Here at Stay Cotswold we like to keep our owners informed about the best ways to ensure their holiday property appeals to the broadest audience. Which is why, as we start to see more guests asking about the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the Cotswolds, we thought we would share our guide to getting an EV charging point installed at your holiday property. And right now there are still government grants available to help with the cost of installation so you can provide a holiday cottage with EV charging.

The installation of a home charging point needs to be left to a professional and they will be best placed to advise on the most convenient place for installation. Obviously, this needs to be close to where guests’ vehicles are parked whilst not interfering with the external appearance of your Cotswold holiday property. Having said that most charging points are relatively discreet and are both weather proof and durable as they are designed for installation outdoors.

Government Grants

As the government is focussed on boosting EV charging facilities in rural areas their “Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)” now covers holiday let owners. The grant is valid up to a maximum amount of £375 and you will need to fulfil the following criteria:

  • be a registered business with companies house or HMRC
  • declare the need for a charging point
  • have dedicated off street parking

For more information you can visit the government website here.

Likely Costs

To ensure you are eligible for the grant to help with the cost of installation you must ensure you choose an accredited fitter.

You may also be wondering how much it will add to your energy bills every time a guest to charges their vehicle. Every electricity tariff is different, but if we assume an average of 20p per kWh for electricity and as an example use a good sized EV with a 200 mile range, it will currently cost up to £10 per full charge.

It is also worth investigating is your electricity tariff. Many of the energy companies now offer special tariffs designed for properties with EV charging points. These tariffs tend to offer cheaper electricity over night when it is also more convenient for your guests to charge their vehicles.

Hassle free guest stays

As mentioned we are starting to receive more and more requests for properties with EV charging capabilities. Whilst there may be charging points in the local area, guests don’t want to plan their days out around where they can top up their vehicle’s charge. And as research suggests that 90% of EV charging takes place at home, being able to offer your guests a break from the ‘range anxiety’ that comes with travelling away from home, allows for a hassle-free break.

Where to start?

Once you’ve had a look at the government grants scheme there are plenty of companies who will offer advice before they install your EV charging point. One good resource is the website Electric Car Home who have a list of approved suppliers. Another good website is the charging point manufacturer Myenergi who produce Zappi charging points. Their website has an online quote request form and their charging points have additional features such as integrated timers, to enable you to set charging times, along with a pincode to protect your device from being used without permission. If you’d like to find out more the independent Which guide is a great resource and you can find it here.