EV Charging Installation for Developments, Workplaces and Fleets
Air Utilities designs and installs EV charging infrastructure at every scale across England, from single charge points to large commercial and fleet rollouts. Because we are first and foremost an electricity connections provider, we solve the part of EV charging that trips most installers up: the power supply. We handle the DNO application, the electrical design, load management and the groundworks together, so your chargers have the capacity they need without an unexpected supply upgrade bill.
Why EV Charging Is Really a Power Supply Problem
Most EV charging projects do not fail on the hardware. They fail on the electricity supply. You cannot connect a bank of 22kW chargers to a standard building supply without either tripping the site or triggering an expensive DNO upgrade. This is exactly where Air Utilities is different from a general electrical installer: we design the connection first.
We check what capacity your site actually has, apply to the DNO early, and design load management around your real demand, so you get the maximum number of chargers within your available supply.
Where a genuine upgrade or a dedicated substation is needed, we design and deliver that too, because it is the same electricity connection work we do every day.
EV Charging Services We Deliver
- Site power assessment and load profiling
- DNO applications (G98 for smaller installs, G99 for larger commercial capacity)
- Electrical design with dynamic load management to protect your existing supply
- Groundworks, trenching, ducting and foundations for external charge points
- Supply and installation of AC and DC charge points
- Dedicated supply, capacity upgrade or substation where required
- Commissioning, certification and handover to PAS 1899:2022
- Back-office, billing and access control setup for workplace, fleet and visitor charging
EV Charging for Every Site Type
| Site type | Typical setup | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Residential developments | Charge points per plot or communal bays | Designed into the utility supply from the start |
| Workplace | AC chargers for staff, RFID access | Grant eligibility, load management |
| Fleet and depot | Higher-power AC or DC, overnight duty cycle | Dwell time and available capacity |
| Retail and destination | Mix of AC and DC rapid | Visitor billing, uptime |
| Rapid charging hubs | DC chargers, 50kW and above | Often need a dedicated supply or substation |
Charger power ranges from standard AC units up to DC rapid chargers of 50kW and beyond, and the higher-power units are where the supply, not the hardware, becomes the main project. We size the connection to the real duty cycle, not just the socket count.
Dynamic Load Management: More Chargers, Same Supply
Dynamic load management is software that monitors your site's live electricity use and automatically balances the power going to the chargers, dialling them down when the rest of the building needs power. It is what lets a site run more charge points than a naive one charger, one circuit design would allow, often significantly more within the same grid headroom. On many sites this is the difference between staying within your existing supply and paying for a costly DNO upgrade. We design it in from the start rather than bolting it on afterwards.
DNO Applications and Why Timing Matters
Every new EV charger has to be notified to the Distribution Network Operator. For lower-power installations this is usually a straightforward G98 notification. Higher-power commercial installations may need a G99 application, which involves a formal DNO assessment and can take several weeks or longer.
Engaging the DNO early is the single biggest lever against delay. Projects that leave the application until after hardware is ordered routinely lose months waiting on a response that could have run in parallel. As an electricity connections provider, DNO liaison is our core work, so we start it up front and keep it moving alongside the rest of the installation.
Grants and Funding
Government funding for EV charging is available to eligible businesses, primarily through the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) Workplace Charging Scheme, which contributes towards the cost of purchasing and installing charge points up to a set number of sockets per site. Eligibility depends on the installation being carried out by an OZEV-approved installer. We deliver this either directly or through our network of OZEV-approved specialist partners, so your grant eligibility is never at risk, and we handle the grant paperwork as part of the project. Grant rates and rules are updated periodically, so we confirm the current position at the quote stage.
What Affects the Cost of an EV Charging Installation
- Charger power and type. AC units are far cheaper than DC rapid chargers, which are major infrastructure projects.
- Available grid capacity. If your existing supply is sufficient, cost stays low; if a DNO upgrade or substation is needed, it rises sharply.
- Number of chargers and load management. Good load design can avoid an upgrade entirely.
- Groundworks. Cable runs, trenching, foundations and reinstatement across a car park add cost.
- Distance from the distribution board to the charger locations.
On complex commercial projects the supply and groundworks can exceed the hardware and labour cost combined, which is exactly why designing the connection first protects your budget.
Because every site is different, and the cost depends on factors such as distance, ground conditions, capacity and any network works, we do not publish fixed prices. Tell us about your site and we will give you an accurate, no-obligation quote.
Our EV Charging Process
- 1
Site survey and load assessment
We profile your existing supply and confirm real available capacity.
- 2
Design
We design the charger layout, load management and any supply upgrade around your duty cycle.
- 3
DNO application
We lodge the G98 or G99 notification early and manage the DNO throughout.
- 4
Installation
We carry out groundworks, cabling and charge point installation.
- 5
Commissioning and handover
We commission to PAS 1899:2022, set up billing and access, and hand over full certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a supply upgrade to install EV chargers?
Not always. Many sites can add chargers within their existing supply, especially with dynamic load management. Larger installations or DC rapid chargers may need a dedicated supply or an upgrade. We assess this at the survey stage and handle any DNO application.
What is dynamic load management?
It is software that balances the power going to your chargers based on the site's live electricity use, dialling them down when the building needs power. It often allows significantly more charge points within the same grid capacity, avoiding a costly supply upgrade.
Do EV chargers need DNO approval?
Yes. Every charger must be notified to the Distribution Network Operator, usually a G98 notification for smaller installs or a G99 application for higher-power commercial capacity. We handle this as part of the project and start it early to avoid delay.
Do I need planning permission for EV chargers?
Most commercial EV chargers fall under permitted development rights and do not need planning permission, provided they are within specific size limits. Installations in conservation areas, on listed buildings or on public land may require consent, which we can manage.
Can you install chargers on a new development from the start?
Yes. Because we deliver the electricity connection as well, we can design EV charging into your development's supply from the outset, which is far cheaper than retrofitting it later.
What charger power levels do you install?
Everything from standard AC units for workplaces and homes through to DC rapid chargers of 50kW and above for fleet depots and destination sites. We size the connection to match.
Get a Free Quote for Your EV Charging Project
Tell us about your site and how many chargers you need, and we will design the supply, load management and installation together. One contract, from DNO application to commissioning.
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