British Gas selects Alfen as supplier for integrated EV smart charging

British Gas, the UK’s largest energy supplier, has signed a 3-year framework agreement with Alfen to supply EV chargers for its own business and also for customers of Centrica, the parent company of British Gas. Alfen’s smart chargers will initially be rolled out at the homes of British Gas's engineers as it accelerates the electrification of its own fleet. Subsequently, Alfen chargers will also be installed at their premises and those of Centrica. The latter will also offer Alfen’s range of chargers to its commercial customers who plan to electrify their fleets.

Last summer British Gas announced that it had ordered 1,000 new all-electric vans. This is the largest electric vehicle order for a commercial fleet in the UK. The vans will arrive over the coming months and will be rolled out nationwide throughout the British Gas engineering workforce. Centrica has committed to electrifying its 12,000 strong fleet by 2030. Alfen provides the AC charging equipment for this. The Alfen chargers are also being used as part of a trial for domestic customers in support of an integrated smart energy management package.

Alfen offers a complete range of high-quality charge points for use at home, work and in public areas. This makes it possible for British Gas to offer the most suitable Alfen charging station for a wide variety of situations. For British Gas customers, Alfen’s chargers can be integrated with its managed charging system, which will enable customers to schedule their charging and more through an app.

For commercial installations, Alfen's industry-leading Smart Charging Network and Active Load Balancing solutions can be utilised in order to optimise the local grid capacity. This advanced functionality allows British Gas and its customers to connect up to 100 charge points in a single installation and balance the available power across all vehicles charging. The key benefit of this solution is that charging speeds are maximised within the power constraints, avoiding overloading the local electricity supply and potentially expensive grid upgrade costs.

Americo Lenza, Portfolio Director, British Gas Services & Solutions, which includes Hive, said: “Transportation is a key area where we can reduce CO2 emissions and is an important part of our overall strategy to achieve our net zero targets. We are committed to the transition to electric vehicles which involves electrifying our fleet as well as helping consumers and businesses with charge points and intelligent infrastructure. We have chosen Alfen because of their high-quality charge points with smart functionalities and how easily they can be integrated with our smart systems. Centrica is dedicated to making the lives of its millions of customers smarter, cleaner and more convenient and Alfen is a key partner in making that possible.”

Geoff Dawson, Business Development Manager at Alfen UK, said: “With the drive by both companies and households towards zero emissions, we are seeing a significant increase in demand for smart, reliable products which have the flexibility to interface with 3rd party systems. Centrica has a clear plan to play a central role in the net zero energy ecosystem of the future as it converges with mobility and we are delighted to be supporting them in such an important venture.”