What is randomised delay?
Charge points will have a feature that will delay the start of a charging session for up to 10 minutes. This helps to prevent surges in demand, relieving strain on the national Grid, as chargers activate at the start of the off-peak period. As this is a new functionality for charge points, do not worry if you notice your charge session does not start immediately. As per new regulations;
- A relevant charge point must be configured so that—
- it is capable of operating, at each relevant time, with a random delay of up to 1800 seconds;
- subject to paragraph (2), at each relevant time it operates with a random delay of up to 600 seconds, determined to the nearest second;
- the maximum duration of the random delay referred to in sub-paragraph (b) above can be increased or decreased remotely via a communications network; and
- at each relevant time, the owner of the charge point is able to override the random delay referred to in sub-paragraph (b) above.
- A relevant charge point must be configured so that the random delay referred to in paragraph (1)(b) above will not operate where—
- the owner, or an end-user of the relevant charge point who is not the owner, has overridden it;
- an equivalent random delay has already been applied to the operation of the relevant charge point in respect of the relevant time; or
- it is providing response DSR services in respect of the relevant time.
- In this regulation, “relevant time” means the point at which, but for the delay referred to in paragraph (1)(b)—
- electricity would start flowing through the relevant charge point for the purpose of charging a vehicle; or
- the rate of electricity flowing through the relevant charge point would be increased or decreased.
What does this mean for EV users?:
- When the user has added a charger, they should be able to modify the random delay configuration