This can vary due to a number of reasons. 1. How large the system is. 2. Additional items required, such are battery storage, maintenance requirements such as man safe systems, access to the roof or installation area, cable runs for connection to the existing installation, the existing installation condition and installation method.
Solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years, however they are known to last a lot longer than this.
Most of the time no. Main requirements to avoid planning are; The new installation of panels does not excess 200mm of the existing roof. The panels must be over 1m from the edge of the roof. Areas of outstanding beauty or conservation areas require the panels do not face the road. The position of the panels should be positioned in the least visible place to minimise the appearance of the building (this typically isn’t a problem on the roof of commercial buildings. Listing buildings will require planning permission prior.
A 400 Watt solar panel can create on average 1.6kWh of energy a day, so 100 panels will create 160kWh of electricity on average per day.
You don’t need planning permission for an EV charger unless you are in a conservation area, and your charging point will be visible to the public. If you have a listed building, you may need to seek permission from Historic England, but you will need to consult your local planning office if you’ve any concerns. You cannot create an off-street parking space in your front garden without planning permission for a dropped kerb.
Yes, if you have solar panels or wind generation on your property we recommend using My Energi – Zappi, a smart EV charger that has three charging modes of ECO, ECO+ and Fast and an optional mode to utilise 100% green energy.
Typically, it takes about a day to install an EV charger. The Oxford Electrical Company will come and talk to you about the type of charger that would best suit your needs and once you have accepted the quote, we will arrange a day to come and fit it for you.
Smart charging lets owners of electric vehicles manage the way and time their vehicles are charged to save them money and ensure their vehicles are ready for use. You can set elements such as – when the charging will happen to use off-peak electricity, the level you want to charge to and when the charge will be complete. There are many types of smart EV chargers offering different options, but most are easily controlled through an app. ‘Dumb’ chargers simply charge and that’s it.
Once you have an EV charger installed, using a reputable installer like The Oxford Electrical Company, you only need to pay for the power you use – there is no cost to access the grid. We do recommend you use a smart charger though to ensure you are not exceeding your expected amounts each month and incurring higher costs from your supplier.
Yes, the more power an EV charger supplies the more expensive the box will be. A lower power charger, powering at a lower rate is the more cost-effective option – but you can control costs by using a smart charger that will use off-peak electricity at a lower rate automatically.
The range an electric vehicle will travel depends on the vehicle, it’s the same as petrol cars – some give you more miles to the gallon than others. All manufacturers will give you an average range and like a petrol light an EV will warn you when you are low on power. Carwow.co.uk’s top three EV cars range from 374 miles with the Tesla Model 3 to 328 miles from the Kia EV6 and 314 miles from the Audi Q4 e-tron. Number 20 on their list is the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric with 280 miles. These ranges from 374 to 280 will usually cover most people’s daily journeys and commutes. Just like filling up with petrol you may have to plan to charge your car when out on the road for long journeys.
Again, the length of time an EV takes to charge depends on the vehicle and the power supplied by your charger. As an example – Stuff Magazine’s Electric Car of The Year The Nissan Leaf hatchback – will take 6-8 hours if you have a 3kW charger but only 2-4 hours if you have 7kW.
The best principle to employ when thinking about charging your EV is to think about how you charge your mobile phone. You will be in the habit of charging your phone when you are not using it – maybe at night – so it is charged and ready for the next day. If you are going to use it more in a single day then you will need to plan to give it an extra charge, either at home or out on the road.
Home charging will be cheaper than using public charging companies as you will be paying a commercial price for your energy – even if the charging capability is quicker. Rapid AC chargers at 43 kW using the Type 2 lead can charge a car to 80% in around 20-40 minutes. Costs vary according to location but a What Car? study found some charging stations cost more per mile than petrol or diesel, so it is worth only using public charging stations when absolutely necessary and only charging to 80% as the last 20% takes longer and so is the least cost-effective part of the charge.
The costs to install an EV charger at home depends on the type of wallbox charger you choose and the installation costs which will vary depending on your home and situation. The wallbox chargers themselves increase in cost the more power they supply. A 3kw electric car charger will be cheaper than a 7kw charger. It is best to find a reputable and experienced installer like The Oxfordshire Electrical Company and get a quote for a charger than suits your exact needs.
The short answer is yes, electric vehicles are cheaper to run, despite the rising costs of energy at the moment (Dec 2022). You can also make the costs of charging your car cheaper by using a smart charger which will charge your car when there is low demand on the national grid.
This can vary due to the following reasons; size of property, the amount of fuseboards/circuits requiring testing and location. In Oxfordshrie they typically range from £140-£250+vat.
Under the Electrical Safety standards in the private rented sector, it is mandatory that all Landlords have their properties test and inspcected by a competent and qualified electrician, every 5 years, to check the safety of the installation for their tennants.
PAT stands for Portable Appliance test. This test is to check an appliance is safe for continued use.
This can vary due to a variety of reasons, such as; existing electrical capacity & condition, type of charge point you would like and the location you would like the charge point installed. Typically they range from £650-£1,750.
This really depends on the size of the car’s battery and your electricity tariff, however you can do a simple calculation to figure this out. Take you car battery size for example 85kWh and times it by your electricity cost which is given in kWh say 0.35p so 85 x 0.35 = £29.75 (please note this would be from a flat battery).
The batteries could need to be replaced or the unit may need cleaning. Did you know that smoke alarms have an out of date sticker and may need replacing
All appliances that have a plug which is connected to a socket or generator should be portable appliance tested normally annually unless advised otherwise
Tethered EV point means it has a type 2 cable attached to the unit which you plug into your car, whilst untethered comes with a socket that you plug your own cable into.
Tethered units take the fuss away from having to get a cable out of your vehicle for easy and quick charging. There is also no risk of misplacing or forgetting the charger lead.
Tethered leads are approximately 6.5m long but there are a variety of lengths from each manufacturer.
Untethered units are for the most part look neater as there are no cables to tidy around the unit. There is also the option to upgrade to cable in the future. Tethered chargers are best when used frequently to save time, and save damaging a portable lead.
Our current preferred EV chargers are the Zappi from My Energi, the W7C from ICS intelligent charging systems and the AndersenA2 unit. Although these are our preferred, we are often asked if we would install other chargers, which we would be more than happy to help with.
Yes, we offer packages were by you get additional discount for each service you include, along with different durations of contract to suit your requirements.
AFDD stands for Arc Fault Detection Device, and detects the presence of electric arcs in your electrical installation and disconnect the supply before any dangerous effects. From the 27th of September 2022 it will become a requirement to install AFDD’s in the following installations : Higher risk residential buildings; Houses of multiple occupation (HMO); Purpose built student accommodation; Care homes. It also recommends that all socket circuits not exceeding 32a in all other premises are protected by AFDD’s.
Our electrical regulations are always changing to make installations safer, however you are not required to upgrade your system if you are not having work carried out. This is because your installation still meets the regulations it was installed to. That said the new regulations are there to improve safety, so if your installation is getting old we would advise you to consider certain upgrades to ensure your system remains safe for continued use.
This can vary depending on the property type. For example a residential install should be test and inspected every 5 years and if there’s a change of tenant a visual carried out for damaged accessories such as switches, sockets and light fittings. However Industrial installations need test and inspecting every 3years due to the size of supplies and high demands on the installation.
Yes, we carry out test and inspections for a variety of reasons. The most popular electrical testing we are asked for is a Electrical installation condition report. This required by businesses for insurance purposes, and landlords to check their electrical installation hasn’t deteriorated over time and is safe for continued use by the tenants.