Dual point public EV charger from PE ups revenue at Essex pub

A dual EV rapid charger has been installed by UK independent energy supplier PE at The Plough in Colchester. It’s the first public charger to be installed in the Essex village and just one of ten sites across Colchester.  

This new installation supports the County Council’s Electric Vehicle Charge Point Strategy and shift to EVs, by ensuring residents, businesses and visitors can access a reliable, convenient and fairly priced charging network.

The Essex pub’s charging bay is now fully operational and easy to use. The twin-socketed charging station provides up to 22kW of charge, for two vehicles, and requires no apps or complicated setup. Customers simply tap, charge, and go.

Each charger can add 50 miles of range in one hour, depending on the vehicle model and battery, and is compatible with all EVs on the market today. Even better, PE’s fixed national charging rate is 57p/kWh – more than 20p (20%) lower than the average PAYG price, which currently stands at 80p for the same amount of energy – costing just over £6 for 50 miles of range.

Based on Government projections, around 1,500 public charge points will be needed in Essex this year, rising to 6,000 by 2030. In March, a little over 1,000 new devices were added to a UK-wide charge point database.

And at a time when pubs and bars are facing several challenges, the installation has also brought more customers, and revenue, to The Plough - to dine and drink, whilst they top up their vehicles’ batteries.

And as the pub uses PE for its energy, the charging revenue it earns is deducted from its monthly bill, which reduces its operating costs.

When landlady Josie Newman and her husband took over The Plough as a business a decade ago - the Peldon pub had been in her family since 1997 - they focused on creating a warm and welcoming environment for their local community. The recent decision to install an EV charging station has been celebrated by residents and customers and it also supports their sustainability ambitions and profitability - as a welcome and lucrative extra revenue stream earned by boosted footfall and spend.

Josie Newman said: “It’s so encouraging that more and more people are buying electric vehicles, and we’re delighted to support the switch by offering our customers fast, affordable and straightforward charging here at The Plough. Even better, there were no upfront costs for us as a business, the charger was free for us to install, and we earn revenue from every single charge, which is deducted from our utility bills, which means our overheads are lower too.

“Since having the EV charger, we’ve also noticed an increase in footfall – more customers are enjoying a delicious meal and drink with us, with the convenience of charging their cars whilst they dine, at a much lower cost than the national average.”

Nathan Daniels, head of EV Charging at PE, said: “Installing electric vehicle charging makes lots of sense for customers, businesses and the environment, and adding a charger at The Plough has proven to be a win-win situation. 

“With EV adoption on the rise – and some tough public EV charging targets to hit, across the county over the next five years, this installation has been widely welcomed. Not only are the chargers reliable, easy to use and great value, but they’re also attracting new customers to the pub – increasing spend and dwell time. It also supports a greener future – a factor that’s becoming increasingly important for all businesses and consumers.”

Since installing its dual point EV charger, The Plough has also switched all its utilities to PE, streamlining its energy management. Now the pub’s gas, electricity, and other essential services are all handled under the one provider, via one online portal, reducing admin time and making it easier to focus on its management and customer experience.

This was PE’s 80th charging station installation, and a further 800 are already planned for this year.

Electric vehicles accounted for one in four new car registrations in February, according to new figures announced. This month is likely to see a further surge in EV uptake, as buyers capitalise on the new ’25 plate.