Frequently asked questions.
If your question isn't answered below, please ask our friendly chat AI as this has access to our entire knowledge base and will be able to provide an answer for you
How quickly will it pay for itself?
Typically within 12 months through guest charging revenue, often sooner with just a few extra bookings. After that, it's pure profit, a permanent feature that keeps generating income stay after stay, year after year. You're not just covering costs; you're creating a revenue stream while future-proofing your property.
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Are your chargers compatible with all types of EVs?
Absolutely. Simpson & Partners chargers are engineered to support all EV models and PHEV. Tethered (Built-in Cable): Comes with a fixed Type 2 cable. Untethered (Socket): Features a universal socket, allowing you to use your own Type 1 or Type 2 charging cable, supporting older Type 1 vehicles as well as newer Type 2 cars.
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Are Simpson & Partners chargers future-proof for V2G?
Yes. V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) is upgradable via an expansion module, allowing your charger to support future bi-directional energy features.
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What happens if the charger stops working?
Simpson & Partners chargers are engineered for reliability with close to zero downtime. If you ever need support, our technical team is available Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturdays 9am–12pm at 01285 405 410. We resolve issues quickly to keep your guests happy and your reviews positive. Emma from Beaumont House explains: "I have particularly noticed repeat business from guests with electric cars, they like the reliability of the chargers as they know they always work. We haven't had any negative reviews at all since the Simpson chargers were installed. With our previous chargers, guests often thought they weren't working and gave up, which regularly resulted in negative customer reviews online."
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What is the difference between the Home Basic and Home Plus?
The Basic comes with a plastic lid and the Home Plus has eco wood or metal lid options. The Plus comes with more front colours, options of wireless energy management and ethernet connection (rather than only wired energy management and wifi only), courtesy lights and the Charge Doctor. The Charge Doctor is a clever device that automatically detects faults and instantaneously fixes them without you even knowing about them.
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What’s in the box?
Your charger arrives pre-assembled with the top and front colours you selected. Inside you’ll also find: *Your wired Energy Manager, usually located in the “Important Bits” box inside. *Quick Start Guide, including QR codes to download the Simpson & Partners app. *Serial Number & PIN card keep this safe, as it provides secure access to your charger and is required for setup, support and remote diagnostics.* Mounting template and standard fixings (if applicable). Note: If you ordered cable hooks, these are shipped in a separate box.
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What are your warranties?
We offer a 10-year enclosure and 5-year electronics warranty, supported by our UK team. Many competitors provide shorter warranties or rely on overseas support.
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Will Octopus still work if connected via my charge point?
Yes — connection via our charger is fully supported and will work as expected. Octopus can still start and stop charging, but it cannot automatically stop at your set battery limit because it doesn’t read the real-time charge level.
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Are your chargers easy to install?
Our EV chargers are designed to be installer-friendly, making the installation process straightforward for qualified electricians. Professional Installation Required: We recommend using a qualified electrician to install your charger. This isn't a DIY product – professional installation ensures your charger meets all safety standards and building regulations. Why installers love our chargers: Our products are built with installers in mind, featuring intuitive design and clear instructions that make the job quick and hassle-free. Easy setup for you: Once installed, connecting your charger to WiFi is simple. Just use Bluetooth on your mobile phone, stand near your charger, and follow the app prompts to connect to your WiFi network. You'll be up and running in minutes with full access to smart features like remote monitoring and charging schedules.
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Can you help me compare different brands of home EV chargers based on durability and design?
We have created a page highlighting the benefits and differences of many market leading chargers https://simpson-partners.com/charger-comparison Design and appearance is obviously subjective. David and Mandy Simpson have spent a long time designing S&P chargers to be discreet, understated. Quiet luxury. Every curve, radius and angle has been considered.
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Do Simpson & Partners offer electric vehicle chargers with integrated management software?
Yes. All Simpson & Partners EV chargers come with powerful management software built-in, designed for both home and commercial use.For home use – Our Home Series chargers seamlessly integrate with intelligent octopus go, the plus models allow you to use excess solar energy and the app allows you to lock your charger, set charging schedules and track energy usage. Good for those who need to submit energy usage to their employers for reimbursement. For businesses – Our Commercial Series chargers are modular and include user-management tools, secure access control (like RFID), MID-certified metering for accurate billing, and OCPP 1.6J support for managing multiple chargers across your site. We also integrate with third-party specialist apps like Tap Electric, Wevo and Fuuse so you can manage and monetise your charging infrastructure.
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Will having an EV charger help me get more bookings?
Yes. EV drivers actively filter their search for properties with on-site charging, and this segment is growing rapidly. Without a charger, you're invisible to these guests. Properties with charging see increased bookings year-round, improved competitiveness, and future-proof appeal as EV ownership continues to rise. Emma from Beaumont House Hotel in Cheltenham explains: "It makes the hotel appear higher up in the ranking on online travel agents such as Booking.com and Expedia as guests can tick hotels with EV chargers, we pop up immediately. I estimate 10% of business is repeat business by guests owning electric cars throughout the year." Simon from Coillemore House in the Scottish Highlands adds: "We were keen to offer EV charging as a value add and as a differentiator to other homes in the area. We were surprised to have multiple guests from the south east and London driving up in electric vehicles. There's more demand than we initially believed."
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What makes Simpson & Partners chargers different from the rest?
Simpson & Partners was born out of a genuine desire to combine timeless design and best practice engineering. Our team are focussed on providing high-quality EV chargers that look great, work great, connect with Octopus Energy tariffs and won't end up in the landfill. We are a small company and it's taken time and experience to engineer quality and design build into a modern day appliance.Unlike others, we design performance chargers for both home and commercial environments and are the only business that provides an integrated freestanding pedestal design that (in our opinion!) looks nice. We support our customers and installers with a trusted UK support team based at our Cotswold HQ. UK engineering best practises ensures that our chargers stand out for both reliability and future proof technology. ‍Our home wall mount and freestanding chargers have sold to the UK, Europe, Iceland, Switzerland, Australia and the Philippines. Our commercial chargers can be seen at car dealerships, boutique hotels, air b n b's, holiday homes rentals, high profile leisure complexes and high-security private car parks.
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How fast can I charge my car?
The speed you can charge your car at home depends on three things: your home’s electricity supply, the charger you install (7kW or 22kW) and your car’s onboard charging capability. Most UK homes have a single-phase supply, which supports up to 7kW charging. If you have a three-phase supply, you can install a 22kW charger for much faster charging. The third but crucial element is your car’s onboard battery. Sometimes referred to as an OBC, the onboard battery is fixed and inside your car. Some hybrid plug in cars have 3.7kW on board battery, the majority of cars have 7kW, some have 11kW and a few have 22kW. The fastest you can charge your car at home is always going to be limited by the smallest number: Let’s see this in action: Example 1: If your home power supply is single phase and you choose a 7kW charger and plug in a Tesla with an onboard battery of 22kw, then the fastest you can charge will be 7kW. This is because the maximum available of power at your home is 7kW. If you have a 22kW charger, then the maximum rate you can charge is still 7kW. Example 2: You have three phase power supply and a 22kW eV charger, your car is a lovely brand-new car that has an on-board charger of 3.7kW. The fastest you’d be able to charge is 3.7kW.
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How do guests know how to use the charger?
It's simple. Provide clear instructions in your guestbook under "Practical Essentials" alongside check-in times and Wi-Fi details. If using Tap Electric, guests scan the unique QR code on the charger to start charging and pay automatically. A well-lit setup and basic signage make self-charging straightforward for all guests. At Nuthatch Retreat: "Guests are always happy to know that all they need to do is bring their cable and plug in after a day exploring the area. No need to download apps or add credit to accounts."
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How long will the Accoya wood last?
We make our wood lids out of real wood Accoya. Accoya wood is a dimensionally stable, modified pine that undergoes a special acetylation process. It doesn’t warp, swell or shrink becuase small water molecules inside the wood are effectively replaced by acetic acid. ie it's 'pickled'. The result is real wood that doesn’t rot. We finish our lids in four beautiful translucent shades which allow the grain of the wood to shine through. Accoya wood is guaranteed not to rot in 50 years and is used by architects around the world of domestic and commercial buildings, window and doors, cladding and bridges.
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How does guest payment work?
You have two options. Use Tap Electric (free for hosts) where guests scan a QR code on the charger, pay automatically, and the money goes straight to your bank account. Or check the Simpson & Partners app to see exactly how much energy was used and collect payment before guests leave. Either way, you set your own kWh rate and guests understand they need to pay, just like they would at any public charging point.
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What’s the difference between Tethered and Untethered chargers?
Tethered: The charger comes with a cable permanently attached, so it's quick and easy to plug in and go. This is ideal if you always use the same vehicle and want maximum convenience. Untethered: The charger has no fixed cable — you use your own instead. This gives you a neater look with no cable on show when not in use. You can also leave your cable plugged into the charger between charges if you prefer, giving you the best of both worlds.
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What improvements are being made over the coming months?
We’re continuing to invest in support throughout 2026, building on the reliability gains delivered with our V3 hardware. This platform is also being extended to our 22 kW chargers, bringing the same stability across the full range.On the software side, we’re releasing updates that prevent issues before they appear, along with a full app redesign featuring guided, step‑by‑step diagnostics so you can resolve most problems instantly. And if you do need us, we’re expanding our phone, email and live chat availability for faster access to the team.Our approach is simple: the best support works quietly in the background with continuous firmware improvements, automatic fixes and regular updates that make your charger more reliable over time and more real people to answer your calls.
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can-i-monitor-charging-usage
Yes. Usage can be monitored via the Simpson & Partners app, which works independently of internet connectivity or Octopus integration. You can track energy consumption and charging sessions directly through the app.
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How Easy Is It to Upgrade to 3-Phase Power?
The short answer is it’s not that simple (or cheap) to upgrade your property to 3-phase power supply. But here are the steps on how to upgrade to 3-phase: You’ll need to reach out to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). If you don’t know who your DNO is, contact your electricity provider or search “who is my DNO”. Your DNO are responsible for the infrastructure that supplies electricity to your home or business. Assessment: The DNO will assess whether a 3-phase upgrade is feasible for your property. The feasibility study outcome depends on your location, existing supply and how close you are to a 3-phase network. Costs can vary widely, from a few hundred to several thousand pounds. It really depends on the complexity of the work. How long does it take? It may take several weeks or months to complete, especially if roadworks or new cabling are required. You will bear the full cost of this work as there are no grants available.
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Should I Upgrade to 3-phase power supply?
It's up to you, but upgrading to 3-phase isn't common for most homes. When 3-phase makes sense: You have two EVs that could share the charging load You're already planning to install high-demand appliances like heat pumps, hot tubs, or indoor swimming pools You want the fastest possible home charging (up to 22kW) Who typically has 3-phase power? Most commercial premises like warehouses, farms, factories, shops, and restaurants have 3-phase. Some residential properties do too – particularly new-build large homes, barn conversions, or apartments in tower blocks with lifts. The reality: Upgrading to 3-phase can be time-consuming and expensive. For most homeowners with a single EV, standard single-phase power and a 7kW charger provides perfectly adequate overnight charging. How do I explore the option? Contact your district network operator or the national grid .national grid.
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Where is my charging data stored? Is it safe?
Yes. Your charge history is kept on high-security AWS servers, all located within the UK. We’ve applied the same rigorous standards used in internet banking to ensure your data is protected. If you're comparing us to other EV charger brands, it's worth asking them where your data goes.
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Can your charger work smarter with my energy and solar setup?
Yes! Our Home Series Plus chargers are designed to work seamlessly with solar panels, intelligently using any surplus energy your system produces. Every charger comes with a Wired Energy Manager as standard, and you can also choose a Wireless Energy Manager if that suits your setup better. Together, they automatically balance power between your home and your EV, helping you make the most of renewable energy, charge efficiently and keep your energy bills down.‍
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How does Simpson & Partners protect my data differently from other brands?
We combine privacy-first design with banking-grade security. Unlike others, we don’t collect personal details, and all data is anonymised. Plus, we use encrypted connections and UK-based secure servers to keep your information safe, just like your online banking.
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