Electric vehicle charging at home

How to charge an electric car at home

While you can use an EVSE supply cable for a 3 pin plus socket as an occasional back up, choosing a dedicated home charging point is much faster and has in-built safety features. You should have a home charging point installed by qualified specialists where you park your electric car.

How much does it cost to install an electric car charger?

A home charging point, fully installed after 1st April 2020, costs from £449 with the government OLEV grant.

From 1st April 2020, electric car drivers get a reduced £350 grant for purchasing and installing a home charger with the OLEV grant.Once installed, you only pay for the electricity you use to charge.

The typical electricity rate in the UK is just over 14p per kWh, while on Economy 7 tariffs the typical overnight electricity rate in the UK is 8p per kWh.

How fast can I charge an electric car at home?

The time it takes to charge an electric car can be as little as 30 minutes or more than 12 hours. This depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point.

Charging speed for electric cars is measured in kilowatts (kW). A typical electric car (60kWh battery) takes just under 8 hours to charge from empty-to-full with a 7kW charging point.

Home charging points charge your car at 3.7kW or 7kW giving about 15-30 miles of range per hour of charge (compared to 2.3kW from a 3 pin plug which provides up to 8 miles of range per hour).

How do I get an electric car charging point installed at home?

Electric car charging points need to be professionally installed.

The typical install takes around two-three hours to complete. However this depends on the requirements of the driver and the complexity of the installation.

Your installer will position and fix the charger by drilling and clipping the cable to the wall. They’ll install the RCBO and connect it to your main supply. Once final safety tests are done, they will usually provide you with a demonstration.

The chargepoint must be located in your off-street parking area and be fixed at a height where it can’t be hit by a vehicle.

How often should I charge my electric car at home?

As often as you need to! While it is not necessary for most to charge every day, you may want to plug in each time you leave your car to give you maximum flexibility in case you have to make an unexpected trip.

By charging overnight, you can take advantage of cheap nighttime electricity rates and drive for as little as 2p per mile.

You don’t need to unplug once the battery is full with a dedicated home charger as charging will stop automatically. Overnight charging also ensures the car’s battery is full each morning for the day ahead.