With increasing consumer demand, a wider selection of models and focused government support, electric vehicle sales are on an upward trajectory. With over 680,000 battery-electric cars on UK roads, and a further 455,000 plug-in hybrids, what does this mean for you as a holiday homeowner? If your holiday cottage doesn’t provide an electric car charging point, customers may book an alternative property.
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about having an electric vehicle charging point for holiday lets including what type you need, installation considerations and costs involved.
Electric vehicle charging points for holiday lets
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Reasons to install an electric vehicle charging point at your holiday let
With the number of electric cars on the roads increasing daily and consumers becoming more eco-conscious, having an electric vehicle charging point is a simple yet effect way to attract guests and make a property stand out from the crowd.
Attract more bookings
With the increase of electric vehicles (EV’s) on our roads, it feels like it is only a matter of time before EV charge point installation becomes an essential feature of your holiday let. Offering an electric vehicle charger installed at your property will cater for this ever-increasing number of electric vehicle drivers and give your holiday let greater appeal.
The convenience of an on-site charging point at your holiday let is a great selling point, will make your property stand out, and increase its appeal to a wider market. It takes away any worry from guests with electric vehicles about finding a holiday cottage in the area to charge, particularly if you’re in a rural location across Somerset, Devon or Cornwall, where EV charge points are sparse.
More convenience for your guests
While the public network of charging points across the UK increases, potential guests do not want to spend their valuable holiday time in a car park while charging their vehicle. The opportunity to charge overnight on a private driveway is always going to be the first choice for any discerning EV owner.
Offering an electric vehicle charger for your guests to use, that will charge their vehicle while they visit, will offer a unique selling point. Standing you out above the local accommodation competition and leaving your guests able to make the most of their time away.
Increasing your eco-credentials
Whether you’re already eco-conscious as a holiday let owner or not, there’s no denying that now is the time for us all to ‘do our bit’ towards saving the environment. As an owner you might have already made changes to your holiday let to become more eco-friendly whether it’s by using renewable energy resources for your property or using or eco-friendly products at your holiday home.
The natural next step is facilitating the use of electric cars by providing an EV charge point. Not only would installing an EV charging unit in your holiday let encourage greener living and do your bit to help climate change, but it would also provide an incentive for environmentally aware guests.
How much does it cost to charge an EV?
Electric vehicles use power that’s measured in kilowatts (kWh), which is the same unit that your regular electricity supply at home is measured in.
The cost to charge an EV will vary according to:
- Size of the vehicle’s battery – batteries have a capacity ranging from 17kWh up to 100kWh.
- EV charge point speed – Commonly found chargers at homes, workplaces and public destinations are 7kW. An EV with a 60kWh battery will take less than 8 hours to charge from 0-100% on a 7kW charger.
- Your property’s electricity tariff.
According to Pod Point the estimated cost to charge a typical electric car with a 60kWh battery and 200-mile range costs around £15.10 for a full charge (calculated at 25p per kWh).
Should guests pay to charge an EV?
There are different options available, so you can decide whether you want guests with EVs to pay per charge, or whether to have the charging point as a cost inclusive facility.
We recommend working out an approximate value of what the use of an EV charge point will add to the property’s bills. You can use online websites like Zap Maps EV home charging calculator to find out exactly how much it will cost to charge an EV at your property.
To make sure that the cost for the electricity usage that comes with electric car charging is covered, you could opt for adding a weekly supplement that guests can pay when they make a booking, or applying a small increase to your weekly pricing.
Charging points can have a lock on them, so you or your caretaker can leave the key for any guests that have paid an additional supplement. Or you can leave the key in a key safe and give guests the code. We recommend talking to an EV charge point specialist to decide the best option for you and your guests.
Considerations for an electric charging point installation
There are a number of points to consider before adding an electric car charging installation at your property.
Location
You will need to have dedicated off-road parking, garage or carport at your property in order to safely install a charging point.
Your EV charge point unit will need to be mounted on an external wall with a safe connection to the mains electricity supply.
It’s worth bearing in mind thar the location of the charge point on individual cars may differ. When it comes to installing your EV charge point, try and choose a neutral position which will make it easy to access and use, not matter the location of the cars plug in point.
As of June 2022, suppliers were no longer allowed to sell charging points that weren’t Wi-Fi compatible. So, the position of your charging point needs to be in a location which is able to receive signal either via WiFi or a 4G/5G connection.
Electric car charger types
There are two types of chargers available on the market:
- Tethered charging point: This charger comes with a long cable attached to the unit for ease of use. Most tethered cables have a Type 2 connector which is what most modern EV’s are manufactured with.
- Socketed charging point: Socketed, also known as untethered charging point is a dedicated charging station which comes without a cable. It will mean that guests will need to bring their own charging cable.
Installation by a professional
Your holiday property’s electric charging point must be installed by a professional, certified installer to ensure that it is safe for use. Arranging is easy, and you can do it through either your energy provider or a specialist company. Working with an authorised professional, they can help build a bespoke electric vehicle charting set up that suits your situation. Click here for government authorised installers of EV charging points.
Inform you holiday let Insurance company
Prior to purchasing and installation, you should inform your insurance provider that you’re considering adding this feature to your property. They’ll let you know if your if your policy needs updating.
Clear instructions
A guide on how to use the EV charging point should be left for guests to make sure it is used safely. You should stipitate that under no circumstances can guests charge EVs through the mains via a regular three-pin plug. Not only is this a health and safety hazard, but manufacturers warn against this. Make this clear, especially if you do not currently offer professionally installed charging options.
Your guests should also be aware of whether you have a tethered or untethered charge point so they bring the right cable with them.
Clear instructions can be set out in your guest information folder. Here are a few tips on how to create a guest information folder for your holiday home
Electric car charger installation costs
Electric car charger installation costs will vary according to the type of device you buy as well as your existing electricity supply capabilities.
Organisations like EDF offer fully installed units for 3.6kW from around £799, 7kW at £949 and 22kW at £1699. While British Gas and RAC offers for up to 7.4kW untethered from £879 and tethered from £964.
The above prices assume that it would be easy to connect your new charger to the existing electricity infrastructure.
Electric vehicle charging grant for holiday lets
The Government EV Chargepoint Grant replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) on 1 April 2022. Unfortunately for holiday lets that are not a registered business, the new grant is not available to homeowners with single-unit properties, and is only applicable to flats. You can apply for this grant if:
- you own and live in a flat, or you rent any residential property
- your home has its own private off-street parking space
- you own an eligible vehicle
Also, you must have a parking space that:
- is off-street, private and clearly defined – it does not have to be part of the property
- is accessible to you at all times
- you own or have the legal right to it
If you are eligible, you can get either £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower.
Small accommodation providers such as hotels and holiday lets are also eligible for similar grants, if they have less than 250 employees, are a registered business, and have designated off-street parking.
To find out if your property is eligible, visit the government grants for low emission vehicles and workplace charging scheme guidance for small accommodation businesses.
For our Helpful Holidays owners that are interested in installing charging points, we have a range of exclusive Sykes family discounts for both national and regional providers, where you will receive up to 10% off.
Expert help and advice
There are many potential benefits to having an EV charging facility at your holiday home – one of the main ones is being able to delight and impress your paying guests who will become your advocates and repeat bookers.
At Helpful Holidays we understand that ever changing requirements of evolving customer needs may seem daunting. If you are considering having an electric car charging point installed but are unsure where to start, speak to our team. They can advise you on which solution would be best for you and your holiday let business. As well as inform you of the costs, including the weekly rental price, which unit is best and how to go about getting the right installation for your requirements.
Whether you are considering letting your holiday home or you already have a holiday letting business, the following owner guides may be useful to you:
For more top tips, here is a selection of our owner advice blogs:
Let your property with Helpful Holidays
Helpful Holidays’ offers over 700 holiday homes across the South West, making us one of the largest self-catering agencies in the region. Paired with nearly 40 years of holiday letting experience, we can offer valuable knowledge and advice to help you find your ideal property. If you’d like to know more about letting a property with Helpful Holidays, visit our Let Your Cottage page.
Here you can download our FREE owner’s guide with detailed information about the services we offer. As well as the marketing coverage and how to get more for your money.
*At the time of publishing, Helpful Holidays have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However, no warranty or representation is given that the information is complete or free from errors or inaccuracies and prices given in the article are subject to change.
