Electric vehicle (EV) charging points

How many charging points are being installed and where?

Connected Kerb are installing EV charge points on behalf of Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) in 46 bays across 7 car parks in the borough.

Find out more about Connected Kerb (external link) on their website.

Location and number as follows:

• York Town car park: 10
• The Square car park, Bagshot: 10
• Burrell Road car park: 8
• Chobham High Street car park: 6
• Watchetts Road car park: 6
• Martindale Avenue car park: 4
• Portesbery Road residents car park: 2

Are they all the same type or does this vary according to location?

All of our chargers are the same except the two chargers at Portesbury, which will be attached to the wall (however payment will be the same) and our two existing chargers in Main Square car park, Camberley, which are run by another provider.

It is worth noting that Surrey County Council plan to roll out 1000 chargers across the county and are also using Connected Kerb as their provider.

What type of system is this?

All our chargers will be 7 kW fast chargers.

How are electric vehicle chargers installed?

Work will not be continuous at each site. There are three phases of installation. 

Phase 1: Installing the underground infrastructure. This enables the meters to work and allows access to mains electricity. 

Phase 2: Electrical works.

Phase 3: Meter installation.

During each phase of installation, there may be a few days of disruption at each site.

When will the chargers be installed and will there be any disruption?

Phase 1

Burrell Road Car Park – Phase 1 and 2 of the installation commenced on 19 April 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2 May 2024. There will be disruptions for up to 10 parking bays for the duration of the work.

The first phase of work was completed for all other sites in August 2023.

Phase 2

The second phase of work involves connecting our chargers to the national electricity grid. This work will be completed by the national electricity grid operator. Unfortunately, for most of our sites, this work has been delayed due to their lack of capacity. These works will now be starting across our sites which may cause some disruption for users.

Sites with confirmed work dates are:

• Martindale Avenue car park -  Electrical connection works expected to be completed by 12 April. Disruption is limited to a small area of the pavement. Parking facilities will be unaffected.
• Watchetts Road car park – Electrical connection works are planned to take place on 19 April, followed by installation on 26 April. There is no expected disruption to parking facilities.

Phase 3

• The final phase of work has been completed at Portesbery Road residents car park. The chargers are now fully operational and accessible to those who have permits for this car park.
• The final phase of work has been completed at York Town car park. The chargers are now fully operational and are accessible for public use.

How do I use the chargers?

Find out how to use the chargers on the Connected Kerb website (external link).

How long will the charging take?

On a 7kW charger, it will usually take about 4 to 8 hours to charge your car up fully, that's a full battery overnight, or a top up when you pop into town. Timings depends on the vehicle’s battery size.

What will the charge be for using the facilities?

Connected Kerb charge £0.50 per kWh for charging. This tariff has been bench marked with the rest of the market, and it is in the lower end. 

How do you pay?

Using the Connected Kerb app available via Apple and Android, as well as roaming partners such as Paua, Octopus Energy, Zap Pay and more.

Can you just turn up or do you have to book and prepay for a session? And where/how do you do that?

You can just turn up to any of our car parks with a charger and plug in.

Will the car owners also have to pay for parking while they are using the facility?

If parking in a site that usually requires payment, you will have to pay both for parking and to charge your vehicle.

Will the facility be ready for use as soon as the installation is completed?

Yes, as soon as our system has been fully installed, you will be able to use it to charge your vehicle.

We will clearly display and mark our bays to signal which ones can be used to charge your vehicle. We will also be sharing information once each site is installed via our social media pages and other communications channels.

Will there be a penalty if other visitors use these spaces for parking?

This will depend on the site; we will clearly mark bays and install signs to detail where a penalty is in place for parking in an EV bay and not charging your vehicle. Each of our car parks has details on the parking rules displayed.

Is it technically feasible to upgrade from a fast to a rapid system with a retrofit?

Yes, but this can be a complex procedure. The council is currently looking into the benefit of rapid chargers and will assess where these may be most useful.

How many existing charging points do SHBC own?

After this installation, we will own 48 EV chargers.

What is the cost of the project and how is it funded?

This project has been funded from a mix of government grants and private finance from Connected Kerb, meaning there is zero cost to the council. Unfortunately, cost is commercially sensitive, and we cannot share those details.

Comparable charge costs

Data taken from Zap Map and charging point operator apps and websites in June 2023.