Hi I own a Hyundai IONIQ Electric 2022, and unfortunately I don’t have a driveway. Is there a way I can use Charge anytime?
Answer
Charge Anytime with no driveway? Can I use Charge Anytime?
Best answer by Peter E
Hi
Unfortunately it is down to the local authority to give permission but have a read through these.
For it to be compatible with Charge Anytime it would need to be on the list of OVO's chargers and the Hypervolt seems to be the most popular. I would suggest that you take your case to the local authority with the relevant information and see how the discussions go. I don't know if there is an appeals process if they turn down a simple covered gully type solution whereby you lift the cover and place the cable in it.
A more ‘thinking outside the box’ solution would be to fit a retractable gantry over the top at 2.3m above the pavement.
It's not a pretty thing and there are potential issues with vandalism BUT the LA may not have the authority to stop you fitting and using one as it is not in contact with the pavement, neither is it causing an obstruction. I would suggest that you make a case that the LA give you no option but to use one of these, UNLESS, they are willing to come to an agreement on a suutable gully solution with your own charger.
I wish you all the best in your negotiations but you need to keep pestering them and be resolute in your determination for a satisfactory solution. If it was me and they were being difficult I would go so far as to put up a dummy gantry (in the stowed position) to see what it looks like and tell them what you've done. As far as planning permission goes it's not illegal to make any changes to your property but it is illegal not to respond to a judgement from a planning committee that has refused a change to your property. It’s at that point you can start lodging appeals if it goes that far. If you use up enough of their time they may eventually relent on a gully of their choice just to shut you up.
Peter
+1- Plan Zero Hero
Hi
Since you have a Hyundai, you’re almost certainly better off integrating via the Charger. Hypervolt can do up to a 10m cable on their charger for example, but you’d need to get a way of having the cable reach the vehicle.
I’m assuming you have on-street parking - there are ways to put a cable channel into the pavement where you can put down and take up the charger cable without creating a trip hazard. I can’t remember who does these so you’d need to do some research, but they definitely exist!
Hey
Welcome to the OVO Online Community,
Some really helpful advice here:
Hi
Since you have a Hyundai, you’re almost certainly better off integrating via the Charger. Hypervolt can do up to a 10m cable on their charger for example, but you’d need to get a way of having the cable reach the vehicle.
I’m assuming you have on-street parking - there are ways to put a cable channel into the pavement where you can put down and take up the charger cable without creating a trip hazard. I can’t remember who does these so you’d need to do some research, but they definitely exist!
Our dedicated team might also be able to offer some advice.
How to get in contact with the Charge Anytime team
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Call 0330 175 9678 (Option 1 new customers/option 2 existing customers)
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Email via chargeanytime@ovo.com
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Webchat, click the link then the green chat icon at the bottom right of the page
Unfortunately I live in Barnet and they are not keen to agree with any cross pavement solutions except Trojan aon. I understand they install their own charger.
+1- Plan Zero Hero
- Answer
Hi
Unfortunately it is down to the local authority to give permission but have a read through these.
For it to be compatible with Charge Anytime it would need to be on the list of OVO's chargers and the Hypervolt seems to be the most popular. I would suggest that you take your case to the local authority with the relevant information and see how the discussions go. I don't know if there is an appeals process if they turn down a simple covered gully type solution whereby you lift the cover and place the cable in it.
A more ‘thinking outside the box’ solution would be to fit a retractable gantry over the top at 2.3m above the pavement.
It's not a pretty thing and there are potential issues with vandalism BUT the LA may not have the authority to stop you fitting and using one as it is not in contact with the pavement, neither is it causing an obstruction. I would suggest that you make a case that the LA give you no option but to use one of these, UNLESS, they are willing to come to an agreement on a suutable gully solution with your own charger.
I wish you all the best in your negotiations but you need to keep pestering them and be resolute in your determination for a satisfactory solution. If it was me and they were being difficult I would go so far as to put up a dummy gantry (in the stowed position) to see what it looks like and tell them what you've done. As far as planning permission goes it's not illegal to make any changes to your property but it is illegal not to respond to a judgement from a planning committee that has refused a change to your property. It’s at that point you can start lodging appeals if it goes that far. If you use up enough of their time they may eventually relent on a gully of their choice just to shut you up.
Peter
Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,500 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
+1- Plan Zero Hero
It seems that Trojan Energy has a monopoly in certain areas of the country such as Barnet - most likely with some kind of exclusivity deal. In cases where their stuff is already in place, it seems unlikely you’d be able to get a competing option installed where their aon units are present.
Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
+1- Plan Zero Hero
But can you use a monopoly situation to disadvantage house owners who own an EV? I would say that is borderline illegal if that prevents someone running a cable from their own charger in a gully where there is a common and safe option for that to be allowed in other areas. If the LA said that is the only solution I would definitely be consulting a solicitor but not before knocking on a few doors to see if anyone would be interested in a joint action against the LA.
Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,500 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
+1- Plan Zero Hero
Another reference
Quite a lot of chat on the SpeakEV.com forum if you search for Cross Pavement Charging
Peter
Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,500 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
+1- Plan Zero Hero
Thinking about the situation in more depth it's the government that are stopping the sale of fossil fuelled cars but if the local authority are effectively restricting who you can buy your energy from (because they could be restricting the type of charger you can buy) then that is manifestly incorrect. If you do have problems then it would also be worth contacting your MP as well.
Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,500 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
+1- Plan Zero Hero
As far as I can tell, Trojan Energy seems to have a weird model where the CP outside your property is supposedly hooked up to your property and allows you to use your supply to charge from, which in theory would enable Charge Anytime via D2V Mode. And that anyone who shares your supply to charge their EV pays you back through the system to cover the costs you incurr.
However, it also seems to claim that they hook up to the national grid by bypassing your house, meaning it’s not running through you at all.
It very much depends on how it’s been wired up in your street. As you said you’re in Barnet, I suspect the Trojan AON units have been hooked up to a Trojan Hub, meaning you can’t use Charge Anytime and will need to pay the network rates which appear to start from 45p/kWh at the moment.
If you had purchased the Trojan AON yourself, it would have been hooked up to your property so you could charge using your household supply and normal rates - and this is what would reimburse you for having other people use your supply for charging their vehicle with.
I’m actually tempted to share this with the Charge Anytime team to see if there’s a possible integration that could be built between OVO and Trojan at some point for Charge Anytime. Might be a bit complicated due to how Trojan operates, but I don’t see any harm in sending this to the team.
Talk about confusing though!
Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
- Plan Zero Hero
As far as I can find Barnet is one of the councils that still owns it’s own housing stock (albeit under a not-for-profit council owned company).
I may be wrong but I suspect that they have done an exclusive deal to fit chargers at their own properties, and are (wrongly) trying to extend the conditions of that deal to private properties that they don’t own.
It’s the sort of thing that happens ocasionally in local government, (and sometimes in national government).
The people answering the phones/emails/letters are only trained in (only told) that one thing so assume it applies to everybody.
It usually ends up in a protracted court case to correct the council.
I said, Hey - Watts going on.
+1- Plan Zero Hero
Definitely. I can understand them using the Trojan Hubs for council owned properties, but those under private ownership should be allowed to use either the standalone Trojan AON units OR some other solution of the homeowners choice.
Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
+1- Plan Zero Hero
...
I’m actually tempted to share this with the Charge Anytime team to see if there’s a possible integration that could be built between OVO and Trojan at some point for Charge Anytime. Might be a bit complicated due to how Trojan operates, but I don’t see any harm in sending this to the team.
...
Whilst that might seem like a good idea councils move at the speed where continental drift seems racy. They can be uncommunicative at the best of times, they have their own agenda and basically a law unto themselves. I've had a lot of experience both inside and outside my local town council. OVO don't need to get involved with councils when there is a simple, safe and effective solution already available for privately owned houses. And as for council tenants, if the council want to do something more equitable for them, then they will come to that decision, by themselves, sometime in the next decade or two.
Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol), A2AHP (-8,500 kWh gas) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas)
+1- Plan Zero Hero
Yeah, that’s fair. I’d only suggest the integration be used for the standalone private installs anyway - it wouldn’t be worth integrating it with Trojan Hubs.
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