What is a charge point operator, and what does one do?

A charge point operator (CPO) runs the charging service, either owning the equipment or operating it for its owner. It is distinct from an installer that only fits the equipment [S1]. For operators in scope, UK public charging rules include a free staffed helpline available 24 hours a day [S2]. Confirm who controls your service before signing. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

What is a charge point operator?

A charge point operator (CPO) controls the day-to-day charging service. Government guidance distinguishes this role from simply owning equipment or installing it. The operator may run its own chargers or work on behalf of another owner [S1].

For your site, start with a practical question: which contracted organisation takes responsibility when a driver cannot start, stop or pay for a session? Request its legal name in the proposal and ask how your staff will reach it. A sales description such as “managed charging” is not a complete statement of responsibilities.

The management software guide explains the systems behind the service. Software access alone does not settle who is operating the chargers.

How does the operator differ from the installer and electricity network?

National Highways separates the charging operator from the distribution network operator (DNO), which manages the local electricity network. Their work meets at the connection, but they have different responsibilities [S3].

Use this as a contract checklist, rather than assuming every proposal divides the work identically. National Highways describes CPO work as building and managing charging infrastructure, including keeping it connected, safe and working [S3]. Ask the lead contractor to identify its subcontractors and the boundaries between them.

Request one responsibility schedule that covers construction through operation. Record who responds to a fault before handover, who accepts the completed installation and who takes over afterwards. Avoid leaving a gap between the construction contract and the service agreement. See choosing an installer.

What public charging rules does a CPO need to handle?

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 apply across the UK. They distinguish public charging from excluded workplace and residential uses. A privately owned car park can still contain public chargers, including where access is limited to particular hours or customers [S2].

For operators in scope, duties include a free staffed helpline, payment roaming, open data and rapid-network reliability reporting. Micro-business operators are exempt from regulations 5 to 10, but the pricing rule in regulation 11 still applies. Do not assume a small installation establishes the operator’s exemption [S2].

Ask the proposed operator for a written scope assessment and have your solicitor check it. Request evidence of the required support arrangements and reporting process before opening the service. Our public charging checklist covers the detailed questions.

Use kilowatts (kW) for charging power and kilowatt-hours (kWh) for energy delivered. Keep those separate in the proposal: the regulations use power thresholds for some duties and energy-based units for pricing [S2].

How does the operator’s business model affect your costs?

Ask for separate equipment, installation and operating schedules. Have each bidder label its proposal fully funded, part funded or self funded and explain who pays which costs. Treat funding and operation as separate decisions when reviewing offers.

For a fully funded proposal, request the host payment formula and every deduction. For part funded, ask how your contribution changes the income share and ownership rights. For self funded, request the recurring operating fees as well as the purchase price. These are comparison questions, not standard commercial terms.

Ask whether electricity, communications, payment processing, maintenance, damage and replacements are included. Request a worked settlement statement: energy sold, driver receipts, deductions and host payment. Check that the forecast uses your expected opening hours and charging demand. Do not accept a revenue projection without the underlying session and energy assumptions.

Record who pays for planning work, grid upgrades and business rates. Have your solicitor review the proposed lease and liability allocation. Compare proposals through the business-case template before accepting a long agreement.

What should happen if the operator stops responding?

Write a fault-escalation route into the agreement. Ask for a site repair target, a process for repeated failure and a named route for unresolved billing disputes. Test the support process during handover so your staff know what information to provide.

Plan a possible service transfer before signing. Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) standardises communication between chargers and management systems [S4]. Ask for the supported version, administrator access and a written migration plan. A protocol label alone does not establish your contractual right to move equipment to another service.

Have your solicitor check termination, assignment, insolvency, redevelopment and equipment-removal provisions. Request usable transaction exports and a handover timetable. Agree how prepaid balances, outstanding driver refunds and final host payments would be reconciled. Include who pays transfer and reinstatement costs.

Review host agreement questions and ask the bidder to answer them in writing. Retain the answers with the final agreement rather than relying on a sales call.

What should you do next?

Send prospective installers your postcode, parking layout, opening hours and intended users. Ask each to name the proposed CPO and provide the same responsibility and fee schedules. That makes the comparison about the service you would receive at your site.

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