Partner Spotlight

Medlocks

Article Published:Tuesday 21st April 2026

From trade counter to customer wall: Growing EV charging with Medlocks

How VCHRGD’s reliable, competitively priced and easy-to-support EV charging hardware is helping Medlocks give electricians a charger brand they can recommend with confidence.

Key outcomes

  • Around 150% growth in VCHRGD sales through Medlocks in early 2026

  • VCHRGD grew from near zero in DATE to five-figure monthly revenue by March 2026 through Medlocks

  • No reported product issues personally heard by Medlocks’ EV category lead

  • Stronger sales confidence following smart tariff integration, including Octopus compatibility

At a glance

  • Medlocks

  • Electrical wholesale

  • Provide Medlocks with EV chargers that contractors can trust, branches can recommend and customers can rely on

  • VCHRGD smart EV chargers, backed by reliable supply, competitive pricing, installer-friendly design and responsive support

The opportunity: Giving electricians charger brands they can trust

Electrical wholesalers play a critical role in the EV charging market.

For electricians, installers and contractors, the local trade counter is often the first stop for product advice, availability and reassurance. When a product works well, the contractor benefits. When something goes wrong, the wholesaler often feels the pressure first.

That makes EV charger selection an important commercial decision. It is not simply about stocking the cheapest product; it is about choosing brands that are reliable, easy to install, well supported and commercially attractive for the trade.

Medlocks understand that better than most. As the UK’s largest independent electrical wholesale group, with 54 branches and a strong branch-led model, the business has daily relationships with electricians across domestic, commercial and industrial markets.

For Medlocks, the right EV charger partner needs to do more than sell units. It needs to protect customer relationships, support branch confidence and help installers win work.

About Medlocks

Medlock Electrical Distributors is one of the UK’s most established electrical wholesalers. The business has been operating for more than a century and remains independently owned, with a growing national branch network.

Medlocks serves a wide range of customers, from domestic electricians and housebuilders to commercial and industrial contractors. Its branch teams operate close to the trade, offering product knowledge, availability and support where installers need it most.

That position gives Medlocks significant influence in the products electricians choose. It also creates a responsibility to select brands that branches can stand behind.

Why VCHRGD was the right fit

A quality product, not just a cheap one

Price matters in electrical wholesale, however, Medlocks have been around long enough to understand that the cheapest option is not always the best one.

Poor-quality products create problems for contractors, branches and end customers. They can lead to support headaches, delayed jobs, customer frustration and cancelled orders.

VCHRGD’s proposition gives Medlocks an ideal balance between competitively priced EV charging hardware and a commitment to quality, reliability and support.

The Seven Pro, for example, has been designed to meet market demand for lower-cost charging without compromise, with smart features including solar integration, load balancing, RFID and OCPP compatibility, and further strengthened recently with the announcement of So Energy’s off-peak So EV tariff and Octopus Energy Intelligent Octopus Go.

That combination allows Medlocks to offer contractors a charger that is commercially attractive while still giving the branch confidence in what they are recommending.

Reliability that protects branch relationships

In wholesale, product reliability is crucial. If a charger fails, the installer, and in some cases, the end customer may ultimately be referred back to the manufacturer, but the wholesaler is often the first point of frustration. That makes reliable hardware essential.

VCHRGD’s track record gives Medlocks confidence, and it’s a track record exemplified by VCHRGD’s 0.54% lifetime return rate, 91% of customer enquiries resolved within 30 minutes and 97% of customer reviews rating the business five stars.

For Medlocks, that means fewer problems coming back through the branch and greater confidence when recommending VCHRGD to electricians.

“We want to try and push a product that we know is reliable, that we know is going to work, and that we know we’re going to get the support on if anything does go wrong.”

Chris Hunt

Commercial Manager, Medlocks

Installer-friendly design

Electricians need products that are clear, practical and simple to work with on site.

VCHRGD’s product design supports that requirement. The Seven range includes integrated PEN protection, solar integration, dynamic load balancing, RFID, OCPP 1.6 compatibility and app-based features including scheduling, charging history and real-time support.

The result is a charger that feels practical for the trade. It’s loaded with features, straightforward to explain to customers and designed around real-world installation requirements.

That is particularly important for Medlocks branch teams. The easier a product is to understand and recommend, the easier it becomes to create confidence over the trade counter.

Simple supplier relationships

A strong wholesale partnership goes beyond a strong product specification.

Medlocks need suppliers that are easy to deal with, clear on availability and reliable in fulfilment. Broken promises around delivery dates can damage the wholesaler’s relationship with the end customer, even when the issue sits further up the supply chain.

VCHRGD has proven straightforward to work with. The product range is simple, commercial terms are clear, ordering is uncomplicated and supply has been reliable.

For a wholesaler, that’s crucial. When the product is available, the information is accurate and the supplier does what it says it will do, branch teams can get on with selling with confidence.

Delivering results

The Medlocks | VCHRGD partnership is flying.

Following the launch of smart tariff compatibility in January 2026, Medlocks has seen VCHRGD sales increase significantly. In early 2026, VCHRGD sales through Medlocks grew by around 150%, with monthly revenue reaching record levels since.

“VCHRGD is going to be a key partner for us. We’ve already seen, in the first four months of 2026 since the Octopus launch, around 150% growth in sales. Month-on-month it’s growing, and it’s great to see.”

Chris Hunt

Commercial Manager, Medlocks

That growth reflects a strong market proposition. Smart tariff compatibility gives installers and customers a clearer reason to choose VCHRGD, while Medlocks’ branch network gives the product greater visibility across the electrical trade.

Just as importantly, the growth has come with zero hassle for the Medlocks branch teams. Contractors are quick to raise problems when they appear, the absence of any VCHRGD-related noise is a valuable sign of confidence.

Commercial impact: supporting wholesale growth in EV charging

For Medlocks, VCHRGD adds strength to the EV charger portfolio in several ways.

It gives branches a reliable challenger brand to recommend, supports installers looking for tariff-compatible charging hardware, and provides a competitively priced product without dragging the conversation into a race to the bottom.

For VCHRGD, Medlocks provides exactly the kind of wholesale route that can accelerate adoption: a respected independent distributor with UK-wide branch-level relationships, credibility in the trade and direct access to electricians.

That makes the partnership commercially valuable for both sides.

Looking Ahead

Medlocks expects VCHRGD to become an increasingly important EV charging partner.

With smart tariff integrations improving demand, sales momentum building across the branch network and more customers looking for reliable home and workplace charging solutions, the partnership is well placed for continued growth.

VCHRGD also sees Medlocks as a key wholesale and distribution partner, with both businesses focused on building the relationship steadily and sustainably.

It’s a shared, simple ambition, aiming to get more reliable VCHRGD chargers onto customers’ walls through a wholesale model that works for installers, branches and end users.

“Medlocks represents exactly the kind of wholesale partner we want to build with: trusted by the trade, close to installers and focused on doing things properly. As EV charging continues to grow, our job is to give their branches a reliable, well-supported product they can recommend with confidence.”

Fraser Koefman
Commercial Director, VCHRGD

Ready for another Partner Spotlight?  Here’s how we deliver simple, reliable and scalable home charging for So Energy customers