How does Wattify work in a block of flats (VME)?

Full explanation: Wattify in a flat block (VME)

An apartment building with several owners is called a VME - Association of Co-owners - in Belgium. When communal charging stations are installed in the car park, Wattify takes care of the whole administration: who charges how much, who pays what to whom, and how the communal energy bill is settled. Below we explain it step by step, as you would explain it to someone who has never seen an electric car before.

Who is who? The three layers explained

Imagine the building works like a big house with three types of people, each with their own key:

1. The syndic (the landlord who manages the whole complex)

A syndic is usually a professional management office that has several flat blocks under it. In Wattify, the syndic is the highest tier of the three. So one syndic can have access to multiple VMEs. Specifically, this means:

• The syndic has one private Wattify login.

• From that login, he can "log in as" each of his VMEs, without needing a different password each time.

• The syndicator is usually the one who initially sets up the charging infrastructure, enters into the contract with Wattify, and negotiates prices on behalf of the VME.

2. The VME (the flat block itself)

One VME = one building or complex. Each VME has:

• Its own company number and VAT number.

• Its own IBAN to which the Wattify "reimbursement invoice" is paid monthly (see below).

• Its own Wattify login (with which the syndicator logs in).

• One or more charging sites - usually one per car park, sometimes more if there are separate car parks.

So the relationship is one syndicator → many VMEs. And as we see below: one VME → many residents.

3. The residents (the users of the charging stations)

Every resident who has their own charging station in their car park gets a personal Wattify account. The resident is always linked to exactly one VME. In his login, he sees:

• His own charging station (with appropriate tracking: online/offline, charging sessions).

• His own charging cards that he has added.

• His own invoices.

The resident never sees his neighbours' data - only his own consumption and invoices.

The charging site: what exactly is it?

In Wattify terms, a charging site is "the car park with charging stations". One charging site groups together:

• Address: where is the car park located?

• Rates: how much residents pay per kWh, plus possibly a starting rate, a time rate and an idle rate (see below).

• VAT settings: 6% or 21% depending on the age and use of the building.

• The linked charge posts.

• The linked residents.

The four price components

Who sets the price?

The syndicator or VME login can set the prices themselves via the Wattify dashboard under Charging sites → Edit. That price is what residents will pay for each kWh they charge. Important: the price must be high enough to cover the actual energy cost of the common meter - otherwise the VME itself will pay for the shortfall. For this, also see our article "How to charge based on actual tariffs with Wattify split-billing" in the knowledge base.

Charging posts and residents: how it is linked

On a VME charging site, each charge post hangs on exactly one resident. Specifically:

• Resident Janssens from flat 4B → gets charge post #4B.

• Resident De Smet from flat 7A → gets charge post #7A.

• The common visitor charging station (if any) → can be configured separately as a "public" charging site, as visitors are not residents.

When a charging station is created on a VME site, the system explicitly asks which resident it belongs to. From then on, all charging sessions from that pole are automatically booked to the correct resident.

Charge cards: how a resident registers his charge card

To charge at their own charging station, residents use a charging card (RFID card or tag). The resident does this himself via his Wattify account under My account → Charge cards → Add charge card.

Which charge cards are supported?

• Any RFID card with a unique UUID. The resident gives the pass a name (e.g. "Tesla pass") and sticks the serial number (UUID) in it.

• An existing public charging pass (e.g. a Plugsurfing, Mobiflow, Eneco eMobility, Shell Recharge...) may also be used to charge at his own VME charging station.

• A keychain tag you buy for 5 euros on Bol.com and programme it yourself may also be used.

For more details on how charge cards work and the difference with QR payment, see the article "Tariffs and charge cards: how does it work?" and the article "What is Article 5 of the AFIR regulation about?" in the knowledge base.

Important: The charge cards added by the resident only work on their own charge post in the VME. So neighbours cannot charge on them, even "accidentally". Wattify knows which pass belongs to which resident.

The billing flow: three types of invoices

This is where things get a little more complicated, but this is the heart of the system. There are three billing moments to be aware of:

1. Monthly invoice to each resident - for charging sessions

Every month, Wattify sends each resident an invoice for their charging sessions for the previous month. This states:

• List of all charging sessions (date, kWh, amount).

• The total amount calculated at the kWh rate set on the charging site.

• VAT (6% or 21%, depending on the regime).

The resident pays this via Mollie (card) or via SEPA direct debit if set up. The VME does not see or interfere with these invoices. This is directly between Wattify and the resident.

2. Quarterly invoice to each resident - for the subscription

A Wattify-VME charging station costs the resident a small subscription (for managing the charging station, software, updates, support...) in addition to the consumption. That subscription is charged quarterly (once every three months) - not monthly, to keep the number of invoices down.

Again: directly between Wattify and the resident. The VME is not involved.

3. Monthly "refund note" from Wattify to the VME

This is the part around which there is the most confusion. Try along:

The problem: the electricity coming from the charging stations actually comes from the building's common meter. That bill falls on the trustee's mat, and it is then apportioned among the co-owners as "common charges". But the residents who actually charged have thus paid twice: once to Wattify (via their monthly charging session bill), and once indirectly via their share of the common costs.

The solution: each month Wattify sends a refund note (a kind of credit note) to the VME, worth the kWh consumed by all residents together. The VME gets this amount paid into its IBAN. With that money, the VME can cover the electricity bill (or its load share) on the communal meter - so that the communal costs tally up nicely.

Example for one month:

So on balance the VME is budget-neutral: it receives from Wattify what it has to pay to its electricity supplier for charging. The real cost is borne by the residents who effectively used.

Schematic overview of cash flows

               ┌─────────────────────┐ │ (Janssens, ...) │ └─────────┬───────────┘ │ ① monthly: charging sessions │ ② quarterly: subscription ▼ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ Wattify │ └─────────┬───────────┘ │ ③ monthly refund note ▼ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ VME │ └─────────┬───────────┘ │ pays electricity supplier │ for load share ▼ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ Energy supplier │ └─────────────────────┘

Frequently asked questions

What if a resident moves out?

The trustee (or VME login) disconnects the old resident from his charge post and links the new resident. The invoicing of the old resident automatically stops at the time of disconnection; from then on, all new sessions fall on the new resident.

What if the syndicator changes?

Wattify-support adjusts that at the request of the VME board. The VME remains the same, only the access of the parent syndic account changes.

Can a resident charge a neighbour's pole in an emergency?

Technically, this is perfectly possible. Resident Janssens' charging card only works on pole #4B. If a resident still wants his pole to be used by someone else (e.g. a friend visiting), he can have that person use his own charge card temporarily, for example a roaming charge card. Mind you, this only works if roaming is also active on the charging site as a whole, which is very often also requested because some residents have to charge with a public charging card by their employer. This is then charged to the roaming party.

What about visitors?

If desired, the entire site is placed "semi-public", allowing visitors to charge with a public charge card. The price charged and paid to the VME remains the same here. Wattify invoices the roaming party and pays this to the VME once these amounts have been collected.

Can the VME itself see who is charging how much?

Yes. Via the VME login (which the syndicator uses to log in), the VME can see an overview of the total consumption per month, grouped by resident if necessary. But residents' individual bills are only visible to the resident themselves.

Does the trustee receive a fee?

Not through Wattify directly. The syndicator charges his charging infrastructure management hours internally to the VME as agreed in his syndicate agreement. Wattify is a tool for the syndicator, not a commission-paying party.

Summarised in five sentences

1. A syndicator manages multiple VMEs. Each VME is one building with one parking and a number of residents.

2. Each resident has one charging station, linked to their own Wattify account, and they add their own charging passes.

3. The price per kWh is set by the syndicator or VME on the charging site, high enough to cover the communal energy bill.

4. Residents receive a monthly bill for their charging sessions and a bill for the subscription every three months.

5. Each month, the VME receives a refund bill from Wattify corresponding to the total consumption of the residents - thus the VME pays its electricity supplier and everyone breaks even.

For specific questions about VAT (6% vs 21%), the AFIR scheme, or how charge cards work: see the other articles in our knowledge base.