diff --git a/charger/bender.go b/charger/bender.go
index f26e7b238..fde0eac65 100644
--- a/charger/bender.go
+++ b/charger/bender.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/api"
@@ -296,24 +295,22 @@ func (wb *BenderCC) currents() (float64, float64, float64, error) {
 // identify implements the api.Identifier interface
 func (wb *BenderCC) identify() (string, error) {
 	if !wb.legacy {
-		var id []byte
-
 		b, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(bendRegSmartVehicleDetected, 1)
 		if err == nil && binary.BigEndian.Uint16(b) != 0 {
-			id, err = wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(bendRegEVCCID, 6)
+			b, err = wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(bendRegEVCCID, 6)
 		}
 
-		if id := strings.TrimSpace(string(id)); id != "" || err != nil {
+		if id := bytesAsString(b); id != "" || err != nil {
 			return id, err
 		}
 	}
 
-	id, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(bendRegUserID, 10)
+	b, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(bendRegUserID, 10)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	return strings.TrimSpace(string(id)), nil
+	return bytesAsString(b), nil
 }
 
 var _ api.Diagnosis = (*BenderCC)(nil)
diff --git a/charger/dadapower.go b/charger/dadapower.go
index ad3345451..da8cfe990 100644
--- a/charger/dadapower.go
+++ b/charger/dadapower.go
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func (wb *Dadapower) Identify() (string, error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	return string(u), nil
+	return bytesAsString(u), nil
 }
 
 var _ api.Diagnosis = (*Dadapower)(nil)
diff --git a/charger/helper.go b/charger/helper.go
index 7ca8ff4e9..c176cb26b 100644
--- a/charger/helper.go
+++ b/charger/helper.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package charger
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -46,3 +47,8 @@ func ensureChargerWithFeature[Charger, Feature any](
 
 	return "", *new(Feature), err
 }
+
+// bytesAsString normalises a string by stripping leading 0x00 and trimming white space
+func bytesAsString(b []byte) string {
+	return strings.TrimSpace(string(bytes.TrimLeft(b, "\x00")))
+}
diff --git a/charger/kse.go b/charger/kse.go
index 4cb46de60..94402f9d2 100644
--- a/charger/kse.go
+++ b/charger/kse.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package charger
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/api"
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/util"
@@ -218,12 +217,12 @@ func (wb *KSE) Currents() (float64, float64, float64, error) {
 
 // Identify implements the api.Identifier interface
 func (wb *KSE) identify() (string, error) {
-	id, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(kseRegNFCTransactionID, 4)
+	b, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(kseRegNFCTransactionID, 4)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	return strings.TrimSpace(string(id)), nil
+	return bytesAsString(b), nil
 }
 
 var _ api.Diagnosis = (*KSE)(nil)
diff --git a/charger/webasto-next.go b/charger/webasto-next.go
index 66ace3bd0..075877514 100644
--- a/charger/webasto-next.go
+++ b/charger/webasto-next.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package charger
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/api"
@@ -234,12 +233,12 @@ var _ api.Identifier = (*WebastoNext)(nil)
 
 // Identify implements the api.Identifier interface
 func (wb *WebastoNext) Identify() (string, error) {
-	id, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(tqRegUserID, 10)
+	b, err := wb.conn.ReadHoldingRegisters(tqRegUserID, 10)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	return strings.TrimSpace(string(id)), nil
+	return bytesAsString(b), nil
 }
 
 var _ api.Diagnosis = (*WebastoNext)(nil)