UK. Connected Kerb introduces smart charging system
Connected Kerb’s smart charging system is designed to allow drivers to schedule charging during off-peak hours when energy is cheapest and greenest, saving money, cutting carbon and reducing pressure on the grid. The rollout is set to begin this month and will see the majority of Connected Kerb’s 6,000 installed charge points. The company adds that another 4,000 charging stations are to be deployed this year and will be activated to be capable of smart charging by 2025.
The smart charging system works by charging from midnight until morning (or until the battery is full), allowing customers to benefit from reduced energy prices between 12 am and 7 am, which Connected Kerb calculates as “a reduced tariff of £0.45 per kWh, 22.4% lower than the average rate of the UK’s fast (7-22kW AC) charging network.” Users must then schedule a charge via the app, which will automatically start and stop the charging process at the appropriate time.
“Public smart charging is the catalyst we need to create a fairer, greener, and cheaper charging network. We know that just under two-thirds of people in the UK don’t have access to a home charger, which is why we’re committed to levelling the playing field between those who can access smart charging and those who can’t,” said Ben Boutcher-West, Chief Digital Officer at Connected Kerb, adding: “By increasing the speed of charging when energy is cheapest, we can now offer drivers lower-cost tariffs, maximise the use of green energy and take strain off the grid. Our rollout of public smart charging isn’t just a major milestone for Connected Kerb, but the UK’s EV transition as a whole, bringing our public charging network one stop closer to democratising the gap between those with and without off-street parking.”
Connected Kerb has been expanding charging infrastructure steadily in the UK, announcing a major project in the north-east of England just a few weeks ago. Towards the end of 2023, GreenFlux integrated Connected Kerb’s chargers into its network.