The Isle of Thanet sits entirely within UK Power Networks Southern's licensed distribution area. That matters because every EV charger install has to be notified to your DNO - the network operator, not your supplier - before it energises. Here is how that works in practice on the isle.
Who is the DNO for Thanet?
UK Power Networks Southern. Same operator that runs the network for East Kent, East Sussex and much of London south of the Thames. Their EV team handles the connection notifications through the ENA (Energy Networks Association) portal.
G98 vs G99 - the two connection routes
Engineering Recommendation G98 is "connect-and-notify" for microgeneration and low-current EV charging. G99 is "notify-and-approve" for larger installs.
- G98: single-phase inverter or EV charger with automatic load-limiting to keep total premises current within the supply capacity. Install proceeds; DNO notified within 28 days.
- G99: anything else - three-phase, over 3.68kW inverter, EV charger without load-limiting on a supply that could exceed 60A, coupled battery storage. DNO approves before energising. Turnaround in UKPN Southern in 2026 is typically 4-6 weeks.
Most Thanet domestic 7kW single-phase charger installs on modern boards with load-limiting go G98. The exception is rural CT12 Minster where the incoming service is often three-phase or at long-cable-run limits.
Load-limiting - what actually happens
A load-limited EV charger reads your incoming current at the meter tails (via a CT clamp) and throttles the charging current in real-time to keep total premises draw below your supply capacity. Ohme, Zappi, PodPoint and Wallbox all offer this in current firmware; on the Zappi it's the standard operating mode.
When Thanet needs network reinforcement
Some older CT9 Margate and CT11 Ramsgate terraces are on a shared service main from before 1970. Adding an EV charger to one house in a shared-main terrace can push the shared main over its capacity - the fix is UKPN Southern reinforcing to individual service heads. That is a 3-6 month DNO job and can cost several thousand pounds shared across the block. We flag it at survey before you commit.
OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant
The domestic homeowner grant closed in April 2022. The current OZEV grant remains open (to at least 2026-27) for:
- Renters (long-term tenants) with landlord permission.
- Flat-owners (residents of flats, whether owned or rented).
- Landlords fitting chargers on their rental properties (up to £350 per socket, up to 200 sockets per year).
- Workplace charging (separate scheme).
Homeowners in single-house properties are no longer eligible. We check eligibility at the survey stage.
Practical cable-route notes for Thanet
- Cliftonville and Margate 1930s stock: meter cupboard usually under-stairs; through-wall run to the front driveway.
- Ramsgate West Cliff and Broadstairs Old Town: cellar meter cupboard, drop-and-clip through the cellar to the drive.
- Birchington and Westgate: outdoor meter cupboards, often on the boundary; short surface-clipped run.
- Rural Minster: long incoming from the road; sometimes the cable run itself is 20-30m and dominates the job cost.