British Gas and charger manufacturer Zaptec announced a trial program for shared EV charging that could slash costs by half for apartment residents and property owners.
The 12-month pilot targets a gap in the charging market – people living in flats and shared buildings who currently pay premium rates for communal chargers compared to homeowners with private driveways.
Dramatic cost reductions form the core of the initiative.
According to British Gas, participants will see daytime charging rates drop to around 22p per kilowatt-hour. Off-peak overnight rates hit as low as 15p/kWh.
That’s significantly cheaper than public charging, which averages 71p/kWh according to Zapmap data. It’s also below current domestic standard variable rates.
Property owners get substantial relief too – shared infrastructure costs drop from approximately £400 monthly to just £40.
Matt Wood, director of British Gas Business, said the lack of fair charging options has blocked EV adoption for renters and flat residents for years.
“This is an important project, championing lower costs for both landlords and residents. British Gas are proud to be leading this change with Zaptec.”
The trial addresses a fundamental inequality in the EV market.
Homeowners with driveways can install private chargers and access cheaper overnight electricity rates. People in apartments, terraced houses without parking, or shared living spaces pay much more – often forcing them to rely on expensive public charging networks.
Michael Braybrook, Zaptec’s UK managing director, said flat residents have been “stuck on the sidelines of the EV transition” until now.
“This partnership finally changes that. It gives a long-overlooked segment of the market access to fairly priced, high-quality charging that simply hasn’t existed before.”
Data collection represents another key component.
The pilot will track how residents use shared chargers to inform future rollouts and better meet customer needs across different property types.
Jade Edwards from Zapmap highlighted the broader implications for EV adoption. Her organization’s analysis shows that home charging access – versus relying entirely on public networks – makes a substantial difference in annual driving costs.
“Giving people fair access to home charging, regardless of their living arrangements, together with measures to address the high cost of public charging, will be critical to ensuring that EV adoption continues at pace.”
The initiative could prove particularly significant in urban areas where apartment living dominates and off-street parking remains limited.
British Gas positions this as a UK-first program that could establish a model for nationwide expansion if successful.
