We have a group of multiple houses, in the UK, with a single charging station (a Rolec EV Basic Charge 7.2kW:
That station doesn’t seem to have any smart component to keep track of its consumption. It’s all plugged on a shared electric meter for which we pay the bill as a group of home owners. This means that if some of us are using the charging station it will inflate the bill but we can’t know who used what and produce a fair split.
Any idea how we could do to measure what is every individual consuming? Maybe the RolecEV can be retrofitted with a smart meter somehow? Or using cables with integrated meters?
Seriously? Nobody thought about that when selecting the Rolec? Harper’s Rule of The Last Guy is it’s worth figuring out if there was method to their madness, because there often was.
Rolec’s BasicCharge line plainly scales up to everything you want, even 2-station charging - this just looks like a basic model. I would contact the company and see if there’s an upgrade path - or at least if you go with another BasicCharge you can salvage the pedestal and trenched hard-wiring.
aside from new (fancier) commercial hardware…
the “honor system”?
will inflate the bill but we can’t know who used what and produce a fair split.
how much money is at stake, here?
how many people “participate” -
can you take the past bills and come up with a communal pot that covers it?
It’s all plugged on a shared electric meter for which we pay the bill as a group of home owners.
what else is on the shared meter?
instead of doing this shared thing, why don’t you all get your own?
That station doesn’t seem to have any smart component to keep track of its consumption.
If that’s the case (maybe contact Rolec to be sure?), you’re looking at “honor system” or replacing the unit with one that tracks usage. There are options for replacements, but all will cost money and require an electrician.
Most EVs will give you an idea of how much charge a session takes, but it might take a little “math” to calculate if the car doesn’t report it. Even a rough estimate (percentage charged vs. battery capacity) is better than nothing.
But the “honor system” requires you to at least trust the other EV owners to keep track accurately. If you think they may not be diligent (or worse, honest); replace the unit.
Set up a camera and record everyone, then see who owns up to their fair share, shame the ones that don’t, put up some laminated signs that explain the rules too, easy fix
I don’t get why you guys want him to replace the unit. Even if they split it evenly, it would take years to rack up enough of a cost difference to warrant paying an electrician to replace this.
If it’s only a few of you sharing, keep track on your apps for your car each. Every month send each other a screenshot of the monthly total.
Thanks all for your replies! My update is that for now I will use like that until someone else is trying to use it. And while it’s only me I will use a separate meter for it. Something I came across which looks interesting is something like a Shelly, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSiaMJQIXbE&ab_channel=hotrex7