Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a charger in my apartment block?

  • Yes. Every apartment building with parking spaces can have an EV charger installed. Cost and complexity vary significantly however and this must be determined by a property survey to ascertain power capacity, cabling distances and directions, mounting locations and so on. In each instance appropriate approvals must also be granted by your Freeholder and/or Property Manager. Find more about our solutions for Property Managers, Property Developers and Residents.

  • Leaseholder or tenant: You must seek permission from the freeholder, Resident Management Committee (RMC) or property management company. 

    Owner: If you own the property outright, you still may need permission if communal areas, parking spaces, or other shared facilities are involved.

    You may also need to comply with local planning permissions, building regulations and also notify your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO). 


  • If your building doesn’t have dedicated parking spaces, you’ll need to check if communal parking areas are available for EV charging. In such cases, a shared charging point(s) could be installed in common areas with agreement from all relevant stakeholders. Cosmic evaluate these situations and can often provide full funding of the infrastructure to avoid investment from the Service Charge.


  • Certified EV chargers are safe if installed correctly by a qualified professional and then maintained to the manufacturer’s instructions.


Costs, grants and billing

  • You will either use an app or an RFID tag to access the chargers and pay for the energy used. This occurs automatically through our phone app once each driver has created an account.


  • The UK government offers the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for flat owners and those living in rented properties, which covers up to 75% of the cost of installing a chargepoint, up to a maximum of £500 per socket. This grant is available to individuals who own a flat, live in rental accommodation, or are landlords.

  • Chargers in apartments must be maintained with an annual inspection and administered using software to ensure energy costs and access are managed as desired. Typically you can expect to pay for the energy, maintenance and management activities as well as any financing costs that may have been incurred during installation. 

Usage

  • Charging times depend on the charger type:

    - Slow chargers (3-6 kW): 6-12 hours for a full charge.

    - Fast chargers (7-22 kW): 3-5 hours.

    - Rapid chargers (50 kW+): 30 minutes to an hour for an 80% charge.


  • It depends entirely on how parking spaces are owned / allocated. Typically there are two options;

    1. Right to park - in this instance residents have the right to park anywhere in a prescribed car park and can therefore choose to install EV infrastructure in one area and share it.

    2. Allocated / demised - residents own a specific parking space. This means they need to install the infrastructure in their parking bay rather than make use of a shared facility. 

    Note that some car parks will have a blend of parking types.


  • The responsibility for maintaining the charging point will depend on the agreement made during installation. If the charging point is for personal use, the individual who installed it will typically be responsible for maintenance but will have a 5 year manufacturer’s warranty. For shared or communal chargers installed by Cosmic and for any infrastructure supporting individual chargers they will be maintained by Cosmic.


  • If the charger is located in your allocated parking space then the answer is ‘yes’ providing you do so using a qualified electrician, seek permission from your property manager / freeholder and leave the circuit correctly isolated and safe. This is often more expensive than it’s worth however so we regularly see drivers leaving their charger and essentially selling it as part of their property transaction. 

    If chargers are in a shared facility then they are the property of either the freeholder, RMC or Cosmic Charging and so in these instances they can’t be removed. 

General

  • Charging an EV from a regular three-pin socket is not recommended for long-term use due to slower charging speeds and safety concerns. Dedicated EV chargers are much faster, safer, and more efficient.


  • Currently, there is no legal requirement for existing apartment buildings to provide EV charging. At Cosmic we are working across industry bodies and government to review if additional policy support along these lines would be appropriate. Recent UK regulations require new builds and major renovations to include EV charging provisions. 

  • - Charging at home is the most convenient means to recharge your car.

    - Drivers will gain access to much cheaper charging

    - Property values may be increased as a result of the addition of future proofed facilities.