It will take around 90 minutes to fit the meters and the power will be off for approximately 30 minutes.

Security has been at the heart of the smart meter rollout programme from its very inception, and the system has been specifically designed to prevent hacking. Smart meters do not use the internet, and they have their own closed, dedicated communications system. Smart meters have been designed with top cyber security experts, including the government and GCHQ, to ensure that security best practice has been incorporated at every stage.

Unless there is a good reason not to, suppliers must install a smart meter if they are replacing a meter, or installing a meter for the first time.

No, Smart Meters use a separate bespoke wireless system, the smart meter and IHD communicate via a secure national network which is solely for smart meters.

We will fit a SMETS 2 if you do not have a smart meter and require the upgrade to the latest edition.

If you have had smart meters installed by us or another company you may switch suppliers this wouldn’t affect which smart meter you have had installed. These would be able to be commissioned by whichever supplier you change to.

The electric and gas both do not need to be near each other as some properties have one inside or outside.

Your supplier can connect to any SMETS2 smart meter and some SMETS1 smart meters (such as those made by the brand Secure™). They will automatically try to connect after you’ve switched but may still ask you to send your first set of meter readings manually. If they are unable to connect to your SMETS1 meter, it will become “dumb” and work like a normal meter so you’ll need to give your supplier manual meter readings. Across the industry, SMETS1 meters are in the process of being upgraded to stay smart when you switch suppliers. Your supplier will be in contact to let you know when we’re making your meter smart again.

Please email your supplier and they will arrange for us to look into this for you.

Call the National Gas Emergency Helpline on 0800 111 999.

Call 105 (free) to get help and advice from your local network operator.

When a business invests in a solar installation they get to use the power it generates for free, for the lifetime of the system (usually 25 years). Any electricity they don’t use is exported to the grid. The initial capital cost is offset within a few years by the savings from self-generation.
In addition, the more renewable energy companies can generate for themselves, the less energy the UK has to produce or purchase from carbon-heavy fossil fuel power stations. The less we need imported oil, coal and gas, the less reliant we are on the world market, and the fewer new power stations we need to build.
With the supply chain coming under increasing scrutiny, businesses that are able to show their environmental commitments will also be able to add value to their brand.
An amendment to The Energy Act 2011 means that from 1 April 2018 it is unlawful for landlords to let commercial premises that fail to meet minimum energy efficiency standards (an EPC rating of E). The government estimates that 18% of buildings may fail to meet this standard, so commercial landlords are advised to explore the possibility of solar PV generation to ensure their buildings meet the new regulations.

Heat pumps work in a similar way as your fridge/freezer at home but in reverse. They take the (heat) energy that already exists in the air around us, to heat a refrigerant liquid that has an incredibly low boiling point and turns it into gas. This gas is then passed through a compressor that causes it to heat up to a usable temperature. The gas is then passed over a heat exchanger so that the heat can be used around your home.
The gas is returned to the outside heat pump to be cooled back to a liquid form and the process startsall over again.

Yes, they do. There is heat energy in even the coldest of air until you get to ‘absolute zero’ which is-273.16oC. But in practice heat pumps can work to about -15oC and are designed to work at -3oC efficiently in your home.
The refrigerant liquid in the heat pump needs very little heat to reach the boiling point to turn it into a gas, which means you can still get enough heat energy out of your heat pump even at very low temperatures.

75% of the (heat) energy from a heat pump comes from the natural energy that is already present in the air around us. So, if a heat pump uses 1kW of energy to heat a home, it would produce 4kW of heat, at a 400% efficiency rate.

If a heat pump is surveyed and installed correctly, it will significantly reduce your heating bills. They extract 75% of their energy from national air, and heat sources around them which dramatically reduces the running cost.
One major thing to remember is that Heat pumps still need an electrical supply for them to run off which is more expensive than gas, so depending on what electricity tariff you are on with your energy supplier, you could see a rise in your electricity costs.
But as mentioned, you need much less energy to produce the heat, 1kW of energy creates 4kW of heat energy remember, so, in the long run, you will save money.

Costs vary depending on the size, and age of the property, but on average Installing a heat pump is where the main cost will come in. As mentioned they work at a much lower flow temperature, so you may have to upgrade your radiators to accommodate for a larger flow capacity to achieve the same temperatures in certain rooms, plus some pipework may need to be updated to larger sizes to allow better flow rates, we at AES also complete a full system power flush with pumped mains pressure using cleaning products to remove any debris or sludge from your old pipework used, this ensures any existing pipework is clean and clear of any debris by 99% meaning cold spots, are avoided and higher flow rates are achieved.
Heat pumps cost between £8,000 to £14,000 to install on average. But this does depend on the size of your property, how good the insulation is, and what kind of heat pump you go for.
You could also be eligible for the 5k Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (grant), and one of our team we be happy to talk you through the option when we design your system.

Yes. A correctly installed heat pump will reduce an average 3-bed family home by 2/3 tonnes of carbon every year, as the main source of their energy comes from renewable heat. And as the UK power grid moves from fossil fuels like coal and gas to cleaner renewable energy and technologies, the electricity used to power the heat pump will also become much cleaner.

It depends on the size of pump you need to heat your home, but most of the smaller units will fit under a window. The average size is about 1m X 1.1m X 0.4m.

Heat pumps come under ‘permitted development’ so most of England, Wales, and Scotland do not require planning permission. This is unless you live in a conservation area where you will have to check with the local planning authority before installing, we can’t do that for you. Although, we will take away all the unnecessary headache for you, by speaking with your local electricity distribution network operator(DNO) and raising a requested for the fuse to be checked or upgraded if required.

As heat pumps run at a much lower flow temperature through your property you will most likely have to change your pipework and radiator sizes to get the same average target temperature you want. We design all our systems to 19oC to 21oC depending on the room requirement, so on occasions, some radiators may require to be upgraded to larger sizes, or wider panels, but again we can discuss and explain all this to you upon completing our on-site survey.

Upon survey, and as required by MCS, a noise check is undertaken and completed, Heat pumps do make noise. On average from 40 to 60 decibels, so a very similar noise level to rainfall, or your daily good morning to your neighbour.

A quick answer YES!! Underfloor heating is probably to most efficient way to heat a modern home as it is designed to heat the home at a lower flow temperature. Meaning underfloor heating is very compatible with all heat pump technologies. You can get the most efficient COP (Coefficient of Performance) results using underfloor heating systems designed to work with all heat pump systems.
We can also if required design for you and install an underfloor heating system to work with your heat pump to efficiently heat your home, used with the right technologies, both a heat pump and underfloor heating working together, provide a better way of keeping your home at a comfortable temperature constantly.

Yes – new electric cars have ranges of up to 300 miles or more on a single charge. For some independent advice you could look here to find a local EV group. (https://evgroups.co.uk/)

Currently electric cars are more expensive to buy, but are cheaper to run, as the fuel costs (electricity) are cheaper than petrol and the maintenance costs are less.

Home Charging – with a purchase of a charger and installation through AES here!
Public charging or roaming – there is now a Zapmap, Paua tech
Work charging – many employers are now ‘going electric’ and have dedicated parking spots for electric car charging – contact your employer for more details.

If you buy a charger through AES, you can charge at 3x as fast as from a three pin plug, ensuring your car is charged overnight. Also, with smart charging, you can sign up to a specific electric car tariff here which allows cheaper electricity rates for your electric car overnight.

Your charger is connected to the internet (through Wi-Fi, ethernet cable or a sim card) and you can control your charging habits, either through an app or in some cases directly on the unit. This means you can charge at cheaper times, when it most suits you, or when the carbon impact is the lowest, or a combination of all three.

Smart charging allows you to set a charging profile to charge at the cheapest times on the cheapest tariffs. There are a number of different options available, click here to review.

Smart charging generally charges your electric car overnight when the demand on the grid is low and the carbon impact of the electricity being generated is lower.

Short answer – yes.
You can use your solar panels to charge your battery and then plug your electric car into your smart charger at your convenience and use your battery (or solar panels during the day) to charge your car.

We have information on all of the chargers we sell, click below for each charger
easee – ohme – eo
If you want to talk through the options further with us, book a 10 minute video call here.
https://calendly.com/aaron_sweet/aes-charge-information-session?month=2024-02
How long does an average charge take?
This depends on the size of your battery, and could take between 6 and 12 hours.

Short answer – Yes.
They can also be locked to only be charged by you.

Depends on your car battery size and your tariff costs.
Battery sizes can range from 20 Kw to 80 Kw and prices for electricity can range from 5p/KWh to 25 p/KWh.
Therefore, charging cost can range to fill the battery 100% from £1 to £20 at home.

This can be between Wi-Fi, 3G/4G or an ethernet cable directly into your home. The charger will then share the information onto the ‘cloud’ and you will be able to access this through your chosen app.

Yes – however, please use our comparison widget to show how much total fuel costs you will save by going electric.

Potentially – please click here to go to learn more about the options and switch if necessary.

We need you to complete an online survey, upload some photographs and give us some details around your house and where you want your smart charger. Click here to start the journey.

Yes, we do – you can use our convenient finance calculator to work out exactly how much you will pay per month.
You can also check our running costs calculator here to find out how much money you will save on a monthly basis versus your petrol or diesel car.

We offer our standard installation service across mainland Great Britain.

Depending on the charger, each charger has different options for connectivity. There will be an alternative if you have poor Wi-Fi, which will either be a sim card or an ethernet cable or both.

Installation of 2 pole isolator after meter
Confirming rating of DNO fuse
Changing tails to accommodate maximum charger rating
Type A RCD protective device and housing
15M of 3 core SWA cable, routed through the house in accessible voids or up to 6M of MT4 trunking.
Drilling through 2 walls up 500mm thick
Cable clipped externally to charger position
Mounting of the charger
Commissioning over 3or4G network
NICEIC certification and BCO notification
Application for fuse upgrade or DNO notification

We will quote additional costs for a non-standard installation that doesn’t form part of the previous standard model. For eg, if you need 25m of cable to get to a garage far away from the home.

Generally, 4-6 hours.

Our appointment booking will allow you to book from 3 days to 6 weeks in advance. If a pre-visit is required by the District Network Operator (DNO) to check your supply characteristics (fuse capabilities, condition of electricity supply cable) this may take up to four weeks.

Due to our expertise and our online survey, most people will not need an in-person survey before receiving a quote. However, if you request one, we will charge £85 per visit.

We will have to request permission with the District Network Operator (DNO) to carry out your installation. This is usually accepted but will delay your install by up to four weeks.

No planning permission generally.
If you are renting the property, you will need permission from the property owner.
You may need a visit from the District Network Operator (DNO) to upgrade your fuse. Call us if you wish to discuss the implications of this further on 020 8363 8848

We may need to drill holes in your walls depending on the position of your fuseboard. A cable will need to be run from your meter position to the charger location.

Some of the chargers require this to monitor the power used inside the house so that the charger doesn’t use too much and cause the fuse to blow. This is similar to when you have your dryer on and you boil the kettle and the fuse may blow.

Yes, we can move it to another property if you require, for an install-only cost. Please contact us on 020 8363 8848 if you wish to do this.

An earthing rod is a copper rod inserted into the ground. This is a safety device for your EV charger circuit. Very few chargers now require this. Talk to us on 020 8363 8848 if you need further information.

This is a safety device installed in a charger so you do not require a separate earth rod. This detects issues with your incoming electrical supply and protects you and your vehicle.

This is when your charger has a safety device installed inside it to protect you against issues within your car. It will cut the power off if it detects any safety issues with your electric car.

A charger that is tethered is a charger that comes with a cable connected. Your car will come with a cable but you may want to keep that for on the road /destination charging and not plug it in to your home charger every time you use the charger at home.
Therefore, you can purchase a home charger with a cable connected at all times which will save you time when charging.

Please clear the space around your fuseboard, meter position and the path to where you want your charger installed so that it is easily accessible for the engineer – this will save time on the day for you.

Yes – someone must be present and over 18.

Call the AES EV number on 020 8363 8848 and our scheduling team will be able to update you on our engineer’s whereabouts.

Call us on 020 8363 8848 and we will pass your query on to the relevant manufacturer to diagnose the problem.

We only sell chargers that are OZEV grant approved. The OZEV grant requires a three year warranty. Ask us about our extended five year warranty here.

Yes – the manufacturers will have an app in most cases and energy suppliers also have apps that integrate – which app you use will depend on your chosen combination of charger and energy supplier. We can help here – click here for a 10 minute video call or click here for more information on switching.

This will depend on the chosen charger and energy supplier combination you choose. Information on the charger’s or the energy supplier’s app can be found here.

No – smart charging will be set up by the engineer at point of installation. You will be able to adjust for your preferences using your chosen app or for some devices, on the device screen.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, a Government department administered by the DVLA.

Yes, up to two with two qualifying cars.

You get the benefit of the grant on install – your chosen installer will apply for the Grant on your behalf and will remove the cost upfront on your install bill.