FAQ for charging in the UK
Thank you for your interest in charging with ubitricity. Find our most frequently asked questions (FAQ) for charging at ubitricity charge points in the UK here.
General
How can I find an ubitricity charge point near me?
You can find your nearest ubitricity charge point on our charge point map or by using an app by a E-Mobility Service Provider (such as Shell Recharge).
How do I pay for my EV charging session?
If you charge at this charge point with Direct Access via the qr code, the payment is via credit card or Apple Pay / Google Pay. After you have agreed to the tariff for charging, you will be prompted to enter your credit card details or to authorize Apple Pay / Google Pay. As soon as this is finished, charging can start and continues as long as you are plugged into the socket.
What are the costs for charging at ubitricity charge points?
Costs for charging can vary from charge point to charge point. Precise information about the respective costs are provided on the mobile site before entering your payment details. Please read through the tariff information carefully before you agree to the respective tariff.
Why have I been charged prior to starting the charging session?
As soon as you start charging, your bank pre-authorises (reserves) £20 to ensure it’s available for you to pay with. If you have mobile banking, you may see this amount pop up. When you finish charging, we tell your bank the real amount you spent, they deduct it, and arrange to unreserve the pre-authorised amount. This process can take a few minutes to a few days depending on who you bank with.
What charging current is available at ubitricity charging points?
You can see the maximum charging current of the respective charging spot on the mobile website before you start the charging process.
Are ubitricity chargers safe? What if people trip?
All ubitricity charge points are installed according to local health and safety standards. The lamppost charge points are installed near the edge of the kerb meaning that the traditional trip hazard of trailing cables is reduced. Additionally, we encourage users to ensure their cable is tucked away during charging, to further reduce trip hazards to pedestrians.
Will my car be fully charged by the time I unplug?
Charging times depend on the battery capacity of your vehicle, the power output of the charge point and the rating of the charging cable. Generally, you can calculate your charging time by using the following formula:
Time = battery capacity of your vehicle / power output of charge point (which depends on the charge point or the charging cable). As we’re focussing on low power charging during long parking times, for example overnight, the power output at our charge points in the UK is usually 5 kW.
For example:
45kWh (battery capacity) / 5kW (power output) = charging time of roughly 9 hours if a 32 ampere charging cable were used.
Using a cable with lower ampere would limit the power output which would mean a longer charging time.
Our tariffs
What tariffs does ubitricity offer and at what times do the different tariffs apply?
ubitricity has 2 tariffs: peak and off-peak. These prices apply at the following times:
Peak: 4:00PM – 7:00PM
Off-peak: Rest of the day
Why are the prices different at different times of day?
At peak times, energy costs are much higher due to extra costs charged by electricity distribution networks.
Can I avoid the peak tariff?
After 12.00 PM each day, you can avoid the peak tariff by selecting the ‘Smart Charging’ option. Smart Charging schedules your charging session to later in the evening and can save you over 40% on your charging costs.
What is Smart Charging?
In the UK, there is a huge peak in electricity demand between 4:00PM and 7:00PM, when people typically arrive home from work and school. The same goes for plugging in EVs. Most of our users plug in and start charging at peak times. During peak times, especially in winter, electricity costs much more than in off peak times. ‘Smart Charging’ option. Smart Charging schedules your charging session to start at an off-peak time when electricity prices are lower.
What will happen to my cable if I opt for Smart Charging?
We’ll lock your cable in place once you’ve selected our Smart Charging option. We won’t send any power to your car until the peak period ends. At the end of the charge, just unlock your cable as normal.
Charging Process
Is there anything I must be aware of when charging?
Please ensure your charging cable is tucked away when your car is charging, this is to avoid accidents such as trip hazards to yourself and pedestrians.
Be aware when using our charge points that there may be parking restrictions where parking fees may apply. These are independent from any ubitricity charges.
How will I know my charging session has started?
The LED light on the charge point will turn green to show that your session has started – we just won’t send any power to your car until the peak period ends. Depending on what type of car you have, you may see a different message in your car app.
How do I end the charging session?
As soon as you unplug the charging cable from the vehicle, the charge point releases the cable and the charging session is over. It is very important to unplug the cable from your vehicle first before unplugging from the charge point. The charged electricity is billed to your credit card. You will receive a separate invoice via email.
Why didn’t my charging event start after I have scanned the QR code and followed the instructions?
Please ensure your cable is plugged in properly.
Please unplug your cable and start the process again. Once you have entered your payment details please wait for a connection between the car and the charge point to be established. Once a mobile connection has been successfully established, the button at the bottom of the payment page will be visible, and you need to click it to start charging.
Some EV models require a different plug-in sequence for our charge point to connect to the vehicle successfully. Please try again using the following sequence:
Step 1: Unplug the cable from the charge point.
Step 2: Scan the QR code
Step 3: Connect your cable to the charge point.
Step 4: Allow the charging event to start. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate the charge session. Once on-line connection has been automatically established by the charge point you will be able to enter your payment details (or select a payment card previously stored on you Smart Phone). Continue to follow the instruction to commence your charge session.
Step 5: Once charging has started plug your cable into the car.
My charging cable is locked in the charge point. What should I do?
Try to plug in the cable a little tighter into the charge point, then unplug again. If it’s impossible to remove your cable, please contact our support team. Do not try to remove the cable by force! This could cause damage to the cable.
Why was there no power drawn during my charge event?
- Your car may already have a fully charged battery, please check your battery level.
- This could be due to a faulty charge point, please check for the correct LED colour during the connection process (BLUE when the socket is available to use, then ORANGE when the cable is plugged in but the charge event has not started, then GREEN when charging).
- You may not be plugged in correctly, please unplug your cable and reconnect the cable correctly.
- There may be a local power outage.
If the solutions above, do not work please call our customer service team on call who will be happy to help.
What happens in case of a technical disturbance in the grid?
Due to technical issues in the distribution grids, the electric current can be interrupted from time to time. Normally, this shouldn’t be a problem as the pauses in supply are very short. But even if there should be a longer shortage of electricity, there’s no need to worry: You only pay for the electricity you have actually charged.
What happens if mobile communication fails? Can my EV charge then?
In this case, a subsequent data transaction enables charging by using an expiring certificate that actualizes itself when reconnecting online.
How is my payment data protected? Is my payment safe?
The security of your data is very important to us. Payments are handled by a secure third-party payment provider and are compliant with the usual online banking standards.
Is Direct Access secured against fraud attempts?
Please make sure that the URL in your browser starts with mysimplesocket. This will help you to avoid fraud attempts through QR codes that are stuck over.
Other
How do I get a lamppost charger near where I live?
Whilst we would love to install one in your requested area, all public lamppost charge points must be procured and installed by your local authority.
If you live in London, we recommend contacting your local authority through their local websites. They will take this data point into account when planning their next rollout of electric vehicle chargers.
If you don’t live in London, we recommend contacting your local authority. In the meantime, you can find your nearest ubitricity chargepoint now using our interactive map.
What are your plans for the number of lamppost charge points in the next few years?
ubitricity is preparing for rapid growth in the UK with a goal to install 50 000 electric vehicle charge points in the UK by the end of 2025. This contributes to Shell’s wider goal of installing 100,000 chargepoints in the UK by the end of 2030.

Can't find what you are looking for? Get in touch!
If you have a question that is not listed in our FAQs please feel free to send us an email to support@ubitricity.co.uk