If you are a multi-EV household, you may be wondering – can I have two electric vehicle chargers at home? The simple answer to this question is yes, you can have more than one EV charging point at home. However, the more important question is – do you need two home EV chargers?
In this blog, we will cover the questions you need to answer before deciding whether or not to invest in two or more home EV chargers.
Let’s get started!
Purchasing and installing a home electric vehicle charger is a big investment on its own, so if you throw a second EV charger into the mix, it’s going to be expensive. Whilst there are undoubtedly advantages, the price might outweigh the benefits for some. On average, the cost of a home electric vehicle charger and its installation combined is over £1,000, so double that, and you are looking at over two thousand pounds for two electric vehicle chargers and their installation (depending on what models you choose).
There are ways to help cushion the cost. Firstly, if you are eligible for the new EV Chargepoint Grant, you could subsidise one of the electric vehicle chargers by £350. However, this is only if you live in a flat or rented accommodation. It’s important to note that you can only claim it against one electric vehicle charger as well.
Another way to lessen the brunt of the high cost is to spread payments with finance. Finance is available on all our home electric vehicle chargers, so feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more about cost options.
Due to the sophisticated and smart nature of home electric vehicle chargers, the price of electric vehicle chargers is likely to remain the same for the foreseeable future. If you add in the Smart Electric Vehicle Charging Regulations that prohibit the sale of non-smart or ‘dumb’ chargers, it’s unlikely you will find a drastically cheaper alternative (that is also safe and legal to use), even with the different models available.
How much space do you have at home? Do you have multiple garages? Do you have off-street parking? All these plays into your decision. If you have limited space on your property, the answer is simple – stick to one electric vehicle charger. However, if you are a multi-EV household, it’s more than likely you will have plenty of room for two or more, but it’s best to assess space and decide where you would like your additional charger to go – you never know, it might impact your house’s aesthetics.
Charging both your EVs at home simultaneously (with dedicated home EV chargers) might seem like a good idea on the surface, but if you get into the nitty-gritty, you will find that your EVs will charge at a decreased speed. If you have a single-phase electricity supply (the most common power supply in the UK) and have two 7kW home EV chargers on one circuit, you will actually be charging at approximately 3kW to 3.6kW each rather than both at the typical 7kW. The equal rate splitting only occurs if your EV chargers have load balancing too, so if your chosen chargers do not have this feature, the electricity rate could actually be split unevenly, meaning one EV will charge faster than the other. Overall, by charging at a lower rate, your charging speed will drastically drop, meaning it will take longer than usual to fully charge.
You might be better off with one electric vehicle charger and rotating when each EV has finished charging – it may even save time (and it will undoubtedly save you money!)
The biggest perk of having multiple home electric vehicle chargers at home is, without a doubt, convenience. Having two chargers available at all times opens a world of electric vehicle charging possibilities. No longer do you have to wait at public charging points or utilise slow three-pin plug charging. Simply plug in and charge whenever you need – early morning hours, late nights, or during the day, whenever you want – you have the flexibility to charge on your own schedule. Moreover, you won’t have to wait your turn, as two chargers will always be available.
But how long is your daily commute? How often do you go on long journeys? What is the typical range of your EV? These are the questions you need to be asking yourself. For example, if every EV driver in your household has a long daily commute and a smaller battery, whereby you need to charge frequently, it would be in your best interest to have more than one charger, even with the slower charging rate. On the other hand, if the EV owners work from home often or have short commutes that don’t require their EVs to be charged every day, it might be best to share one charging point.
If you are commuting to work, another question to ask yourself is – does your workplace have EV charging infrastructure? By topping up at your workplace, you are saving money (by charging for free and because you don’t have to purchase another EV charger!) and making additional use of your working hours.
Does your workplace not have electric vehicle charging yet? There are a variety of benefits of workplace charging, not only for employees but for employers too. Want to learn more? Click here.
The UK’s most common electric vehicle inlet type is Type 2. However, there are a few EVs that still hold the Type 1:
| Citroen C-Zero (2016-2020) | Nissan Leaf Mk1 (2012 – 2017) |
| Ford Focus Electric | Peugeot iOn EV (2011-2018) |
| Ford C-MAX Energi (2013-2017) | Renault Fluence (Pre-2014) |
| Kia Soul EV (2017) | Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid (Pre-2017) |
| Mitsubishi I-MiEV | Vauxhall Ampera |
| Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | Renault Kangoo Phase 1 |
| Nissan e-NV200 Combi |
If a member of your household has a Type 1 electric car and a home charger with a Type 1 socket, and you have a Type 2 EV, you will not be able to use their charger. If this is the case, you will have to invest in two home EV chargers, as you, unfortunately, won’t be able to share one (unless you additional purchase a Type 1 to Type 2 cable).
Still a bit confused about electric vehicle inlets and connectors? Please read our blog here for further information.
If you stick with the one home EV charging point, you could always share, but if you are in desperate need of juice and your charger is occupied, there are other ways to top up your EV. Utilise the public charging infrastructure and use rapid/ultra-rapid charging stations when out and about. To make life easier, you could even search Zap-Map to find your closest public charger. Currently, there are over 54,000 connectors in over 20,336 locations, so you are sure to find one.
If you still want the comfort of your own home when charging, you could always resort to three-pin plug charging. The downside of this is that it’s one of the slowest ways of charging, amongst other negatives, which you can read about here.
To equally charge two electric vehicles simultaneously, you will need to invest in a home EV charger with the load-balancing feature. The Easee One is a great option as it allows you to ‘daisy chain’ up to three electric vehicle chargers on your property per fuse. This nifty unit load balances to ensure the energy is split equally between your chargers, meaning you can charge safely and securely at the same time. However, as mentioned before, if you have a single-phase electricity supply, when you charge both EVs at the same time, they will each only charge at around 3kW.
Other EV chargers with the load balancing feature include the Indra Smart PRO, the VCHRGD Seven and the Ohme Home Pro.
Dual chargers are one charging unit with two connectors attached. These home EV chargers are not as common as your standard single EV chargers. The upside to a dual charger is that, typically, they are slightly cheaper than investing in two separate home EV chargers. That being said, you will still have the issue of decreased charging speed if you were to choose a dual charger.
Currently, we do not stock any dual chargers here at We Power Your Car, but please feel free to contact us at 03333 44 96 99 or email [email protected] if you are interested in one. We may still be able to help or at least point you in the right direction.
The only way to do this is by upgrading your property’s electricity supply to a three-phase electricity supply and investing in two 7kW home chargers with the load balancing feature. First and foremost, it’s important to note that upgrading to a three-phase electricity supply is expensive and time-consuming, not to mention the additional cost of two EV chargers on top of that. Overall, it may not be worth the time, effort and money to go down this route. However, it is entirely your decision and will depend on your charging needs.
As mentioned before, most households in the UK have a single-phase electricity supply, and in order to upgrade to a three-phase, you will need to contact your area’s DNO. To learn the ins and outs of the DNO, please click here.
From our perspective, it’s very rare that a household will need more than one home EV charger. However, it depends on your household’s charging needs!
Are you looking to get a home EV charger (or two) installed on your property?
If you are thinking about getting an EV home charger installed, please get in touch with us for helpful and unbiased advice. We install nationwide with quick installation times. You can browse our exciting range of dedicated EV home charge points here. Or, if you still don’t know where to start and would prefer to speak to someone directly, call us on 03333 44 96 99 or fill in the contact form below. Our expert customer service team are always happy to help.
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This type of electric charger has it's own cable to charge your car.
This type of electric charger requires a seperate cable to charge your car.
Spread over a 60 month period.
Tenants and homeowners are eligible for finance.
You decide the amount of months.
Minimum of £1000.
We will contact you to process the credit application. Approval is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. 13.9% APR representative. T&Cs apply.
Your order is not confirmed until your application has been approved.
We lay SWA cable laid at 600mm deep, with a protective cable warning tape laid 150mm above the cable. These are laid on a sand or sifted sand soil bed then backfilled.
We position overhead cables at a minimum height of 3.5m and are run along a catenary wire. The cable run should not be accessible to vehicles.
Standard Installation
Our instant price is fixed if it falls within our standard installation package plus any additions that you have selected (extra cabling for example). This package covers the majority of homes in the UK. Before we undertake your installation we will carry out a digital survey to check that nothing has been missed. After reviewing the survey results some additional work may be required in order to complete your installation safely and to the required standards. If this is the case, we will contact you well before the installation date and advise the cost of any required work. You can then continue with your installation, or alternatively we will refund you in full if you do not want to proceed.
Included in our standard installation is :
• Fitting of a single phase charge point to a brick or plaster wall or other suitable permanent structure
• Up to 10 metres of cable, run and neatly clipped to the wall between the electricity supply meter / distribution board and the charge point.
• Routing of the cable through a drilled hole in a wall up to 500mm (20 inches) thick if this is needed.
• The fitting and testing of electrical connections and protections required for the charge point.
• An additional three way consumer unit, if required
• Installation of a Type A RCBO in an RCBO enclosure
• Up to 3 metres of plastic trunking to conceal interior wiring.
• An O-pen earth protection device if the charge point requires it. (This is NOT an earth rod)
• Up to 4 hours of labour from your installer to complete the work.
• Electrical testing of the whole installation.
• Handover and setup of the charge point and any app that may be needed.
Not included in our standard installation (additional work) :
• Where the installation requires additional cabling over and above the amount you have told us about.
• Upgrade/replacement of the main incoming supply fuse where the local DNO (eg Northern Powergrid) would need to attend site.
• If the charge point is to be mounted on a post/pedestal rather than an existing wall and where you have not selected a post as an extra cost option in your order.
• Installation of a charge point to a three phase supply.
• Where gas and water mains bonding (earthing) is not in place at your property. If this is not in place, additional work would be required before installation of the charge point.
• Any groundwork that has not been selected during the order process.
A Surge Protection Device is not included in our standard installation.
What else you need to know :
• On the day of installation, please ensure that the area around your consumer unit (fuse box), incoming electricity supply meter and proposed charge point location (including where the cable is expected to be run) is clear and free of obstructions.
• We will need your WiFi password as part of the installation process in order to connect your charge point to the internet. Please have this available for the installer. Details will not be kept.
• The charge point must be on your own designated off road parking.
• The charger will be fixed in line with current guidelines at a height where it cannot be hit by a vehicle.
• Our installers are not able to enter loft spaces; lift floorboards or flooring; take apart any furniture of work above a height of 2m. If you anticipate that any of this may be required, then please contact us and we can discuss in more detail and provide you with a quotation.
• Should there be extreme weather conditions our installers may not be able to continue with you installation if it is not safe to do so (for example flooding). They will always do their best to complete the work where they can.
If you have any questions then please contact our customer service team who will be happy to help. Please also read our terms and conditions.
