Frequently Asked Questions

The simplest path is to bring a building-wide solution to your Owners Corporation rather than try to install something individually. Most apartment buildings can't support standard Level 2 chargers without expensive electrical upgrades, so the practical option is a managed Level 1 system that uses existing infrastructure. Solutions like ReadySteadyPlug install standard 15A outlets in resident parking spaces, with individual metering and billing, so residents who charge pay only for their own electricity. Bring it to your strata committee as a proposal, get it on the AGM agenda, and the OC approves the system rather than every individual charger.

The best solution for most Australian strata buildings is a managed Level 1 charging system. Level 2 chargers are faster but typically require $80,000 to $200,000 in upfront electrical infrastructure for a building, plus ongoing complexity around billing and load management. Managed Level 1 systems use standard outlets, cost a fraction of the price, and handle most resident charging needs because cars are parked overnight. ReadySteadyPlug is a Sydney-based provider built specifically for Australian strata and apartment buildings, with a zero-upfront cost model and individual resident billing. The right choice depends on the building, but the category of solution to look at is managed Level 1, not Level 2, for most strata.

Cost varies significantly by system type. Traditional Level 2 strata installations typically run $80,000 to $200,000 upfront for the Owners Corporation, plus electrical upgrades. Managed Level 1 systems are around 80 percent cheaper because they use the building's existing electrical capacity. ReadySteadyPlug uses a Charging-as-a-Service model where the OC pays nothing upfront and residents pay around $800 to connect their own parking space when they opt in. At a 160-lot building in North Ryde NSW, the total OC cost was under $200 per lot. Final cost depends on the building's electrical setup, but the zero-upfront model removes the capex barrier that blocks most committees.

Yes, with the right system. The barrier with traditional Level 2 chargers is that they each draw 30 amps, which quickly exceeds most strata buildings' available electrical capacity and forces a switchboard upgrade. Managed Level 1 systems with Dynamic Load Management avoid this by spreading charging across available capacity and slowing individual charging when the building is at peak load. ReadySteadyPlug uses this approach and has been installed in buildings without any switchboard upgrade, including multi-level basement car parks with no Wi-Fi or mobile signal. A site assessment confirms the building's actual capacity before any installation.

The fair model is individual metering with direct billing to each user. With ReadySteadyPlug, each outlet has its own electricity meter, and residents who charge are billed directly through their nominated payment method based on actual usage. The Owners Corporation is reimbursed automatically each month for any electricity drawn from common property. This avoids the most common dispute pattern in strata EV charging, which is non-EV residents subsidising EV owners through shared electricity bills. Multi-tariff support means residents can also benefit from cheaper off-peak rates if the building has time-of-use pricing.

Five things matter. First, zero upfront cost to the Owners Corporation. Charging-as-a-Service models exist and remove the capex fight at AGM. Second, individual metering and billing. Without this, residents argue about who pays for what. Third, Dynamic Load Management. Without it, the building either limits how many residents can charge or has to upgrade the switchboard. Fourth, no reliance on Wi-Fi at the charge point. Basement car parks don't have signal. Fifth, a vendor with completed Australian strata installations to reference. ReadySteadyPlug has deployed in 154-lot Kingston Quarter Meadowbank and 160-lot North Ryde NSW. Ask any vendor for live case studies you can visit or speak to.

Level 1 (L1) charging is a more cost-effective and practical solution for most residential buildings, especially in multi-dwelling Strata-managed environments. L1 charging utilizes existing electrical infrastructure (standard 230V/240V outlets) without generally requiring expensive upgrades like mains cabling or substations, which are often necessary for Level 2 (L2) systems. While L2 charging offers faster charging speeds, the added complexity and costs typically far exceed what’s needed for most EV users who drive an average of 30 km per day. For such usage, L1 charging, which provides around 13-20 km per hour of charging, or couple of hundreds of kilometers overnight, is more than sufficient for overnight charging and ensures the building’s electrical system isn't overburdened.

Level 1 charging may be slower than L2 or DC fast charging, but it’s more than enough for most EV drivers, especially when charging happens at home. A 10-hour overnight charge with RSP delivers up to 200 km of range, while the average Australian drives just 30 km a day meaning that weekly charging would be enough - though as plugging in takes just seconds, most drivers choose to charge more often.

Many EVs come with a basic 8A cable that charges very slowly at just 1.7 kW. RSP supports 15A (3.6 kW) charging, delivering up to 20 km per hour. If your cable doesn’t support this, a faster one costs just couple of hundred dollars. We’ve partnered with mobile charger providers and can help you choose the right option.

Yes! If you want the flexibility of changing over to a L2 charger, then yes the RSP solution is compatible. As L2 chargers draw more power, the cable sizes do need to be larger which will increase the installation cost.
Also, a high-quality, weatherproof 3.2 kW Level 1 Charge Point (GPO) costs around $50 - just a fraction of the $700–$2,000 typically needed for a Level 2 Charge Point! In buildings with limited electrical capacity, installing L2 chargers may also trigger infrastructure upgrades much sooner than the more power-efficient Level 1 option.

The installation of ReadySteadyPlug (RSP) is significantly cheaper than traditional L2 charging systems, with costs being up to 80% lower.These cost savings stem from a lighter electrical backbone and a significantly more affordable charge point (see previous note).

By leveraging the building’s existing power infrastructure and applying Dynamic Load Management (DLM), ReadySteadyPlug unlocks additional major savings that come over and above the 80% already mentioned. The exact cost depends on the number of parking bays being serviced and the specific configuration of the system, but it is designed to be highly scalable, allowing Strata committees to start small and expand as demand grows.

Billing for electricity is based on individual usage, ensuring that residents only pay for what they consume and of course Strata is reimbursed for any house/common power being consumed. RSP comes with support for multiple tariffs, meaning that users can take advantage of the cheap off-peak electricity rates.

Dynamic load management is a critical feature of ReadySteadyPlug that ensures the building's electrical system is not overloaded by the simultaneous charging of multiple vehicles. The system continuously monitors the electrical load of the building, including total house power and adjusts the power delivery to the connected EV charging points in real-time. If the electrical load approaches the maximum capacity, the system can delay or throttle overall charging to avoid overloading. This intelligent and dynamic load management ensures efficient use of the building’s existing electrical infrastructure whilst preventing costly power system failures or the need for expensive upgrades. It also optimises energy usage during peak demand times, contributing to more sustainable energy consumption.

ReadySteadyPlug fully supports plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Since PHEVs have smaller batteries than fully electric vehicles, they require less energy to charge, making L1 charging more than sufficient for their needs, even if the battery needs to be charged from 0% to 100% overnight. The modular nature of the system means that PHEV owners can easily access and use the same charging points as EV owners, without any additional infrastructure requirements.

In NSW, the Strata Schemes Management Act classifies EV charging as Sustainability Infrastructure under Section 132B. Owners Corporation approval requires only a simple majority (50% of votes cast) rather than the 75% special resolution previously required for major common property changes. From 1 July 2025, further reforms also prohibit by-laws that block EV charger installations purely on aesthetic grounds, with exceptions for heritage-listed buildings. However, the practical issue is that individual installations create problems for the building: shared billing, electrical capacity, fairness for other residents, and no oversight when something goes wrong. The better path is to bring a building-wide solution to the OC. Systems like ReadySteadyPlug install at building level with individual metering, so every resident can opt in fairly without each one needing a separate electrical project.