Money Moral Dilemma:Should I ask my neighbour to stop charging their car?

glentoran99

Deleted_User wrote: »

I'd be onto the management company, especially if there is a chance the service charge could go up because of excessive electricity being used on a communal socket.

But on the other hand, I've not known any blocks of flats with communal sockets, what's to stop anyone running an extension lead through their letterbox to power an electric heater 24/7?

Is this even a real scenario?

A lot of flats have sockets in the hallways for cleaning etc

Pincher

I must say I have been waiting for blood to run down the streets as plug-in cars increase.

In the beginning, only greenies who have more money than sense would buy a pure electric. As it becomes more main stream, the selfish text and drive brigade move in. Up to last year, you could get free charging from Ecotricity and Source London, but now it's real money per charge.

An MSE will seek out a free charge up wherever.

There is a £500 Grant (was £700 before April 2016) for putting in a charging point. Chargemaster could even put some in for free, since it generates revenue for them, like in supermarkets. The problem then becomes, residents will just hog it overnight, and it's pistols at dawn.

Erica51

Where else can she charge her car?

ct9001

John_Gray wrote: »

Since the supply to these external sockets will be metered 'somewhere', the Management Committee could simply invoice the flat-owner for the use of the electricity.

Buying an electric car will have cost them £lots, so they must be well-off. I'm sure they'd be delighted to pay, not only for their charging of the car's batteries, but for whatever communal use these sockets are used - electric lawn-mower, perhaps, etc?

#ZerothWorldProblems

As an electric car owner of more than 5 years on a limited budget I find your comments offensive. We bought a leaf which was 6 months old for a reasonable price. Not lots as mentioned in our comment.

Based on research we were not only helping our environment but on average saving a considerable amount of money. On average charging up every night it costs us £30 a month to rin the car (at home using our installed charge point). Our previous car (not a huge expensive gas guzzler) would have cost us about £250 per month.

You are right to say you can get subsidised charge points installed but installation depends on a number of factors. Often this is difficult in communal buildings.

Most electric vehicle drivers are friendly folk who dont mind talking to people about how it works, charging and experince. I know over the years many people have approached me while charging to talk about being an electric car owner.

I am sure your owner has looked i to a variety of charging options and this is the best solution. They may habe already approached the management to install a faster subsidised charger.

As for free charge points they are few and far between now. Even some local authorities are charging admin fees (charge your car) Some also add parking charges which results in costs far higher than charging at home.

Talk to them about owning an electric car. Being friendly costs nothing and you may learn something. I must say leaf drivers are usually more consideeate and friendly based on my experience.

EachPenny

Pincher wrote: »

I must say I have been waiting for blood to run down the streets as plug-in cars increase.

Me too, but literally blood on the street. The current generation (no pun intended) of EV's need a bit of wire to plug them into a power supply - in the street this usually means a length of cable trailing from a metre high socket to some point usually about a metre high on the vehicle.

Sooner or later someone is going to trip over one of these wires and get seriously injured. It could well be a blind person who was unable to see the trap laid for them. The compensation claims will then come flooding in.

In today's health and safety above all else culture, I simply cannot understand how local authorities have allowed this to happen. I think EV's are a great idea, but unless the bit of wire can be dispensed with then they are an accident waiting to happen.

I saw in the news the other day that a wireless charging point was being installed - so hopefully this will become the standard approach before too many skulls get broken.

EachPenny

Could people do research before answering questions instead of flippant remarks

ct9001 wrote: »

Based on research we were not only helping our environment...

If by "our" you really mean your environment then yes, but if you mean the environment in the wider sense then unfortunately more research is needed.

EV's are excellent at redistributing pollution, removing it from locations where it is most concentrated, but the pollution has to go somewhere.

They also don't solve the congestion problem, and while the majority of vehicles on the road are still non-EV then even the cleanest EV is contributing to the problem of pollution on our congested roads.

Well meaning Local Authorities offering free or cheap charging facilities are actually making a problem worse which they have a legal obligation to make better. It won't be long before EV's go a similar way to the 'environmentally friendly' diesels.

tallgirld

You need to double check if charging is allowed or not before approaching your neighbour.

junebjh

Mind your own business and drive away in your petrol/diesel car and don't choke on your sour grapes.

Pincher

EachPenny wrote: »

I saw in the news the other day that a wireless charging point was being installed - so hopefully this will become the standard approach before too many skulls get broken.

A BBC engineer told me that they found dead pigeons in front of microwave links (dish to dish transmission). Basically, it's akin to old ladies putting their dogs in microwave ovens after washing them.

Inductive charging should be possible. I believe the idea is the car has an inductive loop underneath, so you drive over the "induction hob" to charge. Poor cat and fox, who take shelter under the car. They must think, so cosy, why is it so warm here? :eek:

SewerSide

John_Gray wrote: »

Buying an electric car will have cost them £lots, so they must be well-off.

Not true, Teslas are expensive, but Leafs, Zoes etc are basically the same as an internal combustion engine car. Bought a 2 year old Leaf for £8800 last year.

EachPenny wrote: »

Sooner or later someone is going to trip over one of these wires and get seriously injured. It could well be a blind person who was unable to see the trap laid for them. The compensation claims will then come flooding in.

Yet somehow people deal with kerbs absolutely fine! Give everyone a bit of credit. Of course if someone runs a cable at ankle height across a pavement that is dangerous, but it's the same for pressure washers if someone washes their car. And if one person gets injured, I'm not sure that leads to a flood of compensation claims.

EachPenny wrote: »

EV's are excellent at redistributing pollution, removing it from locations where it is most concentrated, but the pollution has to go somewhere.

Not really true. Power generated at a power station is done so much more efficiently than in a car, otherwise we'd just have power stations full of diesel engines. And if you get electricity from renewable sources, even better.

EachPenny wrote: »

They also don't solve the congestion problem, and while the majority of vehicles on the road are still non-EV then even the cleanest EV is contributing to the problem of pollution on our congested roads.

So if I drive the car from Mad Max, and I kill someone for every minute I am driving, every road user is responsible?