British Gas and charger brand Zaptec are piloting the UK’s first communal EV charging tariff in a move to make charging more affordable for landlords and residents in shared living spaces.

Communal charging is subject to business energy rates, making it more expensive than individual home charging.

The new tariff is the first of its kind to address long-standing concerns about the wide disparity between public and private charging rates – and could slash charging costs for residents by 50% on both the average day and night rates.

While commercial charging rates are bespoke to each property, it is expected that daytime charging rates will come in at around 22p/kWh with overnight rates approximately 15p/kWh. That’s a big saving compared to the average weighted PAYG price to charge on the public network, which stands at 71p/kWh, according to analysis by Zapmap.

Matt Wood, director of British Gas Business, said: “For years, the lack of fair and accessible charging options has been a barrier to EV adoption for those without private off-road parking. This is an important project, championing lower costs for both landlords and residents. British Gas are proud to be leading this change with Zaptec.”

Meanwhile, shared infrastructure costs for landlords will also fall significantly – from around £400 to £40 per month, making communal charging more financially viable.

Michael Braybrook, managing director UK at Zaptec, said: “Until now, residents in flats and shared buildings have been stuck on the sidelines of the EV transition. 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. Partnering with British Gas allows us to deliver a complete, scalable solution that makes communal charging both practical and affordable and that’s a major step forward for EV accessibility in the UK.”

As well as benefiting participants, the 12-month pilot will explore residents’ use of their communal chargers, informing future rollouts and tailoring solutions to customer needs.

Jade Edwards, head of insights at Zapmap, said: “Our analysis of annual driving costs shows that the ability to charge at home, rather than relying wholly on public charging, can make a dramatic difference to the cost of driving electric and in turn encourage more people to make the switch. 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.”