Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Home charger in block of flats?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Unfortunately the development that my building is part of the developer sold the freehold to (a predetermined) investment company and they employ the man agent company.
The development is looking for right to manage, but that is a long and complicated road ahead due to complex landlord structure and the size of the development. (In my carpark there’s over 200 parking spaces) and there’s 4 more carparks... so you can imagine the size :confused:

I initially tried the approach of getting the management co to deal with pod point (in case they wanted to obtain say pricing to upgrade infrastructure for other residents and similar) but since Feb we haven’t moved forward much..
so now I’m going the other way and trying to obtain quotes myself for option 1: connecting charger to communal/landlord supply and option 2: connecting to my own meter on my floor :confused:.
Whichever is best price and options wise, will be proposed to the landlord and we’ll see how this goes hopefully.
 
I live in a roughly 80 flats development with underground parking (with designated space for each flat). I had the charger installed about a month ago (£1600 after EV charger grant). It was a complicated install (30m of cable connected to my flat meter on the 4th floor). I probably could have connected to "communal electricity" but I wanted to avoid the nightmare of negotiating how much I should pay each month, etc. It is the first charger installed there so I had to negotiate a bit with committee that runs the development (they realise that EVs are coming so they took my install as a test for future installs). I own the flat btw. I've planned for this for a while so I've also had them to pull a fibre optic cable along the electric cable for the internet connection (this was priced into the install). I went for "plastic fibre optic" - it has an advantage that you are able to terminate it yourself (the real glass fibre optic requires special tools to be terminated properly). I've got the kit from germany. The router on the far end is housed in a waterproof plastic box (it's under roof anyway but this prevents wetness to get it). The connection is perfect - full 1Gbps speed on the internal network within flat.

The charger is Ohme, the whole install took roughly 6 hours. All was done a functional in one day including the internet. It took roughly 3 weeks from the initial contact with the installer. They had a guy coming first to see what is needed and they've priced the install for me at that point.
Dziny,
I really need your help again :confused::oops:.

Your story has encouraged me to look more into the option you went for with connecting to my own meter as I have a similar cable run 23-27m approx like you.
It did seem smart as I’ll be in charge of the electric cost and I’ve looked into OctopusEnergy (and joined! After seeing Agile’s pricing :eek::eek: and wondering why did I not switch before!).

The agent is strangely being very helpful in assisting with info and stuff.
But I am facing a lot of resistance from the companies themselves! I have gotten probably 6-8 No can do answers and these were large companies and not small installers!

I think they are getting a little fooled by the size of it all, but actually the building is planned quite well from that sense as it has a sort of void space and all around it it has all the cables/pipes! I.e. lift on one side, electrics on the other, water on the third and gas on the 4th wall! The floors have the same identical layout on top of each other, so no issues there either... so effectively, you could “connect a cable to my meter, dig 1 hole in the ground/wall behind it and drop the cable down to the carpark, pick it up from there and install the charger” the only thing being difficult is really the length of the cable itself and any regs that need to be met (like in any other install!).

Would you be able to share the details of who did your install and how much was the management of the block involved in the whole planning process?
also can you share if the block was built by a large developer such as Barrett, Bellway, Persimmon, etc if you know? (As that may give an indication of the complexity around making you jump through hoops, as smaller owners may be more relaxed and stuff...)

Thanks!!!
 
@Blueskye Apologies for going OT but is that your model S in your profile pic? Interesting wrap if so and also located at a rare supercharger where you drive into the space rather than reverse in.
Hahah no worries!

Hem... :oops: nope! I have a M3 SR+! :D

I found that pic online somewhere and thought it was cool.
Wanted to wrap my white model 3 whith a chameleon wrap that was giving light blue/aqua and purple hues.
I’ve seen it on a model S and it was BOMB!
But needed up falling in love with my “basic” white paint! :rolleyes: (Will do it maybe a few yrs later hehe)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Medved_77
It is possible that many of them may be domestic* installers and not commercial installers - we needed a commercial* installer for ours.

* may not be the correct terms.
Yes I agree they have to be a bit more equipped there.
But also on the other side, when they go into commercial installers they don’t want to waste time with me but want the owner of the block to get in touch and discuss infrastructure.. which they DONT give two craps about!!

so it’s a catch 22 to be fair.
I’m optimistic... it seems Pod Point and another company may be able to help hopefully fingers crossed
 
We are in the same boat 1st floor flat

Management company lying and unwilling to help so after months of emails and phone calls we got in touch with the local council and they are in the process of installing a double charge point on the public road just around the corner. Not the best solution but better then nothing as at the moment using rapids all the time far away

Good luck
 
  • Love
Reactions: Blueskye
We are in the same boat 1st floor flat

Management company lying and unwilling to help so after months of emails and phone calls we got in touch with the local council and they are in the process of installing a double charge point on the public road just around the corner. Not the best solution but better then nothing as at the moment using rapids all the time far away

Good luck
Oh no! That’s quite a shame in a first floor flat should be much easier than 4th-5th floors!
Good on the council.
If my charger situation won’t improve, I’ll try to get in touch with the Mayor of London and with local MP to see if things get better. (As I also expect thousands in fees to the freeholder for a permission to alter. It also says that they can charge a premium for the benefits in getting outside my lease! :confused::eek::eek:) if that’s the case I’ll try to knockoff those fees via MP/Mayor as EVs are coming, now it’s starting to get hard to get around London unless you have an EV due to ULEZ and London planning to go green in 2025-2030.

to make things more complicated, the roads around the buildings here are private so council wouldn’t be able to install nothing... the closest would be 10mins walking (if they would install it there) the closest existing one is like 25 mins walking! :confused:

so I’ll see and keep you guys updated!
 
  • Informative
Reactions: bitmanEV