EV Charging
Electric Vehicle Charging Points
OZEV-approved installation for homes, farms and businesses — charge for free using your own solar energy.
Smart EV charging
Charge smarter — at home, on the farm, at work
We install EV charging points for homes, commercial premises and farm & rural properties across Lancashire and the North West. As OZEV-approved installers, every charger we fit meets the government's quality and safety standards.
For commercial sites, we design and install multi-bay charge point solutions that can be managed remotely, monetised for customer or fleet use, and scaled as your needs grow. Farm and rural installations are a speciality — we understand the unique challenges of rural grid connections and design systems accordingly.
We're specialists in Zappi solar-integrated chargers — the smart charger that automatically uses surplus solar generation to charge your vehicle, so you can top up your EV for free whenever the sun is shining.
Enquire about EV chargingOZEV
Approved installer — government certified
Zappi
Compatible — solar-integrated smart charging
3 types
Home, commercial & farm installations
100%
Solar integration — charge free from your roof
What we install
EV charging for every setting
Home EV chargers
Fast, convenient home charging points installed by OZEV-approved engineers. Charge overnight at low off-peak rates or for free using solar.
Commercial charge points
Multi-bay commercial EV charging solutions for car parks, retail, hospitality and office premises. Remotely managed and scalable.
Farm & rural installations
Specialist EV charging for farms and rural properties. We design around rural grid constraints and integrate with existing solar systems.
Zappi solar-integrated chargers
The Zappi smart charger automatically diverts surplus solar generation to charge your EV — so you charge for free whenever the sun shines.
OZEV-approved installers
All our EV charger installations are carried out by OZEV-approved engineers, meeting government standards for quality and safety.
Zappi smart charger
Charge Your EV With Free Solar Energy
The Zappi charger is designed to work seamlessly with your solar PV system. Rather than exporting surplus generation to the grid at a low rate, Zappi automatically diverts that free electricity to charge your vehicle. On a sunny day, you can add 20–30 miles of range for nothing.
Zappi also supports scheduled charging, so you can take advantage of cheap overnight tariffs when solar isn't available — giving you the best of both worlds.
Ask about Zappi installationFree
Charging from surplus solar
7.4kW
Maximum charge rate
30 mi
Range added on a sunny day
Smart
Scheduled & tariff-aware charging
Our process
From enquiry to first charge — how we work
Every EV charger installation is different. We carry out a site survey before specifying any equipment, so you get a charger that is correctly rated for your supply, properly positioned for your parking arrangement, and integrated with your solar system if you have one.
01
Site survey
We assess your incoming supply capacity, consumer unit, cable routes and parking arrangement. For farm and rural properties, we also assess grid connection capacity and advise on any upgrades needed to support EV charging alongside existing loads.
02
Specification & quotation
We specify the right charger for your situation — single-phase or three-phase, tethered or untethered, smart or standard — and provide a fixed-price quotation. For Zappi installations, we confirm compatibility with your solar inverter and metering setup.
03
Installation
Our OZEV-approved engineers carry out the full installation, including any consumer unit upgrades, cable runs and earthing works. All installations comply with BS 7671 and the relevant OZEV technical specification for EV charge points.
04
Commissioning & handover
We commission the charger, configure any smart charging settings, connect it to your solar system if applicable, and walk you through operation. You receive a full electrical installation certificate and OZEV compliance documentation.
Why Squirrel Energy
OZEV-approved EV charger installers across Lancashire and the North West
Squirrel Energy is an OZEV-approved EV charger installer, which means every installation we carry out meets the government quality and safety standards for electric vehicle charge points. OZEV approval is not just a badge — it is a requirement for installations that need to meet the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, which mandate smart charging capability on all new domestic charge points.
We install across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the wider North West. Our particular strength is in farm and rural EV charging, where we understand the unique challenges of lower-capacity rural grid connections, long cable runs to remote parking areas, and the need to integrate EV charging with existing solar and battery storage systems.
We are also specialists in Zappi solar-integrated chargers from myenergi. The Zappi is the only charger on the market that automatically diverts surplus solar generation to charge your vehicle — so if you already have solar panels, or are planning to install them, a Zappi charger is the logical choice. We can install Zappi as a standalone unit or as part of a complete myenergi ecosystem including the Eddi power diverter and Libbi home battery.
Smart tariffs
Maximising the value of your EV charger
An EV charger is most valuable when it is integrated with your wider energy strategy. For homes and businesses with solar panels, a Zappi charger automatically uses surplus generation to charge your vehicle for free — energy that would otherwise be exported to the grid at a low Smart Export Guarantee rate. On a typical sunny summer day in Lancashire, a 4kWp solar array can generate enough surplus to add 20 to 30 miles of range.
For homes without solar, a smart charger with time-of-use tariff scheduling can significantly reduce charging costs. Tariffs such as Octopus Go and OVO Drive Anytime offer electricity rates as low as 7p per kWh during off-peak hours — compared to a standard rate of 24 to 28p. Charging a 60kWh battery from empty at 7p costs around £4.20, compared to £16.80 at the standard rate. Over a year, that saving can exceed £1,000 for a typical driver.
We advise on tariff options as part of every installation and can configure your charger to take advantage of the cheapest available rates automatically. For commercial sites, we can also advise on load management solutions that prevent EV charging from triggering demand charges on half-hourly metered supplies.
Common questions
EV charging installation — your questions answered
What is an OZEV-approved EV charger installer?
OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) is the government body that oversees EV charging standards in the UK. Only OZEV-approved installers can carry out EV charger installations that meet government quality and safety requirements. As an OZEV-approved installer, Squirrel Energy ensures every charger we fit is correctly specified, safely installed and eligible for any available government support.
How does a Zappi solar-integrated charger work?
The Zappi smart charger monitors your solar PV system in real time. When your panels are generating more electricity than your home or business is using, Zappi automatically diverts that surplus to charge your electric vehicle — so you charge for free using energy you would otherwise export to the grid at a low rate. Zappi also supports scheduled charging on cheap overnight tariffs when solar is not available.
Can I install an EV charger on a farm or rural property?
Yes — farm and rural EV charging is one of our specialities. Rural grid connections often have lower capacity than urban supplies, which can limit the charger specification. We assess your grid connection, design a system that works within its constraints, and can integrate the charger with existing or new solar and battery storage to reduce reliance on the grid entirely.
What is the difference between a 3.6kW and 7.4kW home charger?
A 3.6kW charger adds roughly 15 miles of range per hour of charging, while a 7.4kW charger adds around 30 miles per hour. For most home users, a 7.4kW single-phase charger is the standard choice — it charges a typical 60kWh battery from empty overnight. If your property has a three-phase supply, we can install a 22kW charger for even faster charging.
Do I need planning permission to install an EV charger?
In most cases, no. Domestic EV charger installations are permitted development and do not require planning permission. Commercial installations may require permission depending on the size and location of the charge points. We advise on planning requirements as part of our site survey and can assist with any applications needed.
Can I charge my EV for free using solar panels?
Yes — if you have solar panels installed, a Zappi charger can automatically use surplus generation to charge your EV at no cost. On a typical sunny summer day in Lancashire, a 4kWp solar array can generate enough surplus to add 20–30 miles of range to your vehicle. Combined with a battery storage system, you can store daytime generation and charge your EV in the evening too.
Get started
Ready to install an EV charger?
Get in touch to discuss your EV charging requirements. Whether it's a home charger, a commercial installation or a solar-integrated Zappi, we'll design the right solution for you.