Sooner or later, every housing society gets the request: a resident has bought an EV and wants to charge it in the basement. Then a second resident asks, then a fifth. Handling each request one by one leads to messy wiring, billing disputes and an overloaded supply. The better approach is a society-wide plan: decide the charging model, check the electrical capacity once, and put billing on an app so nobody reads meters by hand.
Why the committee should plan EV charging now
• Requests will keep coming. It is easier to plan capacity once than to approve ad hoc connections every few months.
• Safety. Extension boards and cables run from flats down to parking are a fire risk the society is responsible for.
• Fairness. A clear policy on who pays for what avoids arguments between EV owners and other residents.
• Property value. EV-ready parking is becoming something buyers and tenants look for.
Two ways to bring charging to a society
Option 1: Individual chargers in residents' own parking
Each EV owner gets a charger at their allotted spot.
• Works well where every flat has a fixed parking slot
• Electricity can be drawn from the resident's own meter or from a common supply billed through an app
• Needs cable runs to many spots, so the layout matters
Option 2: Shared chargers in a common area
The society installs a few chargers that residents book and pay for by use.
• Works where parking is not allotted, or space near the supply is limited
• Fewer chargers serve more vehicles, since not every car charges every night
• Needs app-based booking and billing to stay fair
Many societies combine both: shared chargers now, and conduits laid to more spots for later.
Check electrical capacity first
Before any charger goes in, find out what the society's supply can handle.
• Common area connection: Check the sanctioned load on the society's common connection and how much is already used by lifts, pumps and lighting.
• Resident connections: If chargers run from individual meters, each resident's sanctioned load matters too. Our sanctioned load guide explains how to read it.
• Load management: Smart chargers can share the available power so several cars charge without tripping the supply. See how load management works.
• DISCOM: If capacity is short, the society may need to apply for a load increase or a separate EV connection. Some DISCOMs offer a dedicated EV charging tariff.
Who pays for the electricity?
This is the question that stalls most committee meetings. The answer that keeps everyone happy is simple: the person who charges pays for the units they use.
• With chargers on residents' own meters, the resident's bill covers it automatically
• With chargers on the common supply, smart chargers record each session and bill each resident through an app
• The society can add a small margin per unit to cover maintenance, or earn a share of usage revenue
What to avoid: chargers on the common meter with no per-user tracking. Non-EV residents end up subsidising EV owners, and the complaints never stop.
Questions for your committee meeting
• How many residents own EVs today, and how many plan to in the next two years?
• Is parking allotted, or shared?
• What is the spare capacity on the common connection?
• Will chargers be owned by the society, the residents, or a charging partner?
• How will usage be billed, and who handles maintenance?
• What rules apply to installation in common areas, such as cable routing and fire safety?
How Kazam works with housing societies
Kazam handles EV charging for housing societies from approval to billing:
RWA approval. Kazam supports the managing committee with what it needs to review and approve the installation.
Site assessment. Kazam checks the parking layout, existing electrical capacity and DISCOM load availability.
Installation. Certified technicians install the chargers, typically within two days of approval.
Billing setup. Each resident is onboarded to the Kazam app for individual usage tracking and automatic billing. No manual meter readings.
After installation:
• Every session is billed through the app, and the RWA earns a share of usage revenue
• Kazam's 500+ trained Rangers check earthing, wiring, load capacity and voltage fluctuations
• A one-year warranty covers remote and on-site maintenance
• Support is available 24/7 by phone, WhatsApp or the Kazam app
For residents' own spots, the Kazam Zip Pro and Kazam Zoom bring app-based billing to each charger. For two-wheelers, the Kazam Zip Mini adds a safe, access-controlled socket.
If you are a resident trying to get your own charger approved, start with our guide to installing an EV charger in your apartment.
Frequently asked questions
Can a housing society install EV chargers in common parking?
Yes, with the managing committee's approval and a check of the common connection's capacity. Shared chargers with app-based billing are a common way to do it.
Who pays for EV charging in a housing society?
The fairest model is that each EV owner pays for the electricity they use, either through their own meter or through per-session billing in an app.
Can we install chargers without dedicated parking for every resident?
Yes. Shared chargers in a common area, booked and paid for through an app, work well where parking is not allotted.
Will EV chargers overload the society's electricity supply?
Not if the capacity is checked first and smart chargers with load management share the available power.
How long does installation take?
With Kazam, installation typically takes about two days after the RWA approves it.
Bring EV charging to your society
Contact Kazam for a site assessment of your society's parking and electrical capacity.
