What Is Community EV Charging?

What Is Community EV Charging?

Community charging or peer-to-peer EV charging is the practice of sharing private home EV charging points with individual drivers in exchange for an agreed fee, usually set at an hourly fee or a price per kilowatt hour used. 

This helps the drivers who use community chargers to reduce their dependence on public charging infrastructure while allowing the charge point owners to earn from their EV infrastructure and cover the cost of their charging point installation. 

Because home EV chargers tend to be considerably cheaper per kilowatt hour compared to public charge points, community charging can be a great alternative for EV drivers who can’t have their own home charger for whatever reason but still want to minimise the cost of charging and avoid the higher prices of public en-route and destination chargers.

Community charging can usually be accessed through EV charger-sharing platforms created for the purpose, accessible through apps like PlugShare, BookmyCharge, and Co Charger. EV charge point owners can register as a host through the platform and list details about their charger, such as its location, the price for using it, and the times it’s available. 

Once the charging point is visible to other users who are looking to charge their car, they’ll be able to book it for a specific charging session and pay the owner through the app.

Accessibility and Convenience

The biggest benefit of community charging is the increased accessibility to convenient, local charging which some drivers may not have otherwise. Though the UK’s charging infrastructure is growing rapidly all the time, home EV charging isn’t always accessible for EV owners, whether because of the cost of getting a home charger installed or simply not having a private parking space where they can set up the necessary equipment.

The lack of a private charger can mean some drivers have to go out of their way to use public en-route or destination charge points at places like motorway service stations, supermarkets, and retail parks. Community charging allows you to get around this inconvenience by using the home chargers available in your local area, giving you an experience that’s as close as possible to at-home charging, without having to own a charge point yourself.

Potential Cost Savings

Because many public EV charge points are in the “rapid” or “super rapid” categories of power output, their cost per kilowatt hour tends to be markedly higher than a typical home charger. Community EV charging can provide a cheaper alternative to relying solely on public chargers, even when you’re paying a premium to the charger owner.

Reduced Strain on Public Charging Infrastructure

Even with the rapid growth of the nation’s EV charging infrastructure, private home chargers still outnumber public charging options. According to figures from EV lobbying group Charge UK, there were 65,000 public EV chargers across the UK in June 2024, out of a total 930,000 public and private chargers throughout the country. By the end of 2024, Zapmap calculated an increase of up to 73,000 public EV chargers, a 37% increase from December the previous year.

Embracing home charging sharing schemes can help reduce demand on public charging points, freeing up bandwidth for other EV drivers and encouraging more people to embrace EV driving.

Earnings Potential for Charger Owners

If you own an EV charger, renting it out through community charging networks can also give you the potential to earn passive income, potentially worth thousands of pounds a year if you’re in a high-demand area. 

Even if you get a relatively low number of bookings, renting your charger through a community EV charging network can be an effective way to offset the cost of charging your own vehicle, or recouping the up-front cost of having your charger installed.

Security and Safety Considerations

Though community EV charging is generally safe, there’s always some risk of things going wrong. Here are some things to remain vigilant about in order to ensure you get the best experience possible when using peer-to-peer EV charging:

Electrical Safety: When using a new charge point, take a moment to make sure the host’s charge point is properly installed and maintained. Wear and tear to the cable housing, connectors, or other components can increase the risk of short circuits or electric shocks, making the charging point unsafe to use.

Physical Safety: Try to prioritise well-lit and well-populated areas when you’re browsing available charging points to ensure your and your vehicle’s safety. This is especially important when charging for long periods at night.

Vehicle Compatibility: Familiarise yourself with the kinds of chargers your vehicle is compatible with and check the charge point’s details before you book. Though chargers and vehicles have built-in safety systems to protect against serious damage, these aren’t always foolproof. Making sure you only use compatible charger models will reduce the risk of voltage mismatch, current overload, or other issues damaging your car.