings charge their cars at home.

The complexity of installing EV charging infrastructure in communal car parks has meant this is one area that still hasn’t been addressed. High upfront costs, regulatory hurdles, load balancing and ongoing management and maintenance all present challenges, which have understandably made some residential landlords cautious about investing.

But with over 4 million households living in apartment buildings in the UK, this is a need we can no longer afford to ignore. Providing residents with fairer access to convenient and affordable charging at home is essential to building an inclusive nationwide EV strategy and reaching the government’s decarbonisation targets.

Why you should install EV charging now

With 22% of new car sales now electric, the energy transition is already underway. And residents want it, with nearly 40% of drivers saying that they’d switch to electric if they could charge at home.*

In less than five years, the phasing out of new petrol and diesel car sales is set to begin, and regulations mandating EV charging at retrofit properties are also on the horizon, which will require landlords to take action quickly.

Addressing the challenge of EV charging now will give you time to plan and implement the right solution across your sites, rather than rushing to meet rising demand with quick-fix solutions further down the line.

Apartment EV charging made easy

The good news is, installing EV charging infrastructure no longer needs to be costly or complicated, and it can bring a whole range of benefits.

Fully funded, end-to-end solutions now make it easier than ever to implement. With zero capital outlay and no ongoing maintenance costs, these solutions are low-risk, scalable and can be applied across your portfolio.

With our Energy Park fully funded approach, we take the challenge of EV charging completely off your hands. From the initial site survey and installation, right through to the commissioning and ongoing management of the charge points, we look after everything on your behalf. We also keep a lookout for changes to regulations, to ensure your EV charging infrastructure is always compliant and future-proof.

For residents, we make EV charging simple to use and easy to incorporate into their daily lives, with low-cost charging, proactive maintenance and 24/7 customer support.

And the benefits of installing EV charging at your apartment building? Here are our top 5:

1.Boost tenant satisfaction with EV charging

Installing EV charging facilities shows your commitment to investing in your site and considering the needs of your residents.

For those who haven’t considered EV ownership to be an option before, you’ll be opening up a whole new world of potential cost savings and sustainable living. For residents who’ve already chosen to switch to electric but rely on public charge points, installing charging facilities at your site will remove the stress of having to charge when they’re away from home, making your site a lot more convenient for them.

And if you choose an EV provider who offers home charging rates, your residents could make some big savings - which they’ll definitely thank you for!

2. Future-proof EV charging infrastructure

By installing scalable EV charging infrastructure, you’ll be moving with demand and setting your site up for future success. And you don’t need to install your charge points all in one go. When we install EV infrastructure, we install the right number of charge points to meet the current demand, while also laying the foundations for future charge points.

We monitor demand at the site, and then as and when more charge points are needed, we’re able to quickly install them.

3. Support sustainability and decarbonisation goals

Sustainability and protecting the environment around us is high on today’s agenda, and with the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, EV adoption is key to achieving this.

By installing EV charging infrastructure now, you’ll be showing your support for a greener future. It could also be a significant step towards hitting your sustainability targets, as well as contributing to your ESG reporting and boosting your company’s reputation.

4. Electrify your fleet with onsite chargers

If you have a large portfolio of properties that your maintenance staff visit regularly, having EV charging at your apartment buildings is a great way for them to charge as they carry out their tasks. It eliminates the need to invest in additional charge point infrastructure for your fleet and keeps your vehicles on the road, with no need to incorporate mid-shift charging.

If you use a provider whose prices are comparable to home charging, then this can also be a very cost-effective solution.

5. Add value by meeting tenant demand

By making your sites more attractive to current and future tenants, as well as preparing them for future living, the installation of EV charging infrastructure will add significant value to your sites.

And you’ll be one step ahead of other nearby sites who haven’t invested in charge points yet.

How we can help

If you’re a residential landlord and you think installing EV infrastructure now would benefit your site, we’d love to hear from you.

We offer a fully funded, end-to-end, scalable EV charging solution for residential landlords. Our approach requires no capital outlay, there are no ongoing operational costs, and we’ll manage the whole process on your behalf.

We also provide a reliable, cost-effective service for residents, offering home charging rates and ongoing customer service.

Ready to future-proof your properties today? Get in touch here.

*Ipsos survey 2023