The benefits of having an electric car are great and all, but do you really want to be popping down to your local supermarket or motorway service station every other night to charge it?
Probably not.
Well, the good news is that you can actually charge it right from the comfort of your home. But how, and at what cost?
Let's find out.
What is a Wallbox Charger?
As the name suggests, a wallbox charger (which usually needs to be installed by a professional electrician) is essentially a standalone charger that's wired straight into your domestic electricity supply. They are designed to be mounted on an outside wall of your property and give you a quick and easy way to plug in and charge.
The one caveat is that you'll need access to a garage or driveway or some other form of off-street parking that's close to your property. For example, you can't charge your electric car if it's parked on the road, because the charging lead can't be stretched too far.
Most home charging wallbox units are fast chargers, delivering electricity at a rate of 7kW, but there are simpler and cheaper 3kW slow chargers available.
How Much Does it Cost to Install an Electric Car Home Charger?
A fully-installed electric car charging point at home typically costs from around £800.
In the UK, the typical electricity rate is just over 28p per kWh, while on Economy 7 tariffs the typical overnight electricity rate is 11p per kWh.
You could reduce this to just 4.5p per kWh and charge for under £5 while you sleep if you switch to an electricity tariff specifically for electric vehicle drivers.
You only pay for the electricity used to charge after the electric car charging point has been installed.
How to Get One Installed
Unfortunately, electric car home charging points need to be professionally installed. There's no 'Do It Yourself' guidebook or 'How to In 3 Steps'.
A professionally certified charging point provider will include installation cost in the price of the unit.
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Installations can be booked over the phone, online or through car dealerships, and the vast majority of providers will be more than happy to talk through the available options and provide helpful, free advice.
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Depending on the individual requirements of the driver and the nature of the installation, it should take around three to four hours to complete.
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The installation process involves mounting the charge point on an exterior wall or garage in close proximity to where you park, and then connecting it safely to the mains electrical supply.
Note: it's always a good idea for you to be at home during the installation process. Charging providers will install a charge point in the best and most secure location, and they will also be able to demonstrate the proper way to charge your car and will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
How Often Do I Need to Charge My Electric Car?
The best practice is to fully-charge overnight and then 'top up' in the day if necessary, just like you would do with a mobile phone.
Whilst it's usually not necessary for most electric car drivers to charge every single day, many drivers do still plug in and charge whenever they're not driving, out of force of habit. And it's still not a bad habit to have, giving you ultimate flexibility for whenever you may have to make an unexpected journey.
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When away from home, take advantage of EV charging facilities at your workplace or public charging station in order to top up.
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By charging through the night, you can take advantage of cheap night-time electricity rates, being able to drive for as little as 2p per mile.
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Electric vehicle charging through the night also makes sure that the car’s battery is fully topped up for the day ahead. And there's no need to unplug once the battery is full, as charging will stop automatically when using a dedicated home charger.
What is the Wallbox Grant?
The Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) Grant is a government incentive that contributes towards the cost of a wallbox and 'standard installation' for drivers of electric vehicles. Vehicles that qualify for an OLEV grant include all electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles that have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km.
However, from April 2022 the UK government altered the eligibility criteria, meaning that the majority of homeowners with off-street parking are no longer able to apply for the grant. Now, the incentive is aimed towards homeowners living in a flat or an apartment (provided that they also have off-street parking), as well as tenants of rented properties and small business owners.
Optimising Charging at Home
Whilst you're going to be saving money by driving an electric car and not a petrol or a diesel-powered one, it's likely that your home energy bill is going to increase as a result of charging at home.
Unlike fossil fuels, the good news is that there's a lot you can do to understand and help to reduce the electricity costs of charging your electric car at home.
It's possible to take advantage of 'time of use' tariffs by scheduling your charging to take place at times when the electricity is cheaper. Most electric cars and their associated apps or smart home charger apps let you schedule this.
A great number of smart home chargers monitor home and electric vehicle energy usage in order for you to get a clear understanding of the cost per kWh. This should help determine how much you are spending and whether to switch to cheaper tariffs.
Is it Cheaper to Charge an Electric Car at Home?
For most people, yes. Plugging in and charging at home usually is the easiest, cheapest and the most convenient option. Assuming you have access to a private driveway or garage, of course.
That's mainly because electricity on a domestic energy tariff is much cheaper than at public chargers, and it means the battery can be recharged when the car's parked up overnight when you're asleep. Which means that you start each day fully charged and are less likely to have to search for a roadside charger or a quick 'splash and dash' bout of electricity.
Happy days.
How Fast Can You Charge an Electric Car at Home?
Pretty fast.
There are certain fast-charging units that can slash the time it takes to recharge the battery of an electric car, and then there are 'smart' units which can be programmed to only charge at certain times (like at night, when the electricity tariffs are cheapest) and maximise the battery's lifespan.
And if you have solar panels fitted at home, then certain smart chargers can help utilise this form of renewable energy, thereby lessening your carbon footprint and lowering your bills.
For most electric car drivers, a 7kW fast charging wallbox will serve as the quickest way of charging your electric car at home. Using this method, you could expect to fully charge a MINI Electric in as little as three and a half hours. A larger, more demanding vehicle like an SUV could take closer to 6 hours.
For even faster charging, you could consider upgrading your wiring to a three-phase system (domestic wiring is usually single-phase), which can allow up to 22kW charging.
What's the Difference Between Tethered and Untethered Chargers?
In simple terms, tethered and untethered refers to the type of charging cable that's attached to the wallbox.
A tethered charger has a cable attached to it with either a Type 1 or Type 2 connector, so you literally just plug in and go. It's the perfect choice if you have just one electric vehicle.
Untethered electric car chargers are a bit different. They don't have a cable, so you'll need to use the one that's provided with your car. This is a more flexible solution, meaning untethered chargers are easy to adapt if you change your car and have a different plug type. Supposing that you have two different electric vehicle models with different connectors, you'll be able to quickly swap between, say, Chademo and CSS cables.
Managing Load on Home Energy Supply
As you might be aware, charging an electric car at home can put extra strain on your electrical supply. And depending on the maximum charging rate of your charge point and vehicle, this load could potentially damage your primary fuse.
So to avoid that from happening, some smart home chargers automatically balance the power drawn by your charge point with the rest of your home, therefore making sure that it never causes the total demand to exceed the maximum available supply.
A further benefit of this feature is that it allows you to have more than one charge point installed so that you can charge different electric vehicles at the same time without having to manually switch between them.
Summary
Well, if you didn't already know about electric car charging at home, then you do now.
Yes, there are a few steps and conditions involved on the way to getting your home charging point set up, but it's waaaay more convenient than charging out in public, and could save you a penny or two as well.
Now . . . over to you!
FAQs
Is it worth getting a home EV charger?
We certainly think so! It's cheaper, and it's quicker as well.
Can you charge an electric car at home with normal plug?
You can charge your electric car using standard 120 volt(V) home outlets (Level 1).
What is the OLEV grant?
The OLEV Grant is a government grant which offers a discount on the cost of installing home chargers to certain electric vehicle drivers. The idea is to incentivise more drivers to switch to electric.