Free? Don’t think so

I've seen a councillor on twitter confirm that the electricity from the lamp post charging points is free.

Any chance of a link?

Not free
[www.autoexpress.co.uk]

Took me a while to find as it was a few months ago, but here is a Dulwich councillor posting a pic of a £35,000 car being charged and confirming the electricity is free.

[twitter.com]

Most lampposts seem to be converted or run by a company called Ubitricity and their website has 2 ways to pay, via a smart cable or pay-as-you-go.
[www.ubitricity.co.uk]

No mention anywhere of free charging.

Abe_froeman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Those who want/need to charge up their car/van
> could just park by their won homes instead and run
> a cable from their own electricity supply.
>
> I don't agree at all with the council providing
> free electricity indiscriminately for people to
> run expensive electric vehicles. It's literally a
> free for all for people from outside southwark and
> for businesses to fuel their vehicle for free when
> we have poor people in the borough living in
> squalid conditions because the council supposedly
> has no money.
>
> It also flies in the face of all the BS posted
> above about the council implementing CPZs in our
> streets to try to discourage people from using
> cars.

Perhaps James McCash can confirm whether or not Southwark are providing the electricity free of charge, but I would be surprised if his fellow conucillor had made a mistake.

For a council to be providing a subsidy for non community charge payers (they have no control over who would be using these charging points) must be an error. Are they perhaps paying for the installation of these points, but not then electricity consumed through them? That might make more sense. And it might explain what seems to be two different stories.

Or even, not charging the supplier to install charging points on their lamp posts. So no straight subsidy at all, but also no additional revenue stream for supplying supporting infrastructure. That would make a lot of sense. No costs to the council at all, but a potential revenue stream ignored to encourage electric vehicle usage locally. So then, they wouldn't be charging the supplier of the equipment for siting it on their lamp posts. Hence the 'no charges' concept.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was june 12, 10:25am by Penguin68.

In that scenario Penguin, would Southwark be buying the electricity (with our money)then giving it away to the supplier for free, and then the supplier sells that electricity to residents charging their cars? That would be pretty appalling wouldn't it?

Also it seems Ubitricity is an offshore company

Presumably Southwark pays for the electricity consumed by its lamps, but the charging electricity is separately metered and either charged out to the supplier by Southwark or directly by that supplier

I don’t think Southwark are buying any electricity then selling it on, or giving it away, to anyone. I think as Penguin suggests they may be paying for the installation of charging points, or alternatively, not charging the installer for the use of lamp-posts. If Southwark was giving away electricity, free power for people to run their vehicles, there would be a legal challenge very soon. What Andy Simmons says in his tweet does imply this is what Southwark are planning but, yes, councillors do make mistakes and sometimes misunderstand the question.

A bit more digging into this , it seems Southwark have used a company called "char.gy" rather than ubitricity.

Char.gy do charge for the electricity and their charging point lam posts on their website look nothing like the one in the photo that Mr Simmons posted. Very curious.

[char.gy]

Hi all

Electric car charging points
The council is rolling out electric car charge points across the borough. If you have an electric car or plan to buy one then please email me with your name and address and I can make sure that your street is prioritised.

Each charge point normally serves 4 parking spaces so once a point is installed near your home it should be possible to access it relatively frequently. I have had a fair few people contact me about having a charge point installed near their address but not anyone complain that they have one by their home which they cannot access. In my view, there are not currently enough electric cars in the area to justify rolling out dedicated spaces by the charge points. I worry too that this would add to existing parking pressure.

The electricity provided by these lamposts is chargeable to the user. It is free to request installation of a charge-point though.


Policy on CPZ implementation
I am afraid that I am unsure of how these different documents interact. But I do know for certain that the current policy in practice is the one I support: CPZs to only be implemented with the consent of residents. This will be confirmed, no doubt, when the East Dulwich CPZ is implemented in an area with majority support from residents.

Best wishes
James

--------------------
James McAsh - Labour Councillor for Goose Green ward
James.McAsh@Southwark.gov.uk
[www.jamesmcash.com] [twitter.com]

Surgeries: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm, East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road

Sign up to the Goose Green councillor newsletter: [www.jamesmcash.com]

once a point is installed near your home it should be possible to access it relatively frequently.

This is wishful thinking. People with cars will park anywhere and won't be thinking of leaving a space for a potential e-vehicle. It's greenwashing and does more harm than good because it gives the impression that thought isn't being put into what should be our priority - containing global heating. Have the courage of your convictions (where you = someone in authority) and fence off spaces for e-vehicles next to charging lampposts. It makes sense to do so and no sense not to do so.

Hi Nigello,

As I said above no one has ever contacted me to say that they have an electric car charge point outside their house that they regularly cannot access due to other cars being parked there. If this is the case for you then do let me know and I will look into what can be done about it. But I do not think it is necessary to roll this out as a blanket policy at this moment.

Best wishes
James

--------------------
James McAsh - Labour Councillor for Goose Green ward
James.McAsh@Southwark.gov.uk
[www.jamesmcash.com] [twitter.com]

Surgeries: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm, East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road

Sign up to the Goose Green councillor newsletter: [www.jamesmcash.com]

Dear all

If anyone has paid for their garden waste sticker and has not received it by the end of next week (5th July) please let me know. Many people should have it by now.

Best wishes
James

--------------------
James McAsh - Labour Councillor for Goose Green ward
James.McAsh@Southwark.gov.uk
[www.jamesmcash.com] [twitter.com]

Surgeries: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm, East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road

Sign up to the Goose Green councillor newsletter: [www.jamesmcash.com]

James, I have my sticker but not my food caddies.

Dear singalto

Aha I see. If it's not there by the end of the week then please drop me an email and I'll chase it up.

Best wishes
James

--------------------
James McAsh - Labour Councillor for Goose Green ward
James.McAsh@Southwark.gov.uk
[www.jamesmcash.com] [twitter.com]

Surgeries: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm, East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road

Sign up to the Goose Green councillor newsletter: [www.jamesmcash.com]

James, it arrived on Friday although the big food caddie says food and garden waste on it!

Is there an answer yet on the garden bags, in particular whether we can use older ones? I have one that will be full soon. Many thanks.

we used an old garden bag last week and put it out with the brown bin (next to it as surplus garden waste rather than inside the bin) and it was taken away.

During this transition period (albeit very extended) I have found the bin men from Veolia very reasonable - they take away rubbish which generally fits the (old) requirements without being sticklers for the new way of doing this (and as all garden and kitchen waste currently gets mixed together in the same lorry, quite sensibly). They don't care, really, how it's presented. They see their job as clearing the streets of domestic rubbish put out for them, and do a good job of it.

If you don't like what the council is doing (I certainly don't) don't take it out on Veolia staff, who have nothing to do with council policy or the way the council implements that policy.

My food caddy arrived - did it all on line.

I have a couple of brown bags with turf, leaves etc so as I am not sure, plan to leave them out and see what happens.

Know that Lambeth have teceived their stuckets for bins 10 days ago - looking in ED, haven't seen any on bins so assume they are in the post...

No, (some) bin stickers were certainly delivered two weeks ago - I had the full kit (stickered large bin, kerb-side caddy) in place for the Tuesday collection this week.

Hi all

You can continue to use old bags but once the new system is fully in place you will need to arrange a collection.

Best wishes
James

--------------------
James McAsh - Labour Councillor for Goose Green ward
James.McAsh@Southwark.gov.uk
[www.jamesmcash.com] [twitter.com]

Surgeries: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm, East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road

Sign up to the Goose Green councillor newsletter: [www.jamesmcash.com]

Hi James,

Do we know when large, brown garden bins will be delivered? I now have a sticker but no bin to put it on. I have tried on multiple occasions to speak to a decision maker at Southwark Council and they are either in meetings or about to go into one and never return calls or make any attempt to communicate, despite Southwark holding my address, my email and my phone number.

Customer services personnel are incredibly vague about it all and repeat a mantra along the lines " you should get a bin soon". However, I get the impression they have no idea themselves and can offer no explanation as to the delay. Whoever is overseeing this mess really should be publicly accountable instead of hiding behind Council phone operatives. Can you advise us who is in charge of this James?

This is an extract from an email I received a couple of days ago from Southwark Council:

“We have had some delays in issuing garden waste bins due to shortage of stock, but expect to have any remaining orders completed in the next week or so – we would continue to collect the brown bags normally while you are waiting for this.”

You’re lucky to have the sticker - mine got lost in the post!

I think there are many here who are over-reacting, possibly politically motivated, about the delay. Things don’t always go according to plan, such is life. Food and garden waste are still being collected.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit was july 04, 07:51am by nxjen.

Absolutely no political motivation on my part. Just irritation at time spent trying to sort it out. Glad you at least got a reply to your query. It does help to have a response, together with a written reassurance your bags will continue to be collected in the interim. Despite asking for the same, a written response was not forthcoming when I asked for it.

Surely the unwanted brown bins should be issued to those needing them so there should not be a shortage!

Dear all

Most people should have received their garden waste bin and sticker by now but I understand that some are still to be delivered. This should not affect your collections. But if you are having any trouble then please email me.

In other news, my fellow councillors and I have written to Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, asking her to reverse the cut to the number 12 bus. Full letter here: [www.jamesmcash.com]

Best wishes
James

--------------------
James McAsh - Labour Councillor for Goose Green ward
James.McAsh@Southwark.gov.uk
[www.jamesmcash.com] [twitter.com]

Surgeries: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 7pm, East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road

Sign up to the Goose Green councillor newsletter: [www.jamesmcash.com]