A Charge Point Operator handles the billing of charging sessions. But not every CPO understands the unique position of a VvE.
What does a CPO do?
A Charge Point Operator (CPO) manages the charging points and handles everything around them: registering charging sessions, measuring consumption, identifying the user and issuing invoices. Without a CPO, you have no way of knowing who charged how much, you cannot invoice, and you cannot claim Renewable Fuel Credits (ERE).
Why group charging in a VvE is different
A conventional CPO is designed for public charging points: the end user pays directly to the CPO, which buys and resells the power. In a VvE, you want the power to be purchased by the VvE itself and residents to pay the VvE - not an external party. If the power is sold to an external CPO, the VvE becomes obliged to register for VAT, creating a double VAT burden for the EV driver. This requires a CPO that runs the invoice flow through the VvE.
How we do it differently
We invoice on behalf of the VvE. Invoices are in the VvE's name and are automatically posted to the VvE's accounting system. Residents pay their own VvE. The risk of non-payment lies with the VvE - but this is already the case with other CPOs too. In fact, a regular CPO will not pay out the electricity revenue to the VvE either as long as chargers structurally fail to pay. The non-payment risk does not disappear by placing an external CPO in between; it only becomes less visible, while the VvE is ultimately still left with it. The difference with us is that everything runs transparently through the VvE's accounting, so the board sees exactly what is going on and can intervene in time.