How to stop being a free charging point?

[colonelpurple]

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I would tell them that they can't use your charger.
I mean, they might as well use your direct debit details for their electricity providers ?

I dont mind lending mine to friends or neighbours as a once off emergency or hardship case, but thats it

Remember its not just the electricity cost, its the wear and tear on your device and home electricity supply.
Plus presumably they are taking up space on your driveway ?

During the fuel crisis my brother wanted to borrow my car, I said yes but:
1. He pays for the insurance to cover him
2. as a once or twice off its fine, but if he uses it more then this he has to pay:
2a. electricity (or he could borrow my granny charger and charge at his house)
2b. per mile cost based on my car depreciation and PCP mileage cost

I think thats fair. Afterall he is basically not paying for car rental ... and just compensating you for your cost actually

[Deleted User 192]

I would expect payment or a gift, or they're not using it.

[Utumno]

@Rob please make it stop...

[monkeyhanger]

What is the underlying issue here? Do your family members own an EV, but don't have a proper home charger (granny charger only)?

If that's the case, are they always looking to be topped up e.g. if its 40 miles to yours, then want to charge 80 miles worth at yours to be in the same position when they arrive back home?

If you manage to get your proper charger up and running as a pay as you go/RFID concern, they'll just plug their granny charger in (it's free as far as they're concerned).

Clearly from how this thread has dragged on you're not going to tell your urine-extracting family to stop, so you might as well go the whole hog and advertise as an electricity charging station for the neighbours and make up your losses by selling crisps/drinks/chocolate bars at a 250% mark-up like your local Shell garage does.

STOP BEING A MUG AND SAY NO!

[mish]

Wow, the tone of this thread. I guess the guy already left. No need to shout.

[monkeyhanger]

Wow, the tone of this thread. I guess the guy already left. No need to shout.

Try reading the whole thread and not feel like shouting the only logical outcome.

[sausageroll]

Feeding guests is hospitality, not weakness. Expecting free charges is a different level which will increase. Soon every guest will expect a free charge. Making chargers use a card to charge reduces the possibility of a free charge as it perceived as a public pay charger. Asking for the card would be equivalent to asking for money to charge.
Software of this kind would also increase charging points in the UK.

But, the charger issue will not be a moot point when I have a home charger that can charge quicker and incur costs quicker and be more of an incentive to drop in for a charge with 2 hours notice. I wanted to know if any chargers have the features I was suggesting.

Feeding guests is hospitality. People who walk in without being invited aren't guests, and people helping themselves to your stuff (whether food, fuel or accommodation) is not hospitality, it's an imposition. If you aren't prepared to say no, that's on you.

^ this.

Further, to OP...

'Hospitality' is defined as being generous and providing for your guest's needs; that is not limited to food. You are defining a distinction whereby you are describing your house as a 'free charge point', where people drop in to use your electricity. If they are your welcomed guests, you're not being hospitable. If they are not your welcome guests, then you should no more be feeding them as you would be grant them some electricity.

To shine a light on this, most granny chargers would charge at around 2kW, so it'd cost around 50p per hour. I'd suggest that you'd spend more cooking someone a meal and giving them a drink than you would on electric.

The advice would be the same as if someone was coming round to your house for food instead of going to a restaurant; if they are coming around specifically for that purpose, or expecting it - and you feel you're being taken advantage of - then grow a backbone. If these people are your friends/family and you're that neurotic about it, tell them. They should understand.

[chrisfs]

I’ve not seen anything to make me change my mind.

But I’m still enjoying the exchanges. Thanks, Cherry.

[LongMynd]

We as owners of EVs need to set the standard.
If you use someone else's electricity to charge (whether Granny cable or callbox) we should pay for the electricity.
And that does not mean make a half-hearted gesture to pay.
We should have a good idea of how many kWh we have added to our car battery (not yet decided on the best way to do this - any tips?) and ads them what they are paying for electricity.
If they look embarrassed then make something up on their behalf (probably now around 20p).
If they still play hard to get (do I mean 'heard to receive'?) then carry a bundle of £10 with you and just give them one or two as appropriate. If they physically refuse to take them, or give them straight back then you give in and thank them for their generosity.

I think that's how I'm planning to play it.

Charles

[Deleted User 1676]

How much will it cost to charge someone’s car while they visit?

If people are queueing up to charge and are only visiting for a charge, that’s not reasonable.

If you are visiting my house, though, friend or relative, in the same way that I’ll let you top up your phone, you can top up your car. I’ll also make you a cup of tea and feed you if you’re really good.

We’re talking a couple of quid, the cost of a beer. That’s just hospitable.

Flip-side though, if that bothers you, and you don’t want to offer that, then don’t. Tell them no. That has nothing to do with electric car charging, if you struggle to take control of a situation in your own home, that’s on you.

[DarrenPotton]

Maybe it’s the way I was brought up by I would never ask to charge my car without offering reimbursement first.
That’s just good manners, the only time I had to charge at someone’s house I offered money and they point blank refused but said they appreciated the offer. When I left I pushed the money through their letter box
Just good manners.

[Chivers]

Dear Cherry

I am surprised that some members of this forum tell you what they think you ought to do - without really knowing how it looks from your point of view.

I think there are at least two issues for you:
1. The cost of the electricity. Do you know what it could cost you? Maybe the cost of the electricity is going to be a problem for you. You might want to say so to them. Maybe saying that would be difficult for you.
2. The idea you "ought" to make your relatives' lives easier or cheaper because you can fit a wall charger. To me this sounds like a lack of respect for you and your home, and we cannot give you advice on how to deal with this as we do not know you and your situation.
3. Which charger to choose. I can say that the EO minicharger 2 tells me how much I have spent on electricity. It could not be used to force other people to pay me.

Do you think it would help you if you could pick a friend you trust - and ask them for advice?

[Cherry]

Dear Cherry

I am surprised that some members of this forum tell you what they think you ought to do - without really knowing how it looks from your point of view.

I think there are at least two issues for you:
1. The cost of the electricity. Do you know what it could cost you? Maybe the cost of the electricity is going to be a problem for you. You might want to say so to them. Maybe saying that would be difficult for you.
2. The idea you "ought" to make your relatives' lives easier or cheaper because you can fit a wall charger. To me this sounds like a lack of respect for you and your home, and we cannot give you advice on how to deal with this as we do not know you and your situation.
3. Which charger to choose. I can say that the EO minicharger 2 tells me how much I have spent on electricity. It could not be used to force other people to pay me.

Do you think it would help you if you could pick a friend you trust - and ask them for advice?

Thanks! I agree.

With a wall charger it is likely to cost £10-£15 a charge as they will do so at peak time. 3-pin is cheaper due to duration of plug in. Most EV owners seldom charge at peak time. But, hey, why do others care if they do not pay? The issue is I now have 4 people a week coming and wanting to charge bragging how cheap their EV cars are to run - they get others to pay for the charging (me). This is what I find annoying. With a wall charger this is a £40-£60 charge a week and on top of my hospitality of feeding. The stop over is all more often as charging is seen as free for them!

I cannot ask them for £10. It is not a good look. I can obviously afford it. I feel I am being taken advantage of and this will get worse as more people have an EV.
Just because I can afford another £40 a week it does not mean I should not seek to stop this behaviour by selecting a wall charger that makes it harder, if reasonably priced compared to others.

I would have imagined, down the line others would be faced with the same issue and some smart wall charging company also thought this would be a future issue that could be addressed by software. One solution is that an owner has to use a special card to start charging and others having to use a credit card. I just wondered if anything existed as I had not researched the wall charger market in great detail.

To say to someone, "You just scan your credit card to charge" is an easier way to manage others using a home charger. Less embarrassment for all.

I would not want to charge at a friend's home unless I paid for the electricity and could do so without embarrassment. But this is just the way I am.
Others like to freeload. The wealthier one is I find they freeload the most!

I do not think it is fair to compare electricity for charging a car with hospitality of food. Traditionally your host did not pay to fill up your ICE car

We all have different views and people do not want to ruin relationships for £10 a charge. Some people may call me weak. But one has to understand the friends and family relationship. Different cultures treat people in different ways.

[Deleted User 192]

Just. Say. No.

[Utumno]

Please. God. No.

[Cherry]

Please. God. No.

One cannot easily say no to family and friends, in my position.
You may be able to. I am unable to in my circumstances.

£40-60 a week extra EV freeloaders is around £2,500 a year. It would look petty.

EV's are a bad idea when freeloaders cannot be controlled by the wall chargers!

Anyone know when in 2022 the VW wall charger launches in the UK and cost?

[Bromsgroveuser]

Anyone who thinks £2500 is petty can't be in the real world

[Deleted User 192]

EV's are a bad idea when freeloaders cannot be controlled by the wall chargers!

To use my home charger for free you would have to be parked across my drive blocking both our cars in during the scheduled window when my charger is active.

Outside of that window, you could plug in as much as you want, but you’ll get nothing.

It’s not EVs that are the bad thing.

[Utumno]

Anyone know when in 2022 the VW wall charger launches in the UK and cost?

No.

[Utumno]

Given how nonsensical the question here continues to be, is it possible instead that underlying reasoning behind asking this question is less about other people freeloading and more about the homeowner profiting?

In other words would Cherry in reality like to set a rate of (say) £0.69 per kWh on his freeloading friends and family, and trouser the profit?

This might well mean in reality, based on Cherry’s maths, that Cherry could basically run his own EV charging from home for free, becoming a freeloader on his friends and family