Everything you need to know about Smart Charge Regulations from our experts

William Goldsmith heads up Grid Services at ev.energy and has spearheaded 3 years of smart charging technology development and partnerships with electricity networks. Involved in the development of the Smart Charge Regulations since 2019, he has worked with government and industry as a member of the EV Energy Taskforce to help shape the regulations so they deliver positive outcomes for the electric vehicle industry, consumers, and the electricity grid. 

‍As petrol and diesel prices continue to hit new highs and the climate crisis escalates, consumers and businesses are increasingly adopting electric vehicles (EVs) to cut their costs and carbon emissions. 

‍With that in mind, governments are introducing new rules around EV charging to ensure that consumers are protected and power grids are not overloaded by the increased demand. 

‍In June 2022, the UK became the first to introduce regulations that enforce smart EV charging functionality for home and workplace charge points, which will impact the entire industry, from vehicle and charger manufacturers to installers, distributors and beyond.

‍In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What are the Smart Charge Point Regulations
• What is smart charging
• Who is impacted
• Key dates
• Each requirement in detail
• How to prepare

What are The Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations? 

The first-of-its-kind regulation, officially known as The Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations, ensures that every private EV charger sold in Great Britain from the 30th June 2022 comes with “smart charging functionality” built-in. 

Devices on sale from this point must meet the government's full list of regulatory requirements and those found selling non-compliant chargers could be fined up to £10,000 by the Office for Product Safety Standards (OPSS), which enforces the regulations.

In December 2022, there will be a further part to the regulations which focus on the cyber security of EV chargers (including physical hardware aspects), but it’s important to note that electric vehicle charging regulation is evolving rapidly in the UK and around the world. Therefore, we expect many more developments in the months and years to come.

The UK Government, or more specifically, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) brought these regulations in, with the support of industry experts, to protect consumers and national energy infrastructure.

This includes;

• Grid stability - If a large number of EVs start or stop charging simultaneously, this will create sudden spikes or drops in electricity demand that could cause issues with balancing energy supply and demand across the power grid.
• Cyber attacks - The ability to manipulate a large number of EVs simultaneously can destabilise the electricity system.

What is Smart EV Charging?

Smart EV Charging, also known as “Managed EV Charging”, is a way of intelligently managing electric vehicle charging to help drivers avoid high energy prices and protect the energy grid from cyber attacks and technical faults.

An average user has their vehicle plugged in for 12.2 hours, but only needs 1-3 hours of charging to top up their battery.

Rather than simply plugging in and starting a charge straight away, known by some as “dumb charging”, Smart Charging delays charging until the optimal time, either with a pre-set schedule or in real-time via an Internet connection.

This allows the user to access the cheapest and greenest energy available, while also reducing the strain EV charging puts on the power grid.

Smart EV Charging platforms, like ev.energy, take a number of factors into account, such as the user’s energy tariff or how energy is being produced locally, to pick the best times to charge.

For now, the regulations don’t require EV Charge Points to act on smart charging, they just need to have the functionality available. ev.energy has already been smart charging thousands of vehicles around the world since launching the ev.energy app for drivers in 2017.

Learn more about Smart Charging in our recent blog post.

Who is impacted by the regulations?

The Smart Charge Regulations impact the entire industry, as they have changed the way that EV charging is managed across the country, but charger manufacturers, distributors and installers have and will continue to be impacted most directly. 

‍However, it’s important to note that the rules apply to those selling devices to the end-user, which could include others who don’t traditionally see themselves in one of these categories, such as car manufacturers who include charging devices with the sale of their vehicles

These rules apply only to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Charge point sales in Northern Ireland are not currently covered by the regulations.

Fines for non-compliance

Those who do not comply with The Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations can face fines of up to £10,000, enforced by the OPSS. 

As with other major regulation changes, such as GDPR, we expect fines to be enforced early to push the industry into compliance. It’s best to get ahead of the regulations early so as not to be caught out. 

While the regulations may feel like a burden for the industry, they also unlock powerful new opportunities and ensure the industry remains sustainable and competitive. We explore that in detail further ahead.

Key Dates

Phase 1A - 30th June 2022

Phase 1A includes the following requirements;

• Smart Functionality
• Electricity Supplier Interoperability
• Loss of Communications Network Access
• Safety
• Measuring System
• Off-peak charging
• Randomised Delay
• Assurance
• Register of Sales

Phase 1B - 30th December 2022

Phase 1B includes the following requirements;

• Security

Phase 2 -  Under Development (Expected in 2024)

The second Phase of smart charging regulations is currently being scoped, with an industry consultation later in 2022. They are expected to include other types of smart energy appliances like home batteries and heat pumps, defining minimum standards for the Demand Side Response systems that control these loads.    

Regulation Requirements: Full Details

With several requirements being introduced across multiple phases, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of what’s already in force and what else is coming up. To make things easier, we’ve created a full list below.

Smart Functionality

When: Phase 1 - June 2022

The Smart Functionality requirement is at the forefront of the incoming regulation. It means that EV charge points must be able to send and receive information via a communications network. 

‍In addition, EV charge points must also be able to respond to a grid signal by starting or stopping a charge, or increasing and decreasing the rate of electricity flow. This is referred to as Demand Side Response (DSR).

‍Finally, charge points must also have at least one user interface that allows users to operate the device in accordance with the regulations.

‍Diving deeper into the technical details, charge points must comply with PAS1878, which is a set of standards that ensure Energy Smart Appliances, including charge points, have DSR functionality included.

‍Open Charge Point Protocol (OCCP), is also listed as a preferred standard of communication.

‍The good news is that in most cases existing devices can have smart functionality installed via a software update.

Electricity Supplier Interoperability

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

‍Electricity Supplier Interoperability ensures that users will be able to purchase a device and use it with any energy supplier without losing smart functionality.

‍This requirement has been put in place in order to protect consumers and businesses, which is critical to building a sustainable, high-quality and seamless EV ecosystem.

Loss of Communications Network Access

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

‍In order to meet regulatory requirements, charge points must be able to charge an electric vehicle even if they go offline.

‍This will prevent issues where users' vehicles aren’t charged, particularly when the charge point is located in an area far from a WiFi router or in remote areas with poor mobile coverage. It will also prevent issues if a mobile or broadband network goes down.

Safety

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

‍There are a number of safety-related requirements, which mostly focus on preventing users from carrying out certain functions which could put them or others at risk.

‍This includes overriding the default mode of charging during particular hours, overriding the provision of DSR services or overriding the randomised delay (more on that shortly).

Measuring System

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

‍As part of the regulations, there are a number of events that need to be measured, stored and made accessible. 

‍The measuring system requirement includes:

• Recording electricity imported or exported in kWh
• Recording charging event times (start, stop, increase, decrease)
• Ability for the user to view all charging data for the past 12 months
• Configuring the Charge Point so that it is able to measure/calculate every one second of the electrical power it has imported or exported and provide this information via a communications network. 

‍To be eligible for most DSR services, 2% accuracy or MID equivalent metering is required as well as compliance with the metering Code of Practice (CoP11). The minimum accuracy requirement for the Phase 1 regulations is 10%, however, this is not sufficient to qualify for most demand response services.

Off-Peak Charging

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

‍The off-peak charging requirement aims to reduce the demand on the energy grid at any given time, particularly in the evening peaks when there is already an increased demand as people generally return home and use appliances for cooking, cleaning and entertainment. This protects the grid and also reduces reliance on carbon-intensive energy sources, such as coal and gas.

‍The requirement states that charge points must be pre-configured with default charging hours outside of peak hours. This should be presented to the user when they first use the device, and they should have the option to accept, remove or customise the charge settings.

‍Users should also be able to change or remove the default settings at any point. 

‍However, a default off-peak charging schedule is not required if the charger is sold with a Demand Side Response agreement, including the functionality to respond to signals from electricity networks and dynamically support the grid.

‍ev.energy provides this advanced DSR functionality as standard with all our OCPP integrated chargers and works with the Distribution System Operators across the UK to offer this. Get in touch to learn more about offering DSR functionality in your EV Charge Points.

Randomised Delay

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

To protect the stability of the national electricity system from high volumes of devices switching on or off at the exact same time, a Randomised Delay of up to 1800 seconds (30 minutes) is required when charging starts or stops - except for where the user has overridden this or when the charger is responding to a DSR signal.

It must also be possible to increase or decrease the maximum random delay remotely. 

ev.energy is able to simplify this requirement for charger manufacturers by implementing all the necessary randomised delays at the platform level, through the use of OCPP charge schedules. We are also working with industry on an advanced controlled ramp rate solution as part of the future Phase 2 regulations.

Assurance

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

All home and workplace chargers will need to include the following documentation at the point of sale to provide assurance that the device complies with the regulations.

• Technical File - This document provides proof of compliance for each make, model and software version of EV charge point or smart cable sold. Evidence of compliance  for all requirements in the regulations can be attached and reviewed by OPSS. 
• Statement of Compliance - This document provides assurance that each charge point or smart cable meets the regulations, but less technical detail is required. A signature is required.

ev.energy can help with drafting, reviewing and providing evidence for Technical Files. With an OCPP integration to ev.energy, the only requirements on charger manufacturers to achieve compliance are to implement charge schedules and enable second-by-second metering. Ev.energy can also provide information about our DSR agreement that can be added to each Statement of Compliance.

Register of Sales

When: Phase 1A - June 2022

As of the 30th June 2022, anyone selling EV charge points in Britain will need to keep a record of all the devices sold. This information will need to be maintained for ten years.

This is being made a requirement to protect consumers and enable a product recall in the case that a charging device is faulty or non-compliant.

Security

When: Phase 1B - December 2022

From December 2022, additional requirements around security will come into force. In general, these requirements state that charge points and devices must protect against the risk of harm or disruption to the electricity system, the device itself and the personal data of end-users.

This includes requirements on:

• Passwords
• Software and updates
• Sensitive security parameters
• Secure communication
• Data inputs
• Ease of use
• Protection against attacks (both cyber and physical)
• Security logs
• Provision of information

This requirement affects hardware, firmware and software and will need to be considered before production.

How to get certified for Smart Charge Regulations

Now you know the requirements and key dates, it’s time to ensure that your devices are ready and certified in time to keep business flowing smoothly and avoid fines of up to £10,000.

Charger Manufacturers

The Smart Charge Point Regulations have now come into force in Great Britiain. As an EV charger or smart cable manufacturer, you should be ensuring that any devices either comply with every requirement in the regulations, as you could now incur a fine of up to £10,000 for selling these devices.

All new devices in planning or production should be entirely compliant, and you’ll also want to be considering the Phase 1B regulations around the physical security of devices before this comes into force from December 2022. 

Thankfully, ev.energy can help ensure your devices are ready to sell with 100% compliant software with Over The Air (OTA) updates ensuring you always have the latest technology. Learn how we can support Charger Manufactures on our website.

Charger Installers

As an installer of EV chargers, it’s important to ensure that devices sold as part of the service you offer to customers meet the regulatory requirements which are now in force, otherwise you could incur a fine of up to £10,000. You also need to upgrade any existing devices which do not meet the requirements.

Fortunately, the requirement for all chargers to be “smart” has unlocked the ability to spend less time on-site per installation, provide remote support and install more chargers.

As experts in EV smart charging, ev.energy is working with a number of charger manufacturers and can help you find certified devices, upskill your team and get support quickly. Discover how charger installers can work smarter and faster with ev.energy.

Charger Distributors

As the Smart Charge Regulations apply at the point of sale, retailers and distributors now need to ensure that all devices are compliant to avoid fines of up to £10,000.

If you have non-compliant devices in stock, you may want to consider working with the manufacturer to have them upgrade them.

The team at ev.energy can help you to future-proof your business by providing expertise and access to compliant devices. See our website to learn how ev.energy can help charger distributors.

How can ev.energy help you?

As experts in EV smart charging, ev.energy is working with government and businesses of all sizes across the industry to enable a smart charging revolution for electric vehicles.

Having launched and scaled our driver app to over 70,000 users, we have been providing smart charging software long before the Smart Charge Point Regulations were announced and are in a unique position to help your business to get ahead of regulations and take advantage of new opportunities presented by smart charging devices.

What’s next for smart regulations in the UK and around the rest of the world?

The impact that electric vehicles are having on power systems is changing rapidly with increased adoption. Once thought of as an impossibility, mass-scale EV charging now presents new opportunities to balance demand and supply across energy grids.

The UK is taking the lead with Smart Charge Point Regulations, but regulators across the world are watching closely. California and countries across Europe are likely to introduce their own regulations shortly. 

The second phase of regulations in the UK is likely to focus on cyber and data security, but exact details are still being defined. Our experts are following this closely, so be sure to join our EV Smart Charging UK LinkedIn Group for all the latest updates.

Are you bringing a new EV charging product to the British market? Get in touch with our experts to learn how ev.energy can help you.

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This article was originally published on the 17th June 2022 and has been updated to bring you the latest information on EV Smart Charge Point Regulations in Britain.

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