Smart EV Chargers & Energy Management in Derby & Derbyshire

Charging Schedules & Off-Peak Tariffs

One of the biggest advantages of a smart EV charger is the ability to charge your vehicle when electricity is cheapest. With energy prices fluctuating throughout the day, scheduled charging can make a noticeable difference to your running costs.

How Charging Schedules Work

Using the charger’s app, you can set specific times for charging to begin and end. Many homeowners in Derby choose an overnight window when household demand is low and energy prices are typically cheaper. Once the schedule is set, all you need to do is plug in when you arrive home — the charger will wait until your preferred time before starting.

Taking Advantage of Off-Peak Tariffs

Several UK energy suppliers offer time-of-use tariffs that significantly reduce the price of electricity during quiet periods. For EV owners, this usually means lower costs between midnight and early morning. Smart chargers take full advantage of this by automatically shifting charging to those off-peak hours.

Over a year, this can lead to substantial savings, especially for larger EV batteries or vehicles used daily.

Smart Meter Integration

Smart chargers can communicate with smart meters to adjust charging patterns based on real-time prices or demand. This ensures you always get the best value without needing to monitor prices yourself.

Cost Savings for Businesses

Workplaces with fleets or multiple staff vehicles charging onsite can benefit even more. Scheduled charging lets businesses control the energy used during peak hours, avoiding unnecessary costs and protecting their electrical infrastructure from high loads.



Better For Your Home Electrical System

By spreading out charging times, your home avoids unnecessary stress during busier periods, such as early evenings when cooking, heating and appliances are often in use.

Smart scheduling is one of the simplest ways to reduce your EV running costs and keep your charging efficient, predictable and affordable.

Solar & Battery Integration (Optional But Powerful)

Smart EV chargers become even more effective when paired with renewable energy systems such as solar panels or home battery storage. For homeowners and businesses looking to reduce long-term running costs, this combination offers some of the best savings available.

Charging from Surplus Solar Energy

Many modern smart chargers can detect when your solar panels are producing excess electricity. Instead of exporting that energy back to the grid at a low rate, your charger can divert it directly into your vehicle.

This means:

• You charge your EV using free renewable energy
• Your car becomes an extension of your solar system
• You reduce your dependence on the grid
• Your running costs drop dramatically

On sunny days in spring and summer, some EV owners charge almost entirely from solar surplus.

Pairing with Home Battery Storage

If you have a home battery system, your charger can intelligently use stored energy to top up your vehicle. This is particularly useful during peak-price periods when electricity is more expensive.

A battery allows you to:

• Store cheap overnight electricity
• Charge your EV the next day at a lower cost
• Reduce peak-hour demand on your home or business

This approach helps balance your energy use and gives you much more control over your charging costs.

Seasonal Considerations

In summer, solar energy provides more consistent surplus for EV charging.
In winter, pairing a charger with smart scheduling and batteries keeps running costs under control.

Ideal for Homeowners & Businesses

Both domestic and commercial properties benefit from solar integration:

• Homeowners can dramatically reduce daily charging costs
• Businesses can offset daytime charging using roof-mounted solar arrays
• Fleets can partially power operations through renewable energy

We can assess your property to help you understand whether solar or battery integration makes sense for your setup.

Smart Features for Businesses

Smart EV chargers offer a range of features designed specifically for workplaces, helping businesses manage charging safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. Whether you have a handful of staff vehicles or a growing electric fleet, these tools make day-to-day charging far easier.

RFID Access Control

With RFID cards or fobs, you decide exactly who can use your chargers. Staff simply tap to begin a session, ensuring only authorised users access the charging points. This prevents misuse and keeps chargers free for the people who need them.

User Management & Permissions

Management platforms allow you to create user groups, assign permissions and restrict access where required. This is helpful in workplaces with:

• Visitor charging
• Staff-only charging bays
• Fleet-vehicle priority
• Department-level cost allocation

Usage Logs & Reporting

Smart chargers provide detailed reports showing:

• Who charged
• When they charged
• How much energy was used
• How much it cost
• The duration of each session

This data is essential for cost recovery, expense claims and monitoring fleet efficiency.

Cost Recovery for Staff & Visitors

Businesses can apply fixed tariffs or usage-based charging. Smart systems can automate billing or provide clear reports that allow internal cost allocation without guesswork.

Load Balancing for Multi-Bay Setups

If your premises has several chargers, load balancing ensures the available electrical capacity is shared safely and fairly between them. This prevents overloads and allows more vehicles to charge at once without upgrading your entire electrical system.

OCPP Software Integration

Commercial smart chargers often support OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), enabling:

• Remote monitoring
• Diagnostics
• Firmware updates
• Centralised management
• Future scalability

This gives you full control and visibility, especially useful for multi-site businesses or larger charging installations.



Operational Efficiency & Future-Proofing

Smart business features ensure your charging system remains organised, safe and scalable as EV adoption grows. Whether you manage a small office or a busy commercial premises, these tools make EV charging far easier to integrate into everyday operations.

Installation & Setup Process

Smart EV chargers require careful planning to ensure the technology, electrical supply and app features all work together seamlessly. Our installation process covers everything from choosing the right charger to setting up your smart app and ensuring your system is fully protected.

1. Pre-Installation Survey

We start by assessing your home or business electrics, parking arrangement and Wi-Fi coverage. This helps us confirm the safest mounting location, the most discreet cable route and whether any electrical upgrades are needed. If you’re interested in solar integration, we can also advise on compatibility.

2. Choosing the Right Smart Charger

We help you understand the different smart features available, such as:

• Scheduling and off-peak charging
• Dynamic load balancing
• RFID access control (for businesses)
• Energy usage reporting
• Solar diversion capabilities
• OCPP management software

We’ll recommend the charger that best suits your property and charging habits.

3. Professional Installation

Our qualified electricians install your charger safely and neatly — whether it’s on a driveway wall, inside a garage or mounted in a commercial car park. We route cabling discreetly and always work cleanly, ensuring your property is left tidy once the installation is complete.

4. Testing & Commissioning

After installation, we thoroughly test:

• Safety devices
• Earthing arrangements
• Load balancing features
• Charging performance
• App connectivity and Wi-Fi signal strength

This ensures your smart charger is safe, compliant and ready for everyday use.

5. App Setup & Demonstration

We help you set up the charger’s app and walk you through the key features. You’ll learn how to:

• Start and stop charging
• Set schedules
• Monitor energy use
• Add users or RFID cards
• Access advanced settings

We make sure you’re confident using the charger before we leave.

6. Ongoing Support

If you ever need help with connectivity, app settings or additional features, we’re only a call away. We also provide repairs, safety checks and upgrades for existing chargers — even if we didn’t install them originally. Our goal is to make sure your smart charger works perfectly from day one and continues to deliver long-term value.

Why Choose Us for Smart EV Charging

Smart EV chargers require more than just electrical knowledge — they depend on careful planning, correct setup and a proper understanding of how your home or business uses energy. That combination is exactly what we offer.

As fully qualified electricians, we take the time to assess your existing electrical system before installing anything. This ensures your smart charger works safely, supports your daily routines and doesn’t overload your property’s supply. We also explain the features clearly so you can get the most out of your app, schedules and energy-saving tools.

Being part of the Derbyshire Specialists Group means you get access to a broader range of skills than most installers can offer. If your survey reveals something that needs attention — whether it’s a consumer unit upgrade for EV, a messy previous installation or an area that needs making good afterwards — we can handle the work in-house without delays or extra contractors.

Customers choose us because we offer:

• Clear advice based on real experience
• Safe, certified electrical work from qualified professionals
• Neat installations tailored to your driveway, garage or business premises
• Help selecting the right smart features for your needs
• Friendly guidance through app setup and scheduling
• Long-term support, repairs and safety checks

Whether you’re a homeowner looking to reduce charging costs or a business managing multiple users, we’ll install a smart EV charger that fits your property perfectly and delivers long-lasting reliability.