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Original poster

The neighbour and the EV charger

241 replies

Alittlebit9 · 16/03/2025 21:33

DH has an electric car, and had a charger installed at home on Friday. It cost him £1200.

Today, neighbour (who we are fairly friendly with, in a neighbourly way) has messaged me to ask if we would mind if they used it from time to time. I think she’s being a CF and this will be a slippery slope. Plus it’s on our driveway so we would have to move our cars. Also, I know it isn’t expensive but it’s going onto our bill.

YABU - let them use the charger
YANBU - they need to get their own

OP posts:
Devianinc · 17/03/2025 20:08

2025willbemytime · 17/03/2025 07:36

She wasn't joking...

Show quote history

There’s nothing worse than a beggar.

MillieMinx · 17/03/2025 20:00

Definitely don’t share one! It will become a huge inconvenience and cost to you especially when the other neighbours find out! I would be getting some kind of lock over it too bc they will likely use it when you’re not there. Yes you can see them on your ring doorbell but you can actually stop it happening. My friend has had so many problems with random people using hers, she’s currently having some kind of contraption put into the wall that you need a key to open. Like this Ev lockbox

lock for ev charging station at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lock+for+ev+charging+station&t=iphone&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F516B63tKXFL._AC_SS450_.jpg

cardboardvillage · 17/03/2025 19:59

You could rent it out? £5 for a full charge 😆

Nikki75 · 17/03/2025 19:45

A big NO...!!

Longma · 17/03/2025 19:27

Did she offer any payment?

when you responded to her, did you ask about paying for the electricity?

Gundogday · 17/03/2025 19:21

haufbiskiy · 16/03/2025 21:33

Don’t be ridiculous. Would you pay for her petrol if she asked you to. Do not say yes, she will be forever asking

First post nails it!

haufbiskiy · 17/03/2025 19:11

SerendipityJane · 17/03/2025 17:30

My Idea:
So what you'd need is somethjing like "Rent my parking dot co dot uk" where people willing to share their EV charging can register their location and details.

The service operator - like Uber or AirBnB - then arranges taking payments and controlling the internet connected charger via the app, so only the person who rented the slot can use it (you could also use the addional security features of the EV to further ensure only the correct vehicle is being charged).

Obviously the person renting out the EV charger (possibly during the day when they are at work) would be paid an additional %age as well as the intermediary company on top of the electricity used.

ChatGPTs analysis:

Yeah, exactly! This would be like an "Airbnb for EV chargers", allowing homeowners or businesses to rent out their private EV charging points when they're not using them.
A few key features that would make it work well:

  • App-based booking & payments (like Uber, so you only pay for what you use)
  • Smart charger control (so only the person who booked can access it)
  • Vehicle verification (maybe using the car's built-in security or plate recognition)
  • Dynamic pricing (to adjust for peak/off-peak electricity rates)
  • Incentives for hosts (so it's worth their while to rent out their charger)
This could be a game-changer in cities where public charging stations are scarce or expensive, and it would make use of existing infrastructure. Would you focus this on homeowners, businesses, or both?

Already exists I’m afraid

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 18:40

Didimum · 17/03/2025 18:10

'At all' isn't true I should say – but 'not much' is, and in the context for replying to a poster who said their electricity bill ha gone up 'significantly'. I said £8 a month upthread – which isn't true, as I was tired and not typing properly. It's about £38 a month, and I do view that as quite insignificant, but 'significance' is relative obviously.

Show quote history

Fair enough!

Laura95167 · 17/03/2025 18:14

I'd say I'm sorry but we manage our finances quite tightly and can't afford to be charging additional vehicles.

As others have said, you wouldn't pay for her petrol

JohnTheRevelator · 17/03/2025 18:10

What a CF.

Didimum · 17/03/2025 18:10

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 14:19

How's that possible?
We do about 1000 miles a month, probably more, and the electric costs us around £40 ish. We charge on Intelligent Octopus tariff which is 7.5p/kw and around £2-3 a charge but it still mounts up. Obviously considerably cheaper than diesel or petrol for the same distance but not insignificant.
Unless you only do 100 miles a month or something! You actually should be able to tell exactly if you've got an app which I think most chargers do have.

Show quote history

'At all' isn't true I should say – but 'not much' is, and in the context for replying to a poster who said their electricity bill ha gone up 'significantly'. I said £8 a month upthread – which isn't true, as I was tired and not typing properly. It's about £38 a month, and I do view that as quite insignificant, but 'significance' is relative obviously.

babasaclover · 17/03/2025 18:08

SerendipityJane · 17/03/2025 17:30

My Idea:
So what you'd need is somethjing like "Rent my parking dot co dot uk" where people willing to share their EV charging can register their location and details.

The service operator - like Uber or AirBnB - then arranges taking payments and controlling the internet connected charger via the app, so only the person who rented the slot can use it (you could also use the addional security features of the EV to further ensure only the correct vehicle is being charged).

Obviously the person renting out the EV charger (possibly during the day when they are at work) would be paid an additional %age as well as the intermediary company on top of the electricity used.

ChatGPTs analysis:

Yeah, exactly! This would be like an "Airbnb for EV chargers", allowing homeowners or businesses to rent out their private EV charging points when they're not using them.
A few key features that would make it work well:

  • App-based booking & payments (like Uber, so you only pay for what you use)
  • Smart charger control (so only the person who booked can access it)
  • Vehicle verification (maybe using the car's built-in security or plate recognition)
  • Dynamic pricing (to adjust for peak/off-peak electricity rates)
  • Incentives for hosts (so it's worth their while to rent out their charger)
This could be a game-changer in cities where public charging stations are scarce or expensive, and it would make use of existing infrastructure. Would you focus this on homeowners, businesses, or both?

I would love this. I charge at home and don’t usually go more than 4/5 miles in a day so not an issue to charge at home but am going on a long journey in a few months and reading having to pay up to £0.89 per kw for what i get at home at £0.07. This is why they’ll never take off properly EV cars - if I had to leave my town frequently I’d never have moved away from petrol / diesel. Also the cars themselves need to be cheaper for people to choose electric.

there’s already an app like this but as it’s people on drive chargers only 7kwh so would take all night so not all that convenient. It’s called co charger

GiveDogBone · 17/03/2025 18:03

I let my neighbour use mine, he pays a small premium to my electricity rate (basically round it up to the nearest 5p). Works out cheaper for him than charging publicly and doesn’t cost me anything.

SerendipityJane · 17/03/2025 17:30

My Idea:
So what you'd need is somethjing like "Rent my parking dot co dot uk" where people willing to share their EV charging can register their location and details.

The service operator - like Uber or AirBnB - then arranges taking payments and controlling the internet connected charger via the app, so only the person who rented the slot can use it (you could also use the addional security features of the EV to further ensure only the correct vehicle is being charged).

Obviously the person renting out the EV charger (possibly during the day when they are at work) would be paid an additional %age as well as the intermediary company on top of the electricity used.

ChatGPTs analysis:

Yeah, exactly! This would be like an "Airbnb for EV chargers", allowing homeowners or businesses to rent out their private EV charging points when they're not using them.
A few key features that would make it work well:

  • App-based booking & payments (like Uber, so you only pay for what you use)
  • Smart charger control (so only the person who booked can access it)
  • Vehicle verification (maybe using the car's built-in security or plate recognition)
  • Dynamic pricing (to adjust for peak/off-peak electricity rates)
  • Incentives for hosts (so it's worth their while to rent out their charger)
This could be a game-changer in cities where public charging stations are scarce or expensive, and it would make use of existing infrastructure. Would you focus this on homeowners, businesses, or both?
Mookie81 · 17/03/2025 16:52

Negroany · 17/03/2025 14:20

I'm really not following your point. Either you've misunderstood my post or I can't understand yours.

Either way, I don't actually care what you're talking about.

I know there are cheaper tariffs for EVs. I can't see why you felt the need to tell me. But, as I said, I don't care about your need to explain pointless stuff to me.

Show quote history

Why the rudeness?
They're responding to your own post about it!

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 17/03/2025 15:49

Don't do it. Even if she offered to pay there will always be the day that the charger breaks when your neighbour is using it and the cost if repair will fall on you.

Clearinguptheclutter · 17/03/2025 15:47

I might consider if they offered to pay, but it’s still a slippery slope if you have to move cars around though. Ok once in a while. Regularly, no.

being an EV owner has lots of benefits. It costs a lot upfront though so to reap those benefits you should stump up the cash

carrotsandtomatoes · 17/03/2025 15:45

Alittlebit9 · 17/03/2025 08:43

Thanks everyone. I ended up saying we would be using it overnight, and it’s too expensive in the day, but gave them the details of the people who installed it 😬 I def find it awkward saying no.

and if she keeps at it tell her it’s £25 a charge and give your bank details for her to transfer prior to use. because you know, it cost a lot to install and energy prices are so high now.

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 15:44

Negroany · 17/03/2025 15:20

There's no connection between the comments though. I do still think £2 sounds low. My neighbour tells me his costs more than this when we chat about this stuff (he's had an EV for years and the installed charger so I imagine he has the rate), and my sister's at home (where she has the Octopus EV rate) is also more than £2.

So, two comments, not linked. 1) £2 seems a bit low to me; separately 2) my sister cost £14 staying at my house. As she didn't go anywhere that would have been one charge.

I know ev rates exist. I still have no idea why someone thought I needed to be told that.

Show quote history

It was perfectly clear to me and others on this thread 🙄.

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 15:42

haufbiskiy · 17/03/2025 15:37

£2 a charge is not right. Your maths is wrong.

Most domestic chargers are 7kw.

That means for every hour you charge it is costing you 52.5p so if you charge for four hours then it would cost you £2.10 but you will only have partially charged the car (28kw). Most cars would require much more than that. A very small EV might be about 60kw for a full charge. A tesla model s or model x is 100kw. My BMW is 180kw.

So the PP saying it costs "nothing" is clearly wrong.

The poster with the sister is closer - if her sister had a mid range EV then £14 over two days is about right if she charged it from low to full a couple of times (edited to add or if she charged during the day on the higher rate)

Edited
Show quote history

Sorry I wasn't clear - it does cost us about £2 a charge but that's not a full 'tank' as such - we tend to do top up charges. Regardless of whether you do top up charges or run the battery right down, we average £35-45 a month for approx 1000 miles. See attached screenshot, this was our January usage.

The neighbour and the EV charger
haufbiskiy · 17/03/2025 15:37

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 14:19

How's that possible?
We do about 1000 miles a month, probably more, and the electric costs us around £40 ish. We charge on Intelligent Octopus tariff which is 7.5p/kw and around £2-3 a charge but it still mounts up. Obviously considerably cheaper than diesel or petrol for the same distance but not insignificant.
Unless you only do 100 miles a month or something! You actually should be able to tell exactly if you've got an app which I think most chargers do have.

Show quote history

£2 a charge is not right. Your maths is wrong.

Most domestic chargers are 7kw.

That means for every hour you charge it is costing you 52.5p so if you charge for four hours then it would cost you £2.10 but you will only have partially charged the car (28kw). Most cars would require much more than that. A very small EV might be about 60kw for a full charge. A tesla model s or model x is 100kw. My BMW is 180kw.

So the PP saying it costs "nothing" is clearly wrong.

The poster with the sister is closer - if her sister had a mid range EV then £14 over two days is about right if she charged it from low to full a couple of times (edited to add or if she charged during the day on the higher rate)

Negroany · 17/03/2025 15:20

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 14:24

You replied to a poster to say that you thought £2 was low for a charge as your sister managed to rack up £14 in a couple days. Another poster pointed out that an EV owner wouldn't pay that as they'd have a EV tariff. Really not hard to understand.

And £2 per charge is about right, obviously depends on the car.

Show quote history

There's no connection between the comments though. I do still think £2 sounds low. My neighbour tells me his costs more than this when we chat about this stuff (he's had an EV for years and the installed charger so I imagine he has the rate), and my sister's at home (where she has the Octopus EV rate) is also more than £2.

So, two comments, not linked. 1) £2 seems a bit low to me; separately 2) my sister cost £14 staying at my house. As she didn't go anywhere that would have been one charge.

I know ev rates exist. I still have no idea why someone thought I needed to be told that.

BashfulClam · 17/03/2025 14:40

OuchyEars · 17/03/2025 14:25

@BashfulClam don't worry about the pushback. Your comment was clear, and clearly with good intentions.
Best to just ignore.

I honestly thought I was going slightly mad. lol!

BashfulClam · 17/03/2025 14:39

Steeryourselfanywaythatyouchoose · 17/03/2025 14:24

You replied to a poster to say that you thought £2 was low for a charge as your sister managed to rack up £14 in a couple days. Another poster pointed out that an EV owner wouldn't pay that as they'd have a EV tariff. Really not hard to understand.

And £2 per charge is about right, obviously depends on the car.

Show quote history

Yes exactly. I thought I was in a paralell universe. Exactly as Steer yourself has said.

OuchyEars · 17/03/2025 14:25

@BashfulClam don't worry about the pushback. Your comment was clear, and clearly with good intentions.
Best to just ignore.

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