Electric Vehicle Charge-points

Local EV Charge-point funding 2021-22: Parish & Town councils and Village Halls

Welcome to Kent County Council's Local Electric Vehicle Charge-point scheme. Here you will find all the information you need about the scheme.

Why we are doing this project?

Kent County Council (KCC) is committed to helping the residents and businesses of Kent switch to more sustainable modes of travel such as walking, cycling and using public transport. However, we recognise that many people will still rely on private vehicles for their transport needs. Where this is necessary, KCC wants to help enable the use of low carbon transport modes, such as electric vehicles (EVs).

Providing adequate electric vehicle charge-points across the county is a very important part of KCC's strategic plan to achieve carbon neutrality in Kent by 2050, set out within the Kent & Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy. While there is private investment available for providing charge-points in densely populated locations, or on the main roads, often the smaller communities will be missed. This project aims to provide publicly available charge-points in local communities across Kent.

What is the project?

KCC have funding for the year 2021/22 to install Charge-points in Parish and Town Council and Village Hall locations. KCC invites interested partners to put forward their off-street locations. KCC will optimise the locations ensuring best value for money and mobilise our appointed supplier to install charge-points at these selected locations. KCC will ensure ongoing maintenance is included and a profit share is returned to the landowner.

Who can register their interest for this project?

We welcome registrations from any Parish or Town Council under Kent County Council's administrative authority, and also from village halls with suitable car parks.

This project is aimed at those who have ownership of or lease arrangement with car parks at village/town halls and community buildings. We do appreciate that some of the Councils will not have access to a village hall or community building car park and we are open to explore all available opportunities if another piece of land or building can be found.

All councils and Village Halls wishing to register their interest in the project shall be referred to as the Applicant.

Who should make the application?

Both Parish and Town councils and village halls can make an application. A license agreement with KCC is required for each location. The agreement will be with the landowner, or with the leaseholder if there is a lease arrangement in place. It is hoped that Parish & Town councils and village halls and community buildings will work together to gather information on possible usage and agree the best place(s) for charge points. Multiple locations may be possible within each village, subject to available funding. It would be beneficial to prioritise these on your registration form. If you wish to discuss your individual circumstances please contact electricvehicles@kent.gov.uk in the first instance.

What is an electric vehicle charge-point?

An electric vehicle charge-point looks similar to a petrol pump but instead delivers electricity to an EV. Although the technology is evolving quickly, it is currently not possible to refuel in as little time as at a petrol pump nor do many EV drivers need to. For some users, charging an electric vehicle may require a shift in mindset away from “gorging” on fuel to “grazing” more frequently on electricity.

There are several charge point types available and each has the ability to charge vehicles at different speeds, measured in kilowatts (kW). These range from a 3 pin plug or 7kW home charge-point right up to what is called 'ultra-rapid' charging - generally available on the motorways and designed to provide up to 100 miles of range in 5-10 minutes.

	Slow (3 to 7kW)	Fast (7 to 22kW)	Rapid (up to 50kW)	Ultra-Rapid (100 to 350kW)
Charge time:	4 to 8 hours	2 to 4 hours	25 to 40 mins	5 to 20 mins
Vehicle range added in 15 mins:	3 to 6 miles	6 to 20 miles	35 to 40 miles	50 to 150 miles
EV compatibility:	All	All - some vehicles may charge slower than others	Dependent on connector type - not all battery EVs and very few plugin Hybrid EVs are capable of accepting a rapid charge	More vehicles are now starting to accept ultra-rapid charges, not just the high end models
Typical photo:

From Charging Electric Vehicles (Energy Saving Trust)

It is most likely that Fast (7kW) charge-points, using Type 2 connectors, will be most suitable for this project because they provide the most appropriate speed for communities looking to serve visitors and local residents. Type 2 connectors are industry standard and will connect to the greatest number of vehicles.

The majority of people charge their vehicles over night at home or during the day at destinations visited regularly such as a place of work, supermarkets or restaurants. This is typically done using a lower power charge point as this is usually the lowest cost and makes good use of time when the vehicle is not being utilised.

Charge-points will either be wall mounted, which is typically the lowest cost, or located on a pillar or post.

More information can be found at the Energy Saving Trust Charging Electric Vehicles.

What speed charge-points will be installed as part of this project?

Most installations are likely to be Fast Charge-points (7kW) as part of this project. The exact speed of charge-points will be agreed on a case by case basis. The more information gathered from the Applicant about your residents and expected users of the charge-points, the easier it will become to select suitable charge-points. This information can initially be collected on the Application Form as described later in this document.

Only what is called Mode 3 charge-points will be funded under this scheme. Mode 3 means the charge-point will have a dedicated wall or pillar box with the electronics built in providing more safety than a 3 pin plug.

Isn't faster charging always best?

It is important to consider who will likely use the charge-points. For example, overnight resident parking will generally require 7kW charging as 4-8 hours is plenty of time to recharge most vehicles. In contrast, visitors and people passing through could benefit from faster day time charging facilities, with 11kW+ charging a more appropriate choice, particularly if three-phase AC power supply is available. The power supply available will largely determine what charge-point we can install.

How many charge-points would be installed?

We want the available funding to provide as many charge-points as possible across the county. Therefore, we will favour locations where multiple charge-points can reasonably be installed (at least two ideally), provided there is a local need. If match-funding is being used to provide even more charge-points, that will increase your location's chance of being selected.

However, most importantly we want well considered applications providing charge-points in locations that are likely to be used and provide a good resource for the public.

At which locations can we install charge-points?

The charge-points should be installed on land that is publicly available to use with express permission from the landowner. We imagine that village hall car parks and community hubs will offer the best locations, but if you have an alternative in mind, feel free to submit it or speak to us before registering your interest. If you wish to apply for multiple locations, this may be acceptable subject to available funding. It would be beneficial to prioritise these on your registration form.

Ideally the car parks will be available to use 24/7. If this is not the case then please detail any planned closures when completing your registration form.

We would generally seek to install the chargers close to the power source. However, we would discuss this with the landowner.

Please note: parking bays with charge-points should be reserved solely for the use of electric vehicles to charge. This will result in a loss of parking spaces for other users who do not drive electric vehicles. As this project is designed to encourage people to switch to EVs by showing them that available charging facilities exist locally, we would look to the Applicant to help us enforce this going forward, even if EV use is slow at first. We can introduce overstay charges if required although this would be discussed on a case by case basis.

Do we need planning permission to install an EV charge-point?

Usually planning permission is not required, however in some specific instances it may be, such as if it is located within two metres of a public highway or is within a conservation area. Please check the Planning Portal advice to determine if your location will require planning permission:

Planning Portal - Electric vehicle charging points

If applicable, this will add to the time required to install any charge-points. We would expect the Applicant to apply for any Planning Permission. Please include this information on your Registration Form and contact the Transport Innovations Team in the first instance on the contact details provided at the bottom of this document

Can we install our own chargers as well?

As part of the legal agreement, we will ask that you don't install charge points in addition to those we install for the term of our agreement. This is because we feel it is important for EV users to have a consistent charging experience and it would be confusing to have two different charger units side by side potentially charging different amounts of money. Additionally, we will have invested taxpayer funds into preparing the location for charging. Often the initial cost is the highest and it will take us time to recoup that funding. We will of course work with you if dwmand is high and you wish to expand the charger numbers in the future.

How much funding is available?

KCC will look at the whole project costs and allocate resources as efficiently as possible. However, it is likely that up to £10,000 per Parish or Town Council will be used for the capital costs of installing a charge-point/s.

How much does a charge-point cost?

Charge-point costs vary. The units themselves are relatively level in price

but the installation costs and connection to power will vary with each location.

On average, each fully installed 7kW charge point costs in the region of £4-8,000. Maintenance and back office costs are £360 per annum.

Will it cost us anything?

No, the project could pay for the entire cost of the works to install and maintain one or more charge-points. However, locations that offer best value for money and/or can provide match funding, will be favoured. If you can provide match funding it could enable more charge-points to be installed in your location. This will better serve your local community and could provide a greater revenue share back to the Applicant as landowners. However, it is not essential for match funding to be provided.

Is there other funding available which we can apply for?

KCC will be applying for the On-Street Residential Charge-point Scheme (ORCS) administered by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), where applicable.

This scheme may provide up to 75% of the capital costs of installing charge-points, if it can be demonstrated that there is a need for charge-points nearby, to cater for residents without access to off-street parking. More information can be found at the ORCS website: ORCS guidance for local authorities.

If successful, this will enable the project to provide more charge-points across more Parish and Town Councils in Kent. We may require some additional information from Applicants and will be in touch as required.

Will we be paid?

Yes, we expect to be able to offer a 30% profit share (after the cost of electricity and maintenance has been accounted for) for assigning dedicated EV parking bays.

Example 1 (10% utilisation)

• The charge-point generated £1500 in electricity sales in one year.
• 20% VAT (£300) is paid.
• There was £1020 (17p per kWh) worth of costs incurred by the Applicant as land-owner on their electricity bill - repaid to the Applicant.
• The annual maintenance and servicing cost (paid by KCC) is £360 per charge-point (£30 per month).
• KCC loses £180 per annum.

Example 2 (20% utilisation)

• The charge-point generated £3000 in electricity sales in one year.
• 20% VAT (£600) is paid.
• There was £2040 (17p per kWh) worth of costs incurred by the Applicant as land-owner on their electricity bill - repaid to the Applicant.
• The annual maintenance and servicing cost (paid by KCC) is £360 per charge-point (£30 per month).
• The charger breaks even for the year.
• No PROFIT is generated.

Example 3 (30% utilisation)

• The charge-point generated £4500 in electricity sales in one year.
• 20% VAT (£900) is paid.
• There was £3060 (17p per kWh) worth of costs incurred by the Applicant as land-owner on their electricity bill - repaid to the Applicant.
• The annual maintenance and servicing cost (paid by KCC) is £360 per charge-point (£30 per month).
• The charger generates £180 profit in the year.
• KCC gets £126 for the year.
• Landowner gets £54 for the year.

Please note these are hypothetical situations and in some cases the chargers will not generate a profit. If this happens then KCC pays the ongoing costs regardless but neither KCC nor the landowner receive a profit share.

We will make a payment for either the electricity or profit share when this has accrued to £50 or more. This is to avoid the administrative work for both parties in sending across small amounts of money. Payments can be made monthly for electricity repayments (above £50) and quarterly for profit (above £50). Towards the end of the financial year any outstanding profit will be paid no matter what the amount. If you have any queries or would like to discuss payment terms, please contact us on electricvehicles@kent.gov.uk. We understand cash flow is important and so want to make sure all parties are comfortable with the arrangement and payment timescales.

How do we know how much electricity has been used by the EV chargers, and do we invoice you?

The EV chargers are metered so they record the number of units (kWh) they place into vehicles. A monthly statement will be generated and provided to the bill payer showing the numbers of charging sessions, duration and units consumed. This can then be correlated against the electricity bill.

When £50 or more has accrued, we will automatically issue you with the payment. You do not need to invoice us first.

Payments take up to 30 days to process. We will work with you to ensure payments are processed quickly.

Why do we have to split the profit with KCC?

The project is designed to grow over time. As charge-points come online and start being used this will generate revenue that can be used to fund the next charge-point. This is important as we will need to fund charge-points in areas where they may not be used very often but serve a local need. Additionally, if your charge-point needs to be upgraded or expanded in the future, the revenue will help to pay for this.

There is further risk too for KCC, if some charge-points get very low usage and can't financially cover themselves for repairs and maintenance then the 70% profit share to KCC will be used to pay for the maintenance anyway. Additionally, KCC will insure the Charge-points against damage or vandalism. We do not want Applicants to be left with a financial liability or for their charge-point to be left in disrepair so KCC are taking on this risk.

KCC will ring-fence the revenue for maintenance and expansion of the public EV charge-point network and sustainable travel initiatives. The money will not be used for 'day-to-day' spending by KCC.

Message from KALC: before expressing an interest in the project, councils should ensure that they have the appropriate power(s) either to match-fund or to receive and spend a share of the profit and that they should contact the Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC) for further advice by e-mailing adviser@kentalc.gov.uk or chief.executive@kentalc.gov.uk

Who is responsible for maintaining the charge-points and who will pay for this?

KCC will fund and retain ownership of the charge-points. Therefore, KCC will arrange for maintenance, servicing, insurance and deal with any issues that may arise. If the units are vandalised or accidentally damaged then KCC will arrange for the repair. All repairs will be contracted out to the supplier who installed the unit. A maintenance and repair fee will be taken from the revenue generated by selling electricity before profit share is split out. A phone number and email address will be provided to report any damage or issues with the charge-points.

Who provides the electricity?

There are two options:

• The electricity will be taken from the existing supply on the land (such as to the village hall). The party responsible for paying the electricity bill to the utility provider will continue to do so but power consumption will inevitably rise - leading to higher bills. That is why it is important for the end user to be charged for their electricity usage per kWh. In order for revenue share calculations to be processed, we may need to see evidence of electricity use

  If the Applicant is not responsible for paying the utility provider, a written agreement needs to be in place between all relevant parties before registering your interest in the project. Evidence of this may be required.

• The electricity is brought in from a new connection to the grid. If this happens then KCC will take responsibility for that connection and will pay the electricity bill and standing charge. KCC will source the electricity from a renewable source.

Who pays to charge the vehicles and how much will they pay?

The end user will pay for the electricity they use with an additional cost on top, to cover maintenance and operational costs.

We would not expect any charge-points to cost more than 25p per kWh to all users at the current time, rising (or falling) in line with inflation and government policy changes as appropriate. The price of the electricity will be set nearer the time to installation. All the Parish charge-points will charge the same amount.

How will the end user pay for their charge?

The charge-points have a publicly available payment mechanism including a mobile app and/or RFID card which are both commonly used.

Can I give a discount to local residents?

No, we would expect the price of electricity to be the same for all end-users, even if they are not from within the local community. The reason for this is that the project is designed to help create a Kent network of charge-points. It should be noted that local residents and visitors are most likely to use the charge-points, particularly overnight.

However, if the Applicant wished to use their revenue share to fund more charge-points for local residents and businesses in the future, they may do so at their own discretion provided the charge-points funded by this project remain publicly available and well maintained.

Do I need signs and line marking for each bay?

It is often a good idea to install lining and signage on the ground to show the space is for electric vehicles only but we shall discuss this on a case by case basis. This will be provided within the funding allocated to each location.

Do I need wheel stops or barriers to protect the charge-point?

We will sometimes look to install wheel stops to help protect the charge-point from being struck by the vehicle. These are located within the parking bay. If the charge-point is wall mounted or set back on a pavement then these may not be required.

Will the charge-point cable be tethered?

Charge-points are either installed with a cable tethered to the charge-point or without, in which case the end user uses their own charging cable. This project will only install untethered units.

Most EV drivers will carry their own cable with them in the boot of their vehicle. Although sometimes more convenient for drivers to use a tethered cable, it places greater maintenance risk on the charge-point owner as the cables can get damaged if not tidied away properly or driven over. It will also be lower cost to provide an untethered charge-point.

Examples of an untethered ("universal") and tethered charge-point (note: not representative of the charge-points which will be installed).

Who will install the charge-points?

The supplier is Connected Kerb - a fast growing and exciting national supplier. Connected Kerb use recycled materials to build their units and offer a high level of customer care. If you wish to find out more please visit Connected Kerb.

What is the process for applying?

Step 1: Decide where you would ideally like to install your charge-point/s and gain agreement from all required stakeholders. If you need to hold meetings or get the landowner's permission you should do this at the first stage. If you do not own the land, a written agreement needs to be in place with the landowner, covering also supply of electricity

Parish and Town Councils can contact KALC (adviser@kentalc.gov.uk or chief.executive@kentalc.gov.uk) and they will advise whether you have the appropriate powers to spend the profit share or provide match funding. If not, please speak with KCC’s Transport Innovations Team and we will look to work around this if at all possible.

Village Halls can contact Rural Kent's Village and Community Halls Adviser (info@ruralkent.org.uk) for advice.

Otherwise please speak with KCC’s Transport Innovations Team and we will look to work around this if at all possible.

If you are interested in taking part in the project, please complete the Registration and Expression of Interest form found on this website.

Step 2: If you wish to continue to a full application, please complete the grant application in your account on the Jambusters website, providing all the required information.

Step 3: We will assess all the applications at the close of the application window and decide how best to allocate the funds. We will arrange for the supplier to carry out a site visit to give an accurate quotation, and confirm whether an installation is possible. This may require some assistance from someone at the property to allow sufficient access. We will keep you informed of progress.

Step 4: We will inform those Applicants whose locations are to be progressed and agree details of the installation. We will also inform those Applicants whose sites will be placed on the reserve list.

Step 5: Contracts and legal agreements are signed. In some instances installations may begin in this period.

Step 6: Charge-points are installed in the majority of cases, tested and completion certificates issued.

How can I apply?

In the first instance you can complete the Registration Form at (Parish EV Charge-points). Then move on to a full application

How will you score my application?

KCC officers will score each application out of 45 using the criteria below. This is to enable an impartial selection process and ensure the funding is allocated in the most effective way.

Marking Criteria

For an application to be considered:

• the Applicant must have the landowner's permission in writing
• the parking spaces must be publicly available at all times (where this is not possible, please explain the situation on the registration form)

If these requirements are met, the following scoring criteria will apply where demand exceeds the available funding:

Criteria	Low points score	Good points score	High points score
Charge-point bays Scores will be given for the number of parking bays that the Applicant is willing to allocate for charge-points:	1 parking bay: 4 points	2 parking bays: 6 points	3+ parking bays: 10 points
Information provided about end users Higher scores will be given to those that can demonstrate an understanding of the likely users of the charge-points. This will help us plan the types of charge-points that may be suitable.	If the Applicant demonstrates a limited understanding of the likely end users: 2 points	If the Applicant demonstrates a good understanding of the likely end users: 6 points	If the Applicant demonstrates an excellent understanding of the likely end users: 10 points
Evidence of demand for EV charge-points Higher scores will be given to Applicants who provide evidence that there is a demand locally for EV charge-points. This may help us apply for ORCS funding. Please provide up to two of the following: a map or plan showing a radius of 0.5 miles (10 minute walk on average) from the charge-point location; all houses without off street parking should be highlighted (10 points) OR a resident survey showing requests for EV charge-points nearby (10 points) OR photos / street views of the local streets around the proposed charger location showing a lack of off-street parking (10 points)			If the Applicant can provide this evidence: up to 20 points
Potential for solar Locations that provide the opportunity to incorporate solar canopies or link to existing solar installations will score higher:		Plans in development to install new solar installation on building: 3 points	Existing solar in place on building: 5 points

In the event of two Applicants receiving identical scores, Applicants who are able to provide match funding will be favoured.

Total available points = 45.

Will we need to sign any terms and conditions or a legal agreement?

Yes, we have some general terms and conditions to be part of this project at Guidance - Funding - Terms and Conditions.

We also will require all landowners on whose land the charge-points are to be placed to sign a legal agreement. This will protect both parties - KCC and the landowner. KALC have instructed a legal firm to ensure the contract adequately protects Parish and Town Councils. We would suggest Parish and Town Councils speak with them, or a legal representative, if you have any questions regarding this.

Village Halls may wish to seek legal advice independently.

Who can I speak to if I have any questions:

The funding is administered by the Transport Innovations Team within Highways, Transportation & Waste.

We highly recommend emailing us as the best method of contact due to the large numbers of enquiries we receive:

email: electricvehicles@kent.gov.uk

We will then happily email or call you to discuss your application at a time to suit both parties.

If you do need to call us then we suggest asking for the Transport Innovations Team on:

tel: 03000 418 181