Connected Kerb is launching a nationwide public smart EV charging feature that allows drivers to schedule charging to the cheapest off-peak hours.
Scheduled charging during off-peak hours saves money, cuts carbon and reduces pressure on the grid. This is the first time it has been available on a public charging network.
The public smart charging offer will see overnight tariffs of £0.45 per kWh. The chargepoint operator estimates that the lower costs could save drivers up to £222 a year on charging, a collective annual total of £1.5 billion by 2030.
The “first-of-its-kind” network-wide deployment follows Connected Kerb’s government-backed trial of public smart charging, Agile Streets, which revealed that peak energy demand could be cut by 240MW by 2030.
Connected Kerb’s smart charging allows drivers to schedule charging for when energy is cheapest and greenest. Reducing peak electricity demand directly reduces fossil fuel use, essential for meeting the goal of net zero by 2050.
Connected Kerb has 6,000 chargepoints already installed and a further 4,000 to be deployed this year. The rollout, set to begin in April, will see most of those chargepoints activated to be capable of smart charging by 2025.
62% of drivers without access to home charging have not been able to benefit from lower energy tariffs at off-peak times.
Ben Boutcher-West, chief digital officer at Connected Kerb, said: “Public smart charging is the catalyst we need to create a fairer, greener, and cheaper charging network. We know that just under two thirds of people in the UK don’t have access to a home charger, which is why we’re committed to levelling the playing field between those who can access smart charging and those who can’t.
“Our rollout of public smart charging isn’t just a major milestone for Connected Kerb, but the UK’s EV transition as a whole, bringing our public charging network one step closer to democratising the gap between those with and without off-street parking.”
With VAT on public charging four times the cost of home charging, drivers reliant on the public network face additional costs; publicly available smart charging seeks to address the imbalance.
The first areas to see the rollout will be the regions of West Sussex, Lincoln, Scarborough, Ryedale, and Sunderland.
Joy Dennis, cabinet member for Highways and Transport at West Sussex County Council said: “This rollout is a genuine step towards a more equitable and sustainable charging system for West Sussex. Our agreement with Connected Kerb to launch smart charging capability across the county will act as a roadmap for other councils, increasing access to smart charging for all.”
Smart charging will be available on Connected Kerb’s newly launched mobile application, which also features session tracking and provides drivers with live updates to enable them to monitor their charging.
Connected Kerb also recently announced a partnership with South Tyneside Council, with plans to more than double the number of public chargepoint in the North East. Marking the “single largest rollout of chargers in the North of England to date”, the partnership will see up to 2,100 chargepoints installed, providing a major boost to the UK’s target of 300,000 chargepoints by 2030.
