You have your own parking space and want to load your car at home. Yet the cable often runs through a communal garage, corridor or technical room. In addition, the apartments usually share part of the building's electrical supply. That is why we start with consultation and a technical plan.
This guide focuses on apartment buildings in Flanders. The Belgian rules on co-ownership are the starting point; You assess connection conditions and fire safety requirements for the specific building. If you are a tenant, also involve the owner of your apartment and parking space.
Which procedure suits your proposal?
Article 3.82 of the Civil Code provides a procedure for individual energy infrastructure in common parts. The works must optimize the infrastructure for private parts and must not impose financial burdens on other co-owners or VME.
The co-owner reports the works at least two months in advance by registered mail to the syndic, or to all other co-owners if there is no syndic. State your address, describe the works and justify the improvement. Within two months of receipt, registered objection is possible due to a legitimate interest, such as existing infrastructure, significant damage or safety problems, missing optimization or costs for others. The VME can also implement an alternative itself; a statutory starting period of six months after receipt of its notification applies.
A collective installation with joint works and costs requires appropriate VME decision-making. Discuss with the syndic which procedure belongs to your plan and how consultation, reporting or voting are recorded.
Your own meter or a collective charging installation?
Fluvius describes both charging behind the private meter and communal charging infrastructure for Flanders. The right choice depends on the indoor installations, the building power supply and the expected charging need. Your own meter does not automatically entitle you to the full charging power at the charging station.
In a collective installation, charging points can be located behind the existing common meter or a separate charging meter. A separate meter keeps the consumption of lifts and lighting separate from charging. A suitable registration and settlement is then required for each user.
| Connection concept | What are you discussing? |
|---|---|
| Behind your private meter | Own energy bill, cable distance, individual electrical protection and joint load on the building power supply. |
| Behind the communal meter | Available capacity in addition to other consumers, power control, metering per user and cost distribution. |
| Separate collective charging meter | Space for the meter, connection work, energy contract, management and a growth plan for additional charging points. |
We check cable route and building capacity together.
Indicate on a plan where the cable departs, which common areas it crosses and where the charging station will be located. Note penetrations, existing cable ducts and accessibility for maintenance. A short route is not automatically usable if it hinders an escape route or breaks through a fire-resistant separation.
We assess the main power supply, protections, grid type and simultaneous use. With multiple charging points, load balancing can divide the available power. We record which building boundary is monitored: a scheme that only measures your apartment will not automatically see what all other charging points are asking for.
- A plan from the meter or distribution board to the parking lot.
- Sufficient space and accessibility in the technical rooms.
- A calculation of the simultaneous load and the permitted charging current.
- Agreements about power regulation, maintenance and possible expansion.
Split the investment and charging consumption.
In our proposal we show separately what your own charging point costs and what is required for communal facilities. Consider cable ducts, a distribution board, building measurements, a network reinforcement and fire safety measures. Also discuss with the syndic a possible contribution if someone later connects to the prepared infrastructure.
For shared charging, you agree on how kWh are registered, what rate applies and who does the settlement. In addition, ask about fixed management costs, maintenance and the distribution of additional grid costs. In this way, the VME prevents only electricity from being charged while other costs are unintentionally passed on to all residents.
Provide space for the next electric car.
Do not count only today’s requests. Ask how many parking spaces there are and how many residents want to charge in the coming years. Determine which cable routes, electrical panels and control arrangements will remain usable. Where useful, reserve space in cable trays and cabinets without having to buy every charging point immediately.
Make agreements about who manages access, monitors faults and can change settings. Also ask whether future charging points fit within the same scheme and how users will receive their consumption data. When an owner sells or a tenant leaves, ownership, access and settlement must remain clear.
Coordinate safety and delivery in advance.
The common and technical parts of a residential whole count as non-domestic electrical installations according to FPS Economy. We design the charging installation according to the applicable AREI. The prescribed inspection is carried out by an independent inspection body. If the inspection is included in your quote, we will request it. Provide the syndic with the relevant diagrams, plans and audit reports for the installation file.
Ask what fire safety requirements apply to the parking lot and whether advice from the competent fire brigade is required. Discuss, among other things, cable penetrations, mechanical protection, detection and switching off charging points in the event of an incident. Fire zones use concrete guidelines; apply it for your own location. Also discuss the installation with the building's insurer.
You register the charging point yourself at Fluvius when the reporting obligation applies. Upon delivery, we check the operation of the power control, access control and consumption registration. An inspection report alone does not confirm that the agreed cost settlement and charging settings are working.
You provide this to the syndic.
A usable file makes visible what you ask for, how it is carried out and who bears the consequences.
- Your contact details, apartment and parking space number, indicating owner or tenant.
- Photos of meter, closed distribution board and parking lot, plus available electrical diagrams.
- A plan of the cable route, penetrations and installation location.
- The proposed connection concept, charging power and power control.
- The estimate of own and common costs, with agreements about consumption and management.
- The approach to fire safety, inspection, insurance and registration.
- A desired planning that takes into account the applicable procedure and future charging points.
Short answer
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need permission from the general meeting?
Not always. The procedure of article 3.82 may apply to individual energy infrastructure. A collective project follows the decision-making of the VME. Discuss which route suits your plan.
Can my charging station use my own electricity meter?
This may be technically possible in Flanders. We assess both your own installation and the common building power supply. Just checking the capacity of your meter is not enough when several residents are charging at the same time.
Do residents without an electric car have to pay?
Distinguish between personal charging consumption, private charging points and communal investments. Determine the distribution of joint costs in advance according to applicable statutes and valid decisions. An agreement that users pay for their electricity does not yet regulate the costs of cable ducts, management or reinforcement.
How do I get started as a tenant?
First involve the owner of your apartment and parking space. Agree together who will discuss the proposal with the syndic, who will bear the investment and what happens to the charging point when you move.
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