Get cheaper charging
Born in the North and powering the Nation – our mission is simple; to make public EV charging simple, reliable and available to everyone.
With a growing network of over 700 electric vehicle charge points across more than 200 locations, we offer you the right charging speeds in the right places - along busy routes, at popular destinations, and right in the heart of your communities.
Whether it’s a quick pit stop whilst shopping or a recharged battery after a long day’s work - we provide you access to fast, rapid and ultra-rapid charging solutions where you need them most. And, with plenty of ways to pay, you can tap-and-zap how best suits you; app, RFID, Contactless and more.
Majority owned by Octopus Energy Generation and backed by NatWest and KfW, we’re committed to building a network fit for today and tomorrow.
With over 700 EV charge points in our network already and many more coming each month, you’ll never need to worry about where to charge again.
Get cheaper charging
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We get it, EV charging can be confusing – so we've pulled together some quick answers to the most commonly asked questions about EV charging.
If you have any issues, remember you can get in touch with our friendly support team day or night on 0800 917 3208 and they will get you charging.
You always start a charge with your chosen payment method. Depending on the type of charger you're at, you can choose from the below:
The cost of your charge is based on the amount of energy you consume during a session (this is measured in kWh) and the type of charger you're at.
Be.EV Members charge at a cheaper across the network. Not a member? It's free and easy to sign up.
45p/kWh – Off-Peak* (9pm - 7am) Be.EV Members (Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card)
50p/kWh – Anytime Be.EV Members (Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card)
55p/kWh – Anytime Pay As You Go (Contactless, Webpay or roaming partner)
55p/kWh – Off-Peak* (9pm - 7am) Be.EV Members (Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card)
60p/kWh – Anytime Be.EV Members (Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card)
65p/kWh – Anytime Pay As You Go (Contactless, Webpay or roaming partner)
65p/kWh – Off-Peak* (9pm - 7am) Be.EV Members (Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card)
70p/kWh – Anytime Be.EV Members (Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card)
75p/kWh – Anytime Pay As You Go (Contactless, Webpay or roaming partner)
*Off-Peak rates only available at eligible locations (view them on our map).
When charging, the connector will be locked in to your vehicle - but you can end your charge at any time with the payment method you started your charge with. Stop the session first, then unplug your vehicle.
Either press stop on the app, or on the charger then present your RFID/contactless card back up to the reader.
Ensure the charge session has finished, and that your car is unlocked, then you can go ahead and unplug. If the charge session has ended but the connector still feels locked to your vehicle, cycle between locking and unlocking on your car key.
If you have any issues stopping a charge session or unplugging, you can call our friendly 24/7 Customer Helpline on 0800 917 3208.
You don't need to wait for your vehicle to reach 100% to finish charging. In fact, since charging slows down considerably as a battery fills up, it often makes sense to charge up to around 80% or 90% and continue on with your jounrey. This is also better for the health of your battery, as repeated full-charging over a battery's life can lead to increased degradation.
Charging is simpler than ever with your new Be.EV app.
Simply add a payment card to your account when you follow the set-up steps in the app, then each time you charge, just select the charging location you’re at > pick the connector you wish to charge on > and hit ‘Start Charge’ to get the electrons flowing.
You’ll be billed straight after the session to your preferred payment card – nice and simple.
To download a VAT receipt from a past charging session, you can do this by opening the app > tapping on the green Be.EV home button in the middle of the bottom banner > hitting the ‘Account’ icon at the top right (which looks like a person) > then selecting ‘Charging History’.
Pick the session you’d like an invoice for and select ‘Download’.
Just like at the petrol pump, our charges take a pre-authorisation amount at the start of each session to ensure a charge can be paid for in full.
Rest assured, this is not a payment, just simply a hold on your account which will disappear to reflect the real cost of the charge session as soon as you unplug.
Using your new Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card not only gets you a cheapest rate per kWh but secures a smaller pre-authorisation amount too.
If you have any questions about billing or pre-authorisation amounts, our team are available day and night for a chat on 0800 917 3208.
We don't currently apply any overstay fees for vehicles that remain after charging has completed, but you should move your vehicle after you've finished charging to free up the charger for somebody else.
However, local parking charges and restrictions may apply, so always check the signage.
Charging time depends on your vehicle type, state of charge, battery temperature and charger speed. Charging also slows down as the battery becomes more full.
(These estimates all assume a low state of charge on arrival and optimal battery temperature for a modern EV.)
Want to see charging details for your vehicle? Check out the EV Database.
If you know that, for example, your car's maximum charge rate is 45kW, you'll get the same maximum speed from either a 50kW or a 150kW charger. So, you should head to the lower-power charger first so that the higher-power charger is available to cars which can take advantage of those higher speeds.
There are several reasons why you may not be seeing speeds as high as you’d expect. Let’s get you charging faster!
Batteries need to be warm (around 20-30ºC) to reach their peak speeds, anything below that and the vehicle will likely charge slower.
Warm up your battery before charging, through preheating or previous driving and rapid charging, to avoid this limiting.
EVs will typically only hit their peak charging speeds at lower states of charge, before they begin to charge slower at higher battery percentages.
Each electric vehicle has its own ‘charge curve’, which is a graph that describes how much charging power is to be expected at each battery percentage. Review your vehicle’s own charge curve to understand what speeds to expect.
Some rapid and ultra-rapid chargers allow the ability to split charging power between two vehicles at once. This may mean that the peak charging speed you can expect is reduced when another vehicle is connected. Whilst this is rarely an issue, aim for charging locations like Be.EV Charging Hubs, Charging Greens and Charging Oases which don’t limit power based on the car charging beside you.
It often takes a few moments for maximum charging power to be reached. Give your vehicle a minute or two to request full power.
The factors above combine to impact your charging speeds. For the fastest session, arrive with lower states of charge at your battery’s ideal temperature, aiming for chargers which don’t limit charging speed based on adjacent vehicles.
The cheapest and easiest way to charge is with your Be.EV app or RFID card. Plus, you'll unlock cheaper Off-Peak pricing at hundreds of charging bays nationwide. Download to get charging straight away, and we'll pop your Be.EV RFID card in the post.
