Hive EV Charging
Electrify your driveway with charger, installation and complete control from the Hive app.
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What is Hive Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging?
Hive EV Charging includes a smart home charger with a 3-year warranty, hassle-free installation from a British Gas electrical engineer, and gives you complete control of your charging from the award-winning Hive app.
Trusted installation by British Gas
Our friends at British Gas have one of the largest networks of EV charger installers in the country. Their expert engineer will get everything set up safely for you and answer any questions.
Service and installation you can trust from British Gas
National coverage
British Gas has thousands of expert EV installers across the UK – all ready to fit your new charger.
Safety and service
All their engineers are expertly trained to make sure everything goes smoothly on the day.
Peace of mind
Your British Gas engineer will make sure your charger's working safely and as it should – so you can relax.
Take control. Save money.
Hive EV Charging cleverly syncs with your energy tariff via the easy-to-use Hive app. So just plug your car in and it'll automatically charge up when your electricity's at its cheapest.
Take control with the Hive app
Charge when it's cheaper
Hive EV Charging automatically charges your car at off-peak times when electricity is cheaper. And it'll give you weekly and monthly breakdowns of your charging history.
If you do want to charge in peak times, we'll let you know how much it'll cost – so there'll be no nasty surprises on your energy bill.
Park, plug in and leave the rest to us
Hive EV Charging syncs to your energy tariff to charge when it's cheaper. It works with most UK energy tariffs, including specialist EV ones, and it's easy to update if you switch.
A greener way to charge
Charging in off-peak periods isn't just cheaper, it's greener too. That's because there's more chance your electricity is from renewable sources, so you can power your drive with cleaner energy.
Smart. Simple. Effective.
The Hive app gives you accurate updates in real time – like when your car's plugged in and charging up. And as well as syncing with your energy tariff to charge when it's cheapest, it'll show you exactly how much you're spending in pounds and pence too.
You'll get complete use of the Hive app for three years after installation. After that, it's just £0.99 per month to continue using the advanced features. But you'll still be able to access the basics for free.
Manage it all in the Hive app
Check your status
Know when your charger's unplugged, plugged in and charging. And get real time updates including your total kWH and charging speed.
Sync with your tariff
Automatically sync with your energy tariff to charge when it's cheapest and see how much you're spending.
See your charging history
See your daily, weekly and annual history, including how much it costs (based on your current tariff).
Complete control
You'll get complete use of the Hive app for three years after installation. After that, it's just £0.99 per month to continue using the advanced features. But you'll still be able to access the basics for free.
The Alfen Eve Single S-line charger
With Hive EV Charging, you'll get a 7.4kW Alfen Eve Single S-line charger* with a 3-year warranty. On average, it'll take just under eight hours to fully charge your car from empty (depending on the size of its battery).
*Hive logo for illustrative purposes only.
Alfen Eve Single S-line charger
A smart, compact home charger
The Alfen Eve Single S-line charger is small yet powerful. The compact design includes a charging status light, plug (tethered or socket) and cable storage.
Charging speed
Its 7kW capacity will fully charge an average battery from empty in under eight hours – but this will depend on the size of your car's battery.
The Hive App
Hive is one of the highest rated smart home apps in the UK with 4 stars* from over 70,000+ customer reviews. Use it to control our smart devices from wherever you are.
*Average rating taken from the App Store and Google Play
We make life easier
One app for everything
Control your whole home, including Hive EV Charging, with our app.
Technology you can trust
With 1.9 million homes and counting, we’re one of the UK’s leading smart home providers.
Connects easily with everything
Hive devices are designed to work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri so it's simple to make your home smart.
Frequently asked questions
What is the OZEV grant and am I eligible for it?
The OZEV grant is a government scheme which contributes £350 to the cost of your EV charger and installation.
If you haven’t yet purchased EV charging, we’re not likely to be able to complete installation before 1st April 2022. On that date a new scheme comes into place which will help apartment owners and tenants with the cost of their EV charger, but homeowners with off-street parking will no longer qualify.
You can find details of the new scheme here. If you think you might qualify, please let us know as soon as you place your order.
If you have already purchased your EV charger, it needs to be installed before 1st April 2022 in order for you to claim the grant. You must also:
Have dedicated off-street parking
Have purchased, leased (for at least 6 months) or have ordered a qualifying electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid
Not have already claimed the grant for your eligible vehicle
Not exceed the maximum of two charging points per household funded by OZEV
For more information please visit the OZEV website.
What is a standard installation?
Our standard installation includes a remote home check (if required) plus EV charger installation by a certified British Gas engineer:
7.4kW Alfen Eve Single S-line charger attached to an accessible external wall
10m of charger supply cabling (Tuffex) connected (with a maximum of 5m internal)
1 external wall breakthrough
Matt:e O:Pen and load management / curtailment device fitted internally
3-year warranty on the charger and installation
If our engineer finds anything that needs further investigation, or additional work, during your installation, they'll let you know what needs to happen next before they can continue.
We'll also submit the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) application on your behalf.
> Find out more about what happens on the day of your install
How will I know if I am having a ‘standard’ install?
British Gas will conduct a no obligation virtual survey of your home so we will know if it's suitable for a standard installation. If your home requires additional works before a charger can be installed, British Gas will provide you with a quote detailing what needs doing, along with the associated costs. If you choose not to go ahead, we can cancel your order and will refund your deposit.
What is a Matt:e R or Matt:e T device?
The Matt:e device measures the voltage of your EV charge point to make sure it stays within a pre-set, safe operating limit. If the Matt:e device detects voltage outside of this range, it may result in a loss of effective earth. If this happens, the Matt:e device will disconnect the charger to ensure that customers are not at risk.
What is a Load Management Device?
A domestic property has a maximum load allowable by the Distribution Network Operator (normally 60, 80 or 100 amps). Where you can’t upgrade the allowable load of the home further, an electrical services upgrade or Load Management Device is needed.
Getting a Load Management Device allows you to install an EV Charger when you would otherwise be unable to under the normal allowable load.
What is a DNO and how can I tell who my DNO is?
DNO stands for Distribution Network Operator. These are the organisations who are licensed to distribute electricity in the UK. DNOs own and operate the system of cables, towers and substations that bring electricity from the national network to our homes and businesses.
You can find out who your local DNO is by typing in your postcode on the Energy Networks website.
What do the DNO need to know about my charger installation?
All electric vehicle charge point installers need consent from the Distribution Network Operator. As such, British Gas must report planned electrical work to gain permission to add more electrical load to the area.
Our team will calculate the increased load your EV charger will need in your home and therefore your local area. Depending on your home we may need to check in advance if that is okay with DNO, although in many cases we can do this after the installation. We’ll handle this for you, but for some customers, they may need to do an additional assessment or even upgrade work to make sure we can fit the EV charger. We’ll keep in contact with the DNO on your behalf during this time and help get this done as quickly as possible.
How long will it take for my charger to be installed?
Once we've completed your virtual home check, it usually takes 2-4 weeks for your EV charger to be installed. This is because we need to apply to your local Distribution Network Operator for permission to connect their network.
Standard installations usually take around 2.5 hours on installation day, but this can vary according to each home.
What happens on the day of my install?
We’ll agree a date with you for your installation and confirm this by email along with the time when the engineer will arrive. Installation can time vary, but please allow around half a day. The engineer will call ahead to let you know they’re on the way.
To make sure your install goes ahead smoothly, its best to carry out these checks before the engineer arrives:
If you don’t already have the Hive app, we would advise you download it prior to the installation day to your smart phone or device as the engineer will talk you through how we pair your new charger to the app.
Make sure someone over 18 is available to meet our engineer, answer any questions and stay with them throughout the appointment.
The engineer may need to switch off your electricity supply to install your charger. So, it's a good idea to switch off any appliances or electronic equipment that may be affected, including any household alarms, before we start your installation.
Make sure there's clear access to the area where you want the charger installed. For example, we'll need to access any locked gates or cupboards.
Please make sure young children and pets are kept safely out of the way.
The Engineer will also check any additional work that has has been completed by a third party as we'll need to check it before we install your charger. If our engineer finds anything that needs further investigation during your appointment, they'll let you know what needs to happen next before we continue with your installation.
What if I need to change the date of my installation?
If you need to reschedule, please call our EV team on 0333 202 1054* (you can find our latest opening hours here) and they'll help you arrange an alternative date.
Is there a warranty on the charge point?
Yes, we provide a 3-year warranty on the charger and installation. Full details can be found in the Warranty section of our "EV Installation Terms and Conditions document".
What happens to the Hive app at the end of 3-year charger and install warranty?
Once your warranty expires, you will still be able to use some features in the Hive app for free, including charger status and basic control. You can keep access to the advanced features for a cost of £0.99 per month.
How do I add a charger to my Hive App?
To get started you'll need to download the Hive app from the AppStore or the Google PlayStore.
Next, login or create a Hive Home account if you don't already have one.
Once that's done you can add the charger by selecting ‘Install EV Charger’ on the Add Device menu. Follow the on-screen steps to select your EV charger. After this you'll need to enter your charger ID (found on your charger) and your PIN, which will have been sent to you via email on the day of your charger install.
Do I control my charger via WiFi or Mobile network?
The Hive EV charger is connected via a mobile connection on the GPRS bandwidth. This means even if your internet is down or WiFi range is poor you’ll be able to connect to your charger via the Hive App. For customers in an area with a poor mobile signal then please let our engineers know and we’ll be able to advise if Hive EV charging is the right solution for you.
What do the lights on my charger mean?
The LED on your EV charger lets you identify the status of your charger at a glance. The different colours that can be found on the charger indicate the following:
White - Ready to use
Green - Cable connected
Light blue - Communicating with vehicle/charging complete
Dark blue - Charging
Red – Error
How do I start a charging session?
If you have a tethered charging cable:
Unravel the charging cable from the charger and plug it into your vehicle
The light on the charger will turn green, then light blue
The app will then show the charging session has begun and the light on the charger will turn dark blue.
If you have an untethered charging cable:
To initiate a charging session, plug the charging cable into the charger. The LED on the charger will turn green and the app will show as 'Preparing'. Next, plug the other end of the cable into the car and the light on the charger will turn light blue.
The app will then show the charging session has begun and the light on the charger will turn dark blue.
How do I stop a charging session?
To end a charging session, unplug the cable from the vehicle. If you have an untethered cable, please also unplug the cable from the charger and remember to safely store the cable when not in use.
How do I set up my Energy Tariff in the Hive App?
To add your electricity tariff information to the app, go to your EV Charger settings menu and tap on 'Tariff'. Here you can add your tariff or amend it if you have added one previously.
If you are unable to add your tariff, contact us on (0333 202 9711) and we will add a custom tariff for you. We currently do not support half-hourly priced tariffs.
How do I set up Optimised / Scheduled Charging?
To set up scheduled charging in the app, navigate to the EV Charger settings menu and tap 'Schedule’', then toggle 'Enforce off-peak charging'. Ensure that your tariff details include the correct peak and off-peak times and prices for you.
How do I override Optimised / Scheduled Charging?
If you need to charge your car immediately prior to your scheduled charging time you can tap on the 'Charge Now' button on your charging screen in the app.
What does my charger's error message mean and how do I fix it?
In rare situations you may see one of a range of error messages in your Hive App. When you see one of these error messages you will be able to troubleshoot the problem direct from within the Hive App by following the onscreen prompts.
No internet connection: Your mobile device is not connected to the internet
If you receive the error 'No Internet Connection' in the app please reconnect your mobile device to the internet. If you are unable to do this you can still charge your EV manually.
Cannot reach server: There is an issue with Hive's servers
If you receive the error 'Cannot Reach Server' in the app, the Hive servers are unavailable. Please try again soon. You can still charge your EV manually, and if the issue persists please contact us.
Charger fault: There is a physical issue with the charger
If you receive the error 'Charger Fault' in the app please follow the steps below:
Unplug your charger cable (from both ends if it is untethered) then plug it back it.
If this does not resolve the issue, please reboot your charger from the matt:e device.
If this step does not work please contact us or book an engineer.
Charger Offline: The charger is currently offline and Hive are unable to reach it
If you receive the error 'Charger Offline' in the app please follow the steps below:
Reboot your charger from the matt:e device and if the issue still persists you can contact us.
In the meantime, if your charger still has power you can still charge your EV manually without the app.
Charger Unavailable: The charger is currently updating
If you receive the error 'Charger Unavailable' in the app, it is performing an update. Please check again later and if the error still persists please contact us.
How do I view my charging history?
To view your charging and transaction history navigate to 'Settings' and tap on 'History'. Here you can view your charging history with daily, weekly and monthly summary in both energy and cost.
Help! My vehicle was plugged in but didn't charge fully.
Make sure the cable is properly connected and the app shows charging started. If the issue persists please contact us.
Help! The charger is charging slower than expected.
The charger can charge at a maximum of 7kW-7.4kW when the battery is below 80% full. The charging rate gradually declines as battery power increases.
If the charging speed is consistently around 3.6kW-4kW, make sure the specs of your EV and charging cable support higher charging rates.
If there is still an issue please contact us.
What devices can I get the Hive app on?
You can get the Hive app on many smartphones, tablets and the Apple Watch. iOS or Android devices must be running an up-to-date operating system.
