As we move into August, EV drivers in Jersey – and most likely the wider public – will have seen that lots of work has been happening to upgrade the Evolve public charging network.

All of the 109 charge points on the network, which is run by Jersey Electricity in partnership with EV charging partner Virta, will be upgraded and migrated to a new technology platform to improve the public charging experience for EV drivers.

As we make good progress on this exciting and major infrastructure upgrade, we want to help drivers make sure they are prepared to use the new network.

So far, we’ve seen a great response from local EV drivers, with a strong uptake of people following the three simple steps to get ready to use the new chargers:

1. Register at evolve.je and create an account

2. Download the Charge Global app on IoS or Android

3. Log in with your Evolve registration details

As the rollout continues, fewer and fewer of the older chargers will become available. By September, the numbers will really be dwindling – if there are any chargers still on the network at all. So even if your usual charge point is on the old network today, it makes sense to download the app so when your charge point changes, you are ready to charge.

As straightforward as the new network is, there is no replacement for some human interaction. So, to help drivers get ready for the network, our team will host several sessions over the summer where we can demonstrate how the Evolve network works – and show you just how straightforward it is to use – and answer any questions you may have about the public EV charging network.

We will also be able to help customers through the sign-up process and give you a free charging tag, which you can also easily order through the app, and link it to your account there and then.

Why are we hosting these sessions?

We hope they will give us the opportunity to connect with EV drivers, demonstrate the new network and help you to make the most of the local public charging network.

The upgrade is designed to provide an excellent charging experience, and we want to help you to make the most of the network, the user-friendly app and the benefits the new charging network brings to Jersey.

We will also be giving away a special prize to one lucky EV driver at each of these events, so be sure to join us.

The sessions will be held at the following locations:

  • Evolve at the Solar Hub, JE Retail Park on Queens Road on 2 August.

  • Evolve at the Goose on the Green car park on 9 August.

  • Evolve at El Tico – St Ouen on 30 August.

  • Evolve at the Powerhouse – Ultra-Rapid on 7 September. We invite you to come along, say hello and learn all about the new Evolve between 10am and 1pm.

Even if you are not an EV driver but would be interested in finding out more, we are here to help. We know many people say, ‘my next car will be an EV’ and that concerns around charging can be a barrier to drivers making the switch to electric transport. Our aim is to provide you with the information you need about Evolve and how our charging network is strategically designed to support you. We’d be delighted to have a conversation with you and address any questions you may have.

These events will be promoted on our Evolve EV Community Facebook page, where you can stay informed about when and where the team will be sharing the Evolve message.

Off peak charging times

Our current off peak electric vehicles times are from 00:00 to 06:59.

Your Customer Number

Your 5 character Customer Number can be found in the top right and bottom left corners of your bill.

Example electricity bill with the customer number highlighted

Daily Service Charge

The Daily Service Charge covers energy support services such as metering, billing, Customer Care, safety obligations and other energy support services.

Off-peak

Off-peak means not at the most popular time. Some of our tariffs provide discounted rates at off-peak times - for example, during certain periods at night.

Dedicated supply circuit

A dedicated supply circuit is an electrical circuit that is set aside for a specific purpose, such as powering a boiler. It will work with a single appliance only.

It will have its own circuit breaker in your fuse box, and no other device or appliance will be able to draw power from it. A dedicated supply circuit ensures that appliances can draw the current they need without overloading your system, blowing a fuse or tripping an electric circuit.

Invoice Number

This can be found on the top right corner of your bill here

Example electricity bill with invoice number

Premise Number

This can be found on the top right corner and bottom left corner of your bill.

Example electricity bill with premise number highlighted

Payment Slip

This can be found at the bottom of your bill here

Bill payment slip example

Peak Load

Peak load or peak demand is a short period when the demand for electricity is at its highest.

Kilowatt Hours

Electricity consumption is usually measured in kilowatt hours, or kWh for short. Each kWh of electricity equates to 'one unit of electricity' for billing purposes. A 1kW (1,000 Watts) appliance in use for one hour = 1kWh (one unit). The cost per unit used depends on which tariff you are on.

Three phase

Residential homes are usually served by a single-phase power supply, while commercial and industrial facilities usually use a three-phase supply.

One difference between single-phase and three-phase is that a three-phase power supply better accommodates higher loads. Single-phase power supplies are most commonly used when typical loads are lighting or heating, rather than large electric motors.

Another important difference between 3-phase power and single phase power is the consistency of power delivery. Because of the variations in voltage, single-phase power supply does not offer the same consistency as a three-phase power supply. A three-phase power supply delivers power at a steady, constant rate.

kVA

A kVA is simply 1,000 volt-amps. A volt-amp, or ampere, (VA) is the voltage times the current feeding an electrical load.

Embedded generator

Embedded generators like wind turbines and solar panels are connected to your electricity supply and provide electricity for onsite use. They also have the capability to export back to the grid.

Smart Card Number

Your Smart Card Number is the 19-digit number displayed below the barcode on your Smart Card.

The Smart Card Number also contains your six-digit Meter Number that is also displayed on your meter. You need this to top up a Smart Pay As You Go Meter whether at a Payzone outlet or online.

Example of Smart card for meter charging

Smart Card

A Smart Card contains your unique Smart Card Number used when topping up a Smart Pay As You Go Meter.

Example of a smart card for meter charging

F-Credit

F-credit is a Pay As You Go meter display and means Friendly Credit. It is the period between 9pm and 8am. If the credit on your meter runs out during this period, your supply will remain on until 8am.

Decarbonise

The process of reducing carbon by replacing fossil fuels with fuel that is less harmful to the environment such as low-carbon electricity.

Regenerative braking

With conventional braking systems, the kinetic energy that was propelling the vehicle forward gets converted to unwanted and wasted heat by the friction of the brakes.

Regenerative braking recaptures much of the car's kinetic energy and converts it into electricity, so that it can be used to recharge the car's batteries.

In addition to improving the efficiency of a vehicle, regeneration can significantly extend the life of the braking system, as the mechanical parts will not wear out as quickly.

Power factor

Power factor is the ratio of useful power in kilowatts (kW) to apparent power, measured in kilovolt amperes (kVA). A perfect power factor would be 1.0, however in reality this is almost impossible to achieve. Office buildings are usually between 0.98 and 0.92. Bad power factor is anything below 0.85.

Electric flow boiler

Electric flow boilers are simple to install, quiet in operation, 100% efficient and integrate into most existing radiator or underfloor piped systems. Plus, with no flue or storage tank, an electric boiler is a space-saving option that can be installed almost anywhere in your home.

Approved heating system

A heating system, approved by Jersey Electricity, on a dedicated supply for use on one of our discounted heating tariffs.

To learn more about what's required for an approved heating system, view our current approved heating guidelines.

20-digit payment code

The 20-digit payment code is issued with your receipt for a Pay As You Go (PAYG) meter top-up. If your meter did not charge automatically, you can do it manually with the payment code. Press button A on your meter then key in your 20-digit payment confirmation code on the meter keypad, then press button B. Your meter will recognise the amount paid and charge accordingly.

Single phase

Single-phase power supplies are most commonly used when typical loads are lighting or heating, as in a domestic home, rather than large electric motors and higher loads. Single-phase power is a two-wire alternating current (AC) power circuit.