Electric Vehicles and MIH

As a company, MIH are all about balancing the old with the new. As part of this commitment, we look to combine the latest technology with the tried and tested methods that those of us who are slightly more senior know work. With this in mind, we thought we would put our money where our mouth is and go electric. As Danny Zuko – once said – “it’s electrifying!”

Go electric- what does that mean you may ask? 

Since starting MIH in late 2016 we have been amazed at the increase in requests for installing EV charging meters at properties and therefore thought we needed to see what all the fuss was about. After all, the best way of knowing about something is to try it out for yourself.

Our opportunity arose when our founder, decided that she needed a more practical mode of transport for getting around our properties. In her usual MIH fashion she decided to take the plunge and in a short time we all became fully conversant with the latest tech and are able to fully understand what our clients are requesting.

The first steps-to find exactly what we were looking for.

We approached the task with the same fervour as we do when taking on a new management. We start by finding out everything there is to know so that we can make informed decisions where we need to. Where we are not able to make a decision, we provide the relevant information to facilitate easy decision making for our clients.

The decision to go electric was actually quite an easy one, the benefits of having an “eco-friendly” vehicle and not having to pay congestion charge were a “no brainer.” We were further swayed by the reduced parking in various areas, not having to pay for a parking permit in Westminster and the taxable benefits.

All these positives, we could not see a downside, and then we realised…

How do we power the car? 

Before throwing out the baby with the bathwater, we started to investigate, as the convenience of running into a garage to fill up was something we would miss. Particularly relevant if charging is going to take some time and are used to waiting until you are on the red E to fill up.

What we quickly came to realise is that while electric charging may take a little longer than filling up as you normally would, it can usually be done during times when you would not be using the car say overnight and, on the street, using the various providers available. 

Luckily, in London we are spoilt for choice and almost a stone throws away from where you are you can find a lamp post with a Ubitricity point or a charging station for Source London or Polar BP amongst others. With the right charging cable, you can charge your car in up to 30 minutes.   

All of these made getting an electric vehicle the right choice but what finally swung it and made us realise why our clients were so keen (aside from the benefits already mentioned) is the ability to fit a charging station at your own home. 

With so many companies now offering to fit a home charging meter at a small cost which is redeemed via the cheaper cost of charging the car, we knew we had to consider what was next for our clients in term of fitting these units.

Installing charge points

In our early days we had overseen an installation which related to a flat owner installing a charge point at the back of their parking space – in an underground car park- by running a plug socket connection from their electricity meter. This was a relatively simple operation as the meters were in the basement and therefore accessible.

However, at another one of our blocks, it has not been quite so easy as the electricity meters are situated in the flat – much like our founders- the simple solution has been to wire up to the charging point to the electricity meter via the existing wiring in conduit up to the flat. A simple solution which we were able to advise including the requirements for licencing the equipment. Sadly, our founder is unable to do the same at her property, possibly because her block is not managed by a Managing Agent called MIH!

So, four months after having taken the plunge, we can honestly say that we are pleased with the results and can happily recommend to any of our clients that electric cars (and charging points) are the way forward. 

Having seen our running costs reduce and by almost three quarters, we can live with having to charge up more often, particularly with so many options available. We can also happily know that when advising clients on the new technology such as EV charging points we are doing so from experience.

At MIH we consider ourselves practical people who are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to improve daily life for our clients as well ourselves and are of the firm belief many of our clients have chosen to remain with us due to our consistent forward-thinking and innovative policies. If you would like to work with a collaborative company with a fresh MIH approach to management as well as just about everything then please do get in touch.

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