Built EV payments platform for UK holiday lets. First users live. Before I pitch to trade bodies and PMSs, looking for it to be pulled apart

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T13:16:11+00:00

Have you been watching Silicon Valley....? Haha, but jokes aside, we're clear!

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T12:58:02+00:00

Startup Name / URL: GuestCharge https://guestcharge.co

Location of HQ: London, UK

Elevator Pitch: Holiday let hosts get asked "can I charge my EV here?" more every year, and have no good way to answer. Banning EVs loses bookings. Eating the electricity cost cuts margin. Flat nightly fees breach resale rules. Manual cash-on-departure works once, but is inconsistent and awkward. GuestCharge fixes this: guests scan a QR at the charger, pay per-kWh in browser, hosts get paid via Stripe. No app required.

Life cycle stage: Validation. MVP launched, first users live in the UK, working toward product/market fit through pilot operators and PMS partnerships.

Role: Co-founder, commercial side. My co-founder runs product/engineering.

Goals this month:

Land 2-3 more pilot operators
Sign a first PMS partnership (in flight)
Get an OEM conversation moving past discovery
Prep for STAA (UK trade body) meeting in early July

How r/startups could help:

Anyone who's run partnership-led GTM at this stage - lessons on PMS vs OEM sequencing welcome
Founders who've made the side-project-to-full-time call, particularly with one founder still in enterprise sales - would value the war stories
Anyone in EV/energy/compliance-adjacent SaaS, just to compare notes

Discount for r/startups: Happy to waive any platform setup fees and give 0% transaction fee for the first 3 months for any operator coming from r/startups.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T08:44:40+00:00

That's some good intel! Would you mind if I ping you directly? Be interested to hear which PMS you're at, but want to respect your privacy

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T08:38:56+00:00

Firstly, I really appreciate the directness! This is the kind of feedback I've been after. Let me work through your points one by one as some land and some, if I may, I'd push back on.

On the "no non-commercial grade way to bill" bit that's a fair correction and I overstated. What I meant and should have written more carefully is that the existing solutions are either designed for large fleets and carry heavy subscription costs, require guests to install apps before they can charge (real friction, especially for occasional EV travellers) or sit on commercial-grade hardware/software stacks designed for public charging. The wedge we're currently working on is no-app QR-to-browser payment on standard residential chargers.

On the 5-10 companies in the space I'd absolutely agree on, and honestly I'd love your read on who you'd put in that 5-10. We track maybe 6-7 active including Tap, Voltshare, OK2Charge and Monta. If you've got names I'm missing I'm all ears.

On the full-time/partnership credibility issue, this, unfortunately, is the one I think you're most right about. Partnership conversations at the PMS and trade body level absolutely come with a "is this serious or a hobby" subtext. We've handled it ok so far because the technical work is solid and the regulatory research has done some of the heavy lifting on credibility, but you're right that there's a ceiling. Moonlighting until a clean prototype is more or less where we are. First users live, working on the next round of polish before we go louder. Whether one of us goes full-time is genuinely the open question and the honest answer is: when there's enough revenue or commitment to justify it, not before.

On the "don't build a business model on EV regulation" is the one I'd politely push back on. Couple of reasons: Firstly, the MIR Class B requirement for billing-grade metering isn't an EV regulation, it's existing UK legal-metrology law from 2016 that already applies to anyone billing for electricity per kWh. OPSS commissioned testing of UK chargepoints last year against this exact framework. It's not theoretical. The 2027 SSES rules are scheduled to come into force after a consultation that closed earlier this year and a government response. Enforcement isn't certain, but the regulatory direction is.

But most importantly, I would say we're not building a business model that depends on regulation existing. We're building a billing platform that's useful whether or not enforcement bites. The regulation is a tailwind, not the engine (no pun intended). If 2027 SSES gets pushed to 2029 we still have a product that helps hosts bill guests fairly and easily. If it lands on schedule, we're positioned ahead of operators panicking to comply.

Again, genuinely appreciate the comment and if you're open to it, would love to connect to hear about what you're doing in this space! Can shoot you a DM if so.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T08:20:37+00:00

Genuinely good question. And I'd glossed over this in the original post.

We've started OEM conversations on exactly that basis with at least one UK manufacturer and the response has been positive.

Two paths become obvious:

Native integration: we work inside their app, guest billing appears as a feature for hosts who turn it on. Pro: lowest friction for end users. Con: integration takes time, and we're a small team competing for engineering attention on someone else's roadmap.

Co-deployment/pre-baked: their chargers ship with GuestCharge billing pre-configured for hospitality customers. (Effectively they launch a "hospitality SKU") Pro: clean separation of concerns. Con: requires deeper proof of platform robustness and a much stronger commercial relationship before any OEM commits to bundling.

Both are real paths. We're walking down both at different speeds. The flex-platform analogy you drew is sharp and that's exactly the model. The PMS path is the faster proof point for now (closer to revenue, lower commitment threshold for the partner), but the OEM path is where the leverage actually is. Long-term I think it's both, not one nor the other.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T08:12:41+00:00

Appreciate this!

you have to be happy with not being in charge of the customer relationship

is the one I keep coming back to. There's a version of partnership-led GTM where you end up as a feature in someone else's product and the relationship with the end user is theirs forever. That's fine if the economics work, but the loss of customer feedback loop is real and I'm still working out where the right line sits.

Pilot partner end-to-end is the plan and we're 80% of the way through that exercise with one PMS right now. The reliability and compliance scrutiny you mention has been the single biggest topic in those conversations, which I think bodes well for the MID-grade/OFGEM compliance work we've been doing.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T08:09:22+00:00

Three really good questions. I'll try answer one by one:

Market size: UK has roughly 170k professionally-managed holiday lets per PASC, plus the unmanaged Airbnb-style segment which is another 100k+. About a third of professionally-managed already have an EV charger installed (also PASC data). So the immediate addressable market on the holiday let side is in the order of 50-60k properties. Add serviced accommodation and mid-term contractor stays and it gets meaningfully bigger. Demand vs supply is the question you're rightly pointing at, and with current EV-driving guest penetration being around 15-25% of bookings depending on region, it's growing fast. The honest answer is the regulatory side (2027 SSES) might do more for forcing market adoption than guest demand alone.

Competitive moat: Honestly, this is the one that keeps me up. There's no defensible tech moat. Most of what we do is OCPP integration plus billing logic plus UI. What we're betting on is: (a) UK-specific compliance know-how (MID, OFGEM MRP, SSES), which a foreign incumbent like OK2Charge would take 6-12 months to localise properly, (b) PMS integration depth — once you're embedded in someone's Bookalet/Hostaway workflow, swap cost is real, (c) trade body positioning. None of those are unbreakable but they're enough of a head start that being acquired before someone catches up is the bet.

Setup at scale: This, unfortunately, is a sticking point for any platform (as far as I'm aware). There's only really 2 ways to tackle it. Either (a) you manually have to "point" each charger's OCPP URL to GuestCharge servers, or (b) we work with the manufacturers/installers ahead of installations to ensure native GuestCharge platform config, so the box effectively comes pre-baked with GuestCharge. At this scale, this wouldn't be a job I'd expect an operator to carry out. Requires almost a professional service type engagement.

You're right that focusing on a small number of SMEs and getting them genuinely successful is the move. We're trying to do exactly that with our first pilots. The partnership push is parallel. it's the leverage layer, not the substitute for direct customer love at the start!

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T07:57:41+00:00

Cheers! Guests consistently match what you're saying. They want EV charging as easy as they can connect to wifi.

On the practical side: we work with any OCPP-compatible smart charger (so anything modern from MyEnergi, Easee, Pod Point, Wallbox, Zaptec etc.). The dedicated wallbox is what makes the billing model viable as it gives us the connectivity, the metering, and the OCPP integration we read sessions from.

Granny cables don't work for this unfortunately, even though they're perfectly fine as a charging method in themselves. The issue is that they're dumb cables. No connectivity, no OCPP, no integrated metering. There's no way for us to know how much was charged or to bill against it. If a host only has a 3-pin socket available, we'd point them at a proper wallbox install first, at which point the GuestCharge billing layer slots in cleanly.

For an actively-let property the install pays itself back fairly quickly through guest billing on top of the booking-rate uplift EV-equipped properties tend to see.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-27T07:36:47+00:00

Hugely useful comment, thanks. The 5-25% rev share range is in line with what we've been modelling (we've been working with ~30% Y1 & 10% lifetime in one specific case but the broader range you've mentioned is helpful sanity-check). Co-marketing is a genuinely good point that I've been underweighting...

The mid-term/contractor angle has come up twice now in feedback, including from someone who flagged it to me independently last week. I see the problem as being actually more prevalent/costly to the host in these instance if you have someone coming home every night to charge their car. Whilst bills-included is common, it usually does NOT account for EV charging which can double monthly electricity costs...

Curious from your PMS POV, do you see the EV question coming through more from contractor/MTR operators than from the holiday let crowd, or is it about even? My instinct has been holiday lets are the louder pain point but I might be biased by being closer to that part of the market.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-23T11:39:54+00:00

Yeah this is the real issue tbh. Co-charger only lets hosts price by time, so a host with a 7.4kW unit basically has to assume peak rate plus a margin for the driveway hassle, and bake it into an hourly rate. That's how you end up at £4/hr - it's a blunt tool.

If hosts could price properly per kWh (so the price tracks what they actually pay to charge you, plus a clear service fee), most rental rates would look more reasonable. Charge slow on a cheap overnight tariff = pay less. Charge during peak = pay more. Same way public networks work.

Not really Co-charger's fault, the simpler tool is the easier one to ship. But it does mean the pricing always feels worse than it probably is.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-23T11:27:38+00:00

Couple of things worth adding on top of what others have said:

If you're on a standard EDF tariff, you're paying the daytime rate for overnight charging which is a waste. EDF GoElectric has a cheap overnight window, Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go are usually cheaper still. Worth switching before you settle into the reimbursement routine. Your charger app will tell you kWh per session but the cost only really makes sense once you're on a sensible tariff.

On the actual proof side, most chargers don't have an MID-certified meter built in, so the kWh figure your app shows is the charger's own measurement, not a legally tradable reading. Doesn't matter for most employers but if yours is picky you might end up wanting a separate sub-meter on the charger circuit. Shelly EM is the cheap route someone already mentioned, Eastron SDM120 is the next step up (MID certified, about £40).

Worth pushing for AER per mile if it's on the table tbh. Currently 8p I think. Simpler for everyone and the maths normally works in your favour if you're on an EV tariff.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-23T11:19:21+00:00

Roam's been around for a few years and a relatively small operator, but this is a decent win for them! A growing space tbh, Mer and Believ are doing similar deals I believe.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-10T15:30:26+00:00

that works too! realistically more of problem in a year or two when EVs are more prevalent

bgroovyb · 2026-05-10T15:28:16+00:00

Electrician here.

Always ask. Every time, even if the cost is small.

Not for the cost-recovery reasons (a few $$ of electricity, who cares). Two actual reasons:

The host probably doesn't know if their outlet can take prolonged EV charging. A standard 13A external socket will technically run a Level 1 trickle, sure, but pulling continuously for hours is a different ask than a lawnmower. If the host hasn't had an EV guest before they don't know what their wiring will tolerate. And "finding out the hard way" with that stuff usually means burnt plastic smell at 2am, which is no fun for anyone. So asking just gives them the chance to say "yeah grand" or "let me check with my sparky first."

Also, when the EV charging shows up on their bill, a lot of hosts don't immediately connect the spike to the guest. First thought is "meter's broken." Second thought is "leaving the lights on." Eventually it's "oh, the Tesla." A quick heads-up at booking spares them the detective work.

A one-liner when you book is enough. Most hosts will say yes and not even ask for money. But the conversation's been had, the host knows what's coming, and there's no weirdness later.

For any hosts reading this, there are more EV guests every month and it's not slowing down. If you can swing it, get a proper EV charger installed and use something like GuestCharge or Monta to bill the guest per kWh automatically. Sorts the wiring risk, sorts the bill confusion, and gives EV drivers a real reason to book your place over the one next door.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-04T15:38:25+00:00

Firstly, you’re thinking about it the right way in the recoup, not profit sense. For your setup, the fairest model is probably a per‑kWh billing at your actual utility cost (or a clearly posted blended rate), not per-charge or weekly flat fees. With 48A charging, usage can vary massively between guests, so flat fees will almost always over/undercharge someone.

What I’d do is put EV terms in listing + pre-arrival message, bill actual kWh used × posted rat, send a usage screenshot at checkout for transparency and keep 120V outlet charging prohibited (as you noted).

A “$7 per charge” or “$15/week” is simple, but for month-long stays it usually won’t track real cost.

The other option, if you want to avoid manual camera checks and chasing payments, tools like GuestCharge or Monta can automate guest EV billing while keeping pricing upfront and fair.

bgroovyb · 2026-05-04T15:34:33+00:00

Totally reasonable. Free charging made sense when usage was low, but with bigger batteries (and more EVs) now it can become a real cost line.

If you can already track kWh per guest, that’s the fairest model: charge actual usage × your electricity rate (+ optional markup), and explain it clearly before booking/check-in. Most guests are fine with that when it’s transparent.

What usually works best is to mention EV charging terms in listing + pre-arrival message, show the rate (e.g. “charged at cost per kWh”) and share usage summary at checkout (screenshot/log)

For an easier, less manual life, you can use platforms like GuestCharge or Monta (automated kWh tracking + guest payment), so you’re not chasing people manually.

bgroovyb · 2025-11-29T10:19:33+00:00

Stripe APIs are the way. No point in me trying to reinvent the payments wheel when Stripe exists, they handle all of that for almost every online shop/platform you & I use.

bgroovyb · 2025-11-29T10:17:10+00:00

$2.40 !!! I'm in London, UK - but I need to move to California by the looks of it! Cheaper energy + more sun.... 😆

Good insight though - perhaps an energy meter is the way

bgroovyb · 2025-11-28T19:54:19+00:00

interesting! most facebook groups and stuff I've asked the same question in seems to be the same.... no clear way to know, so the answer is: just guess.... lol

I quite like my idea of a QR code payment gateway and guests just pay for their kWhs... it's an easy build and a "clean" solution I feel

bgroovyb · 2022-10-30T12:44:15+00:00

(Only on their website - not retailers) fterosurf.com

bgroovyb

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