Powering Change
Installing since 2010 · 0118 951 4490 · info@spiritenergy.co.uk
The commercial EV charger market has grown significantly in recent years and there are now dozens of manufacturers offering everything from simple wall-mounted units to fully networked multi-charger systems with dynamic load management, branded interfaces, and integrated payment gateways. The right choice depends heavily on your site, your users, and what you want the system to do.
We work with a range of manufacturers and are not tied to a single supplier. If you have a specific charger or brand in mind, whether from research you have done or a recommendation from another business, get in touch and we can source it, talk through whether it is the right fit for your situation, and compare it against alternatives. What matters most is that the charger suits your site and your users, not which brand it is.
Our current standard recommendations are as follows:
Zappi (myenergi): for businesses with solar PV
For smaller businesses that do not need card payment functionality, the Zappi is our first recommendation, particularly where the site has solar panels. The Zappi is specifically designed to maximise solar self-consumption, automatically diverting surplus generation to charge connected vehicles rather than exporting it to the grid. For a business with a solar system and daytime EV charging demand, this integration can significantly reduce the net cost of charging and improve the return on the solar investment. Access is managed via the app rather than RFID cards, which suits smaller deployments where a simple, low-cost solution is preferable to a full charge management platform.
Rolec: for commercial installations requiring access control and payment
For businesses that need robust access control, kWh metering, payment collection, or management of multiple chargepoints, we recommend Rolec. Rolec offer a well-established range of commercial chargers with proven reliability in the UK market, alongside the EV Charge.Online platform for charger management, reporting, and payment collection. They are suitable for workplaces, car parks, retail, and hospitality applications, and qualify for the Workplace Charging Scheme grant.
If neither of these fits your requirements, or you have a specific product in mind, request a quote and we will happily talk you through all the options available for your site.
Wall-mounted or post-mounted?
One of the first practical decisions is whether to mount chargers on a wall or on a freestanding post. Wall mounting is generally simpler and cheaper where a suitable wall is close to the parking spaces, it avoids groundworks and minimises cable runs.
Where parking is away from the building, post-mounted chargers are often the better solution. In this case, a dual-socket post, mounting two chargepoints on a single post, is worth considering seriously. A dual post serves two adjacent parking bays from a single cable trench run, halving the civil engineering cost compared to installing two separate posts with individual cable runs. On sites where trenching is expensive or disruptive, this can represent a significant saving. The additional cost of a dual-socket charger over a single-socket unit is typically modest relative to the groundworks it saves.
For larger sites, planning cable routes and post positions carefully at the design stage, rather than retrofitting, avoids costly remedial work later as more chargepoints are added.
Do you need to monitor or charge for electricity used?
Even if you are happy to provide free charging now, the number of EVs on the road is growing rapidly. Monitoring kWh consumption from the start avoids having to replace chargers later when metering or billing becomes necessary. If you intend to charge users, check whether the chargepoint includes a MID-approved kWh meter suitable for billing purposes.
What are the subscription and platform costs?
Most commercial chargepoint management platforms charge ongoing subscription fees, and some payment gateways take a percentage of revenues. Understand the total cost of ownership, not just the hardware, before committing to a platform.
How will users access the chargers?
Key fob, RFID card, smartphone app, or open access — the right choice depends on your site and user base. Some form of access restriction is important to avoid inadvertently providing free charging to non-employees or the general public.
Will EV charging strain your grid connection?
As EV adoption grows, the cumulative demand from multiple chargers can push a site over its maximum import limit. Load management, which automatically limits charger output to stay within the available capacity, is an important feature for any site with multiple chargepoints or limited grid headroom. Installing battery storage alongside chargers can also help manage peak demand and defer the need for a costly grid connection upgrade.
Do you need to provide home charging for company vehicle drivers?
If employees take company vehicles home overnight, you may need to provide home chargepoints too. It is important to plan how monitoring, access, and reimbursement will work, particularly where the same charger may be used for both company and personal vehicles.
What are your scalability requirements?
Start small if needed, but plan for growth. EV adoption is accelerating and whatever capacity you install today will likely need to expand significantly over the next few years. Choose a platform and cable infrastructure that can scale without requiring a full hardware replacement.
Does the charger qualify for the Workplace Charging Scheme grant?
The Workplace Charging Scheme offers up to £500 per socket, covering 75% of installation costs, across up to 40 sockets per business, a maximum grant of £20,000. The scheme runs until 31 March 2027. Chargers must be installed by an OZEV-approved installer. Spirit Energy is OZEV-approved and handles the grant application on your behalf.
If you would like a quote for the supply and installation of an EV chargepoint, please call us on 0118 951 4490, email us at info@spiritenergy.co.uk or complete our online form:
We are happy to provide comparative quotes for more than one type of chargepoint. We can also assist in deciding which chargepoint is right for you.
