What Businesses Should Know Before Installing a Charging Point

Start with the electrical supply, not the hardware

Before comparing charger brands, check what the building can actually deliver. In our regional projects, the most common delay was not equipment lead time but an undersized supply. A single 22 kW AC unit may look modest, yet three of them running together can exceed an existing commercial fuse rating.

Ask a qualified electrician to review your incoming capacity, earthing arrangement and spare ways in the distribution board. If an upgrade is needed, get that cost in writing early, because it often changes the whole business case.

Choose equipment that matches real dwell times

Speed should follow behaviour, not ambition. Staff and fleet vehicles parked for hours suit 7 kW to 22 kW AC charging. Rapid 50 kW plus DC units only make sense where drivers wait briefly and turnover matters.

Consider these practical points during procurement:

• Open Charge Point Protocol support, so you are not locked to one network.
• Dynamic load balancing to protect the site supply.
• Mode 3 tethered or socketed options that fit your parking layout.
• Clear warranty terms and a named UK maintenance contact.

Cheap units without back-office support often cost more over five years than a better-specified alternative.

Site the point where drivers already stop

Location decides utilisation. A charger hidden behind a bin store will be ignored, while one blocking a fire route creates a compliance problem.

Map existing parking patterns before drilling anything. Think about cable runs, drainage, lighting, signage and accessibility for wheelchair users. In one project, moving a unit ten metres closer to the main entrance raised weekly sessions by roughly a third.

"Put the charger where people already park, not where the cable is easiest to pull."

Plan permissions, payments and data

Check whether your site needs planning consent, landlord approval or a wayleave. On leased premises, confirm who owns the asset and who pays for repairs.

Decide how drivers will pay and how you will report energy use. A simple process avoids disputes:

1. Agree a tariff or free-vend policy in writing.
2. Register the unit with your chosen back-office platform.
3. Label the point with clear instructions and a support number.
4. Review usage data monthly for the first quarter.

Budget for operation, not just installation

Installation is the visible cost; electricity, software subscriptions, insurance and periodic inspection continue afterwards. The table below shows typical ongoing items to include in your forecast.

Businesses that plan supply, siting, payment and running costs together install once and avoid expensive rework later.