Chargepoints look like fuel pumps, but output electricity rather than petrol or diesel. They can be stand-alone units or attached to the side of a building. One cable connects your chargepoint to the mains electricity supply and another connects it to your car. When plugged in, your chargepoint will deliver electricity to your car’s battery, just like charging a phone. Charging will stop automatically once the battery is full or can be stopped manually at any time. 

At Cactus Energy, we also provide a free app-based monitoring system so you can track and control your charging activity, electricity usage and savings with just a few clicks.

There are three different types of chargepoint that charge vehicles at different speeds. ‘Slow’ chargepoints take 4-8 hours to fully charge a car. ‘Fast’ chargepoints take 2-4 hours. And ‘rapid’ chargepoints take just 25-40 minutes. Exact timings will also depend on the model of your vehicle.

However, it’s important to remember that these times represent how long it takes a car battery to go from being completely flat to completely full – and the times you’ll need to do that in one go are rare. Also, with a designated chargepoint, you plug your car in to recharge when it would already be parked, so it doesn’t take any extra time out of your day. You barely even notice it’s happening.

Chargepoints vary in their charging speeds (see above). Slow and fast chargepoints are more appropriate for when a vehicle is parked for a long period of time – for example, at home or at work. Rapid chargepoints are more often used at public charging stations so drivers can ‘top up’ while on the road.

Chargepoints also have different types of connectors. At Cactus Energy, we supply connectors compatible with all electric vehicles. We also offer tethered or untethered cables. Tethered cables are permanently attached to the chargepoint and are great if you want that added element of security. Untethered cables can be removed and replaced with others with different shaped connectors – these are useful if you want to be able to charge multiple cars from the same chargepoint. 

It’s all about what’s right for you. Your dedicated Project Manager will thoroughly asses your property, vehicle and energy needs and design the perfect charging system for you.

Most definitely! EV chargepoints are relatively cheap and easy to install, and can save you hundreds of pounds a year. A key benefit that many of our customers report is huge savings on their ‘fuel’ bills. To put it in perspective, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that ‘filling up’ a vehicle to drive 100 miles costs £13-16 in a petrol or diesel car, £8-10 in an EV charged at public networks and just £4-6 in an EV charged at a home or work-place chargepoint. If you hook up your chargepoint to your own renewable energy system, such as solar panels, re-charging will be completely free!

On top of that, there are Government grants to help cover 75% of the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint. And that’s all before you’ve even thought about the numerous other benefits. More convenient, safe and reliable charging than other methods, a reduced carbon footprint and a free smart monitoring system to name a few.

Charging at a home or work-place chargepoint is the cheapest and most convenient way to re-charge your electric vehicle. It is possible to charge an EV from a regular UK socket but using a designated chargepoint is up to 10 times faster and much safer.

Using your own chargepoint is also cheaper than charging at public charging stations – around half the price, in fact. This is because you’re on a domestic rather than public electricity tariff and don’t have to pay a membership or connection fee, like you do at public stations. If you generate your own electricity (for example, via solar panels), you can charge your car for free!

Personal chargepoints also mean you’re taking advantage of time when your car is already parked, which means zero disruption to your day. You don’t have to make pit-stops while on the road and you’re guaranteed a space at the pump. Easy.

Electric vehicles are much cleaner than conventional cars, even when charged by grid electricity. The Government’s 2018 ‘Road to Zero’ report states that the total associated greenhouse gas emissions of an EV over its entire lifecycle are 66% lower than a petrol car and 60% lower than a diesel car.

Using a designated chargepoint is also better for the environment because it means you can re-charge during off-peak times, when the proportion of the grid powered by renewably generated electricity is usually higher. And you can go one step further. If you hook your chargepoint up to your own renewable energy system, such as solar panels, your fuel will be completely emission-free!

OLEV stands for the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, it’s the UK Government department that regulates the manufacture and use of electric and hybrid vehicles. OLEV offers various grants to help people buy EV technology.

The Plug-In Vehicle Grant covers 35% of the cost of buying an electric vehicle. It is available to homeowners and businesses. OLEV also offers grants which cover 75% of the cost of purchasing and installing an EV chargepoint – this is done via the Workplace Charging Scheme for commercial sites and the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) for domestic sites.

You can re-charge as often as you want. EVs can be treated like mobile phones – most drivers will charge when parked at home overnight so their car battery is full for the day. If you know you’re going to be parked at work for most of the day, you can also use this as your main charging time.

Occasionally, you might need to ‘top up’ at public stations if you’re going on a long journey. But mostly, charging will just slot into your everyday routine. 

Charging an EV via a designated home or work-place chargepoint is extremely safe and easy. At Cactus Energy, all of our services are delivered according to the highest quality and safety standards. Our installers are all accredited by the national regulatory body for low-carbon technology (the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, MCS) and we offer only the highest performing technology (ISO 9001, CE certified).

Our chargepoints are weatherproof and fire, corrosion and impact resistant. They are equipped with current overload and fault protection, as well as safety mechanisms that prevent electricity flowing unless the connector is properly attached to the vehicle. Charging automatically stops once the vehicle battery is full.

Charging from a designated chargepoint is about half the price of charging via public networks. Therefore, installing work-place chargepoints can mean huge savings if your company has an electric fleet. It will also mean on-site workers can charge their own EVs, boosting employee satisfaction and retention. Additionally, commercial sites, such as shops and restaurants, have seen increased customer dwell time and therefore increased sales after installing their own EV chargepoints.

Reducing your carbon footprint will raise your profile and boost your green credentials. This is increasingly important for customer commitment, investor confidence and supply chain opportunities. What’s more, EVs are on the up. The Government aims for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. Investing in chargepoints is a sure fire way to future-proof your business.