FAQ for charging in the UK

ubitricity has now rebranded our charge points to Shell Recharge. 

On ubitricity lamppost and bollard charge points, you can identify a rebranded charge point by the new Shell Recharge sign fixed to it. When using PAYG, you will also notice the new Shell Recharge web interface after scanning the QR code.

ubitricity remains the operator of these charge points and is in this form still highlighted on the new signs, in the web interface and within e-mobility apps such as Shell Recharge.

The rebranding will not affect your usual charging method. You can continue to use all ubitricity-operated charge points as usual.

Please always use the customer service details stated on the charge point you’re charging at. For all ubitricity-operated charge points in the UK, please use 0800 024 6279 or support@ubitricity.co.uk.

Firstly, we would like to acknowledge that there is indeed a difference in pricing between the Shell Recharge app and the PAYG (direct access) option. This variation arises from the fact that the Shell Recharge app and PAYG have different capabilities and features at this time. The Shell Recharge app is designed to offer a more simplified and user-friendly experience for our customers. It provides an easy way to locate and initiate charging sessions, offers the option to have monthly bills and more.

We are excited to inform you that the Shell Recharge development team is actively working on enhancing the Shell Recharge app to include more features and functionalities, including those currently available with PAYG. We are committed to ensuring that our customers have a seamless and unified experience across all our services. In the near future, you can expect updates that will bridge the gap between the two pricing structures. 

The security of your data is very important to us. Payments are handled by a secure third-party payment provider and are compliant with the usual online banking standards.

All ubitricity lamppost and bollard charge points are equipped with QR signs above the socket. This sign will either have an ubitricity logo or – as we’ve started to rebrand our charge points – a Shell Recharge logo. Each sign includes a quick “How to charge” section, details about our customer support and most importantly a QR code linking to our digital Pay-As-You-Go webpage.

Before scanning a QR code, please make sure that no other smaller QR sticker is stuck over the original QR code area. You can check this by rubbing your finger over the QR code.  We as ubitricity will never stick a second smaller square QR code over an existing sticker.

To protect from fraud, we always recommend checking the URL after scanning the QR code. More information on this can be found in the question below.

If you are unsure, or if a sign looks suspicious, please reach out to our customer hotline at 0800 024 6279 or support@ubitricity.co.uk (available 24/7) and our team will be happy to support you.

After scanning the QR code, you are directed to our Pay-As-You-Go webpage in your smartphone’s browser. This webpage guides you through your charging process.

Before entering any data in the webpage, please always check the URL in the browser. The right website address should read mysimplesocket.com or charge.ubitricity.com without any dashes or hyphens (or other full stops than shown here) in these words. Other indicators to check are the functionality of the menu and links in our webapp. You can also check if the charge point ID (starts with “suby”) in the webpage is identical with the one in our interactive web map.

If you are unsure whether a third party is attempting to access your personal data during an ubitricity charging process, please reach out to our hotline at 0800 024 6279 or support@ubitricity.co.uk (available 24/7). Our customer service team will be happy to support you.

1. Call your bank and block your card.
2. Call the police and inform them about the specific fraud.
3. We also appreciate if you call our customer support to make sure we can avoid further fraudulent activity (0800 024 6279 or support@ubitricity.co.uk; available 24/7).

All ubitricity charge points are installed according to local health and safety standards. Our lamppost charge points are installed near the edge of the kerb meaning that the traditional trip hazard of trailing cables is reduced. Additionally, we encourage users to ensure their cable is tucked away during charging, to further reduce trip hazards to pedestrians.

If you charge at this charge point with Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) via the QR code, the payment is via credit card or Apple Pay / Google Pay. After you have agreed to the tariff for charging, you will be prompted to enter your credit card details or to authorize Apple Pay / Google Pay. As soon as this is finished, charging can start and continues as long as you are plugged into the socket. When using our charge points through an e-mobility service provider by using an RFID card or mobile app, the respective costs are indicated in your mobility app.

Costs for charging can vary from charge point to charge point. You can learn more about costs on our pricing page. 

If you are using our Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) option by scanning the QR code, you will find detailed information about the specific charges on the mobile site before you enter your payment details. If you are using a Mobility App such as Shell Recharge, you can find the relevant charging costs in your app. Please read through the tariff information carefully before you agree to the respective tariff.

When you initiate a charging session, your bank temporarily reserves £25 to ensure there are funds available for payment. If you use mobile banking, you may see this amount as a pending transaction. After you finish charging, we notify your bank of the actual amount spent, and they will deduct it while releasing the pre-authorized amount. The duration of this process may vary, taking anywhere from a few minutes to several days, depending on your bank.

You can see the maximum charging current of the respective charging point on the mobile website before you start the PAYG charging process or in your E-Mobility App (such as Shell Recharge).

If you have a question, or run into any problems, please contact us at 0800 024 6279 or support@ubitricity.co.uk. Let us know the charge point ID and the model of your car and we’ll investigate.

All public EV charge points must be procured and installed by your local authority. However, we can support you and forward to your request. Fill out the form on our website for free and we’ll pass it onto the relevant local authority. Please note that using this form does not guarantee a charge point placement.

Smart Charging schedules your charging session to start during ubitricity’s off-peak hours (11pm-6am). Currently drivers who charge at home already have the option to smart charge and access cheaper tariffs, with launch of ubitricity Smart Charging we are hoping to bring a similar advantage to people don’t always have access to a home charger.

Some charge points may not have Smart Charging available, these charge points will instead have one flat rate. Please check the home screen to receive your charge point’s tariff information.

You can learn more about Smart charging here.

We’ll lock your cable in place once you’ve selected our Smart Charging option. We won’t send any power to your car until the off-peak period begins (11pm-6am). At the end of the charge, just unlock your cable as normal.

On our lamppost and bollard charge points, the LED light will turn green to show that your session has started – we just won’t send any power to your car until the off peak period begins. Depending on what type of car you have, you may see a different message in your car app.

On ubitricity lamppost and bollard charge points, the LED light on the charge point will turn green to show that your session has started.

When using PAYG,  you have to unplug the charging cable from the vehicle to release the cable and stop the charging session. It is very important to unplug the cable from your vehicle first before unplugging from the charge point. The charged electricity is billed to your credit card. You will receive a separate invoice via email.

Please write us an email at support@ubitricity.co.uk or  call +44 800 024 6279 (available 24/7) to report the issue.

Please ensure your cable is plugged in properly.

Please unplug your cable and start the process again. Once you have entered your payment details please wait for a connection between the car and the charge point to be established. Once a mobile connection has been successfully established, the button at the bottom of the payment page will be visible, and you need to click it to start charging.

Some EV models require a different plug-in sequence for our charge point to connect to the vehicle successfully. Please try again using the following sequence:

Step 1: Unplug the cable from the charge point.

Step 2: Scan the QR code

Step 3: Connect your cable to the charge point.

Step 4: Allow the charging event to start. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate the charge session. Once on-line connection has been automatically established by the charge point you will be able to enter your payment details (or select a payment card previously stored on you Smart Phone). Continue to follow the instruction to commence your charge session.

Step 5: Once charging has started plug your cable into the car.

Try to plug in the cable a little tighter into the charge point, then unplug again. If it’s impossible to remove your cable, please contact our support team. Do not try to remove the cable by force! This could cause damage to the cable.

1. Your car may already have a fully charged battery, please check your battery level.
2. This could be due to a faulty charge point, please check for the correct LED colour during the connection process (BLUE when the socket is available to use, then ORANGE when the cable is plugged in but the charge event has not started, then GREEN when charging).
3. You may not be plugged in correctly, please unplug your cable and reconnect the cable correctly.
4. There may be a local power outage.

If the solutions above, do not work please call our customer service team on call who will be happy to help.

Due to technical issues in the distribution grids, the electric current can be interrupted from time to time. Normally, this shouldn’t be a problem as the pauses in supply are very short. But even if there should be a longer shortage of electricity, there’s no need to worry: You only pay for the electricity you have actually charged.

In this case, a subsequent data transaction enables charging by using an expiring certificate that actualizes itself when reconnecting online.