With the rising popularity of electric vehicles, many owners seek convenient and cost-effective ways to charge their cars at home. If you’re an EV owner or considering switching to electric, you may be wondering about the best methods to charge your car from the comfort of your home. This blog post will explore the various options and requirements for home EV charging. From the types of chargers available to the essentials needed for installation, we’ve got you covered.
One of the most common questions among prospective EV owners is whether it’s possible to charge an electric car at home. The answer is a resounding yes. Home charging is not only feasible but also the most convenient and cost-effective method for most EV owners. However, having the proper infrastructure in place is essential to ensure safe and efficient charging.
To successfully install a home car charging point, you need to consider the following:
When it comes to charging your electric vehicle at home, different types of EV chargers are available. Let’s explore the options:
A three-pin plug EV charger is an electric vehicle (EV) charger designed to be plugged into a standard household electrical outlet.
Using a three-pin plug charger is the most basic and commonly available charging option, as it typically comes as standard with most electric vehicles, and you don’t need a specialist to install it.
While three-pin plug charging sounds convenient on the surface, it’s the slowest EV charging method, taking upwards of 12 hours for a full charge.
On top of this, industry experts recommend that three-pin plug chargers only be used as a last resort or in emergencies. Why? Because continuous use of a 3-pin plug for EV charging can lead to overheating since the plug is not designed to handle the sustained power demand required for charging an electric vehicle. Overheating can potentially cause damage to the plug and the electrical socket or even result in a fire hazard.
A 7kW smart home charger is the most popular choice for home electric car charging. 7kW home EV charging offers a significant improvement in charging speed compared to a three-pin plug, taking between 4-8 hours to charge your EV – that’s approximately three times faster than three-pin plug charging!
Convenience is also key with a dedicated 7kW charger, as it’s ready whenever you are – forget long waits at costly public charging points.
Additionally, smart electric car chargers come with advanced features like charge scheduling options and real-time monitoring, which offer added benefits. Advanced home EV chargers can come with solar charging capabilities or tariff integration, too, offering you greener and cheaper charging.
To learn about the benefits of smart 7kW home EV chargers, feel free to read our blog.
A 22kW smart home charger provides even faster charging speeds but requires a 3-phase electrical supply. It’s worth noting that not all homes have a 3-phase supply, and upgrading to one can be expensive. With this in mind, installing a 22kW charger may not be feasible or cost-effective for everyone.
Read our blog to discover more about the differences between a 7kW and 22kW EV charger.
Charging your electric vehicle (EV) at home offers several benefits, especially when using a 7kW or 22kW smart home charger. Here are just a view:
When it comes to charging your electric vehicle at home, you may come across the terms “tethered” and “untethered.” Tethered chargers have a built-in charging cable permanently attached to the charging unit, while untethered chargers require you to use your own cable.
Tethered chargers offer convenience, with the cable always ready for use, while untethered chargers provide flexibility as you can use different cables.
Learn more about the difference between tethered and untethered chargers.
The cost of installing an electric car charger at home varies based on several factors. Here’s a brief breakdown of what can affect the overall cost:
Consulting with a professional EV charger installation company such as We Power Your Car will provide an accurate and fixed quote based on your specific requirements and consider any grants you may be eligible for. For more details on how much it may cost to install an electric car charger at home, read our blog, or contact us today at 03333 44 96 99.
Determining the optimal time to charge your electric vehicle at home can help maximise convenience, cost savings, and efficiency. Consider the following factors to identify the best time for charging:
By charging your electric vehicle strategically at home, you can minimise costs, take advantage of favourable electricity rates, and optimise your EV’s battery performance. Embrace the flexibility and control that home charging offers to maximise your electric driving experience.
As mentioned previously, in some cases, you can use a standard household socket, also known as a three-pin plug, to charge your EV.
A 2.3kW or 2.5kW 3-pin plug charger (also known as a granny charger) will likely come included with your electric car, so at first glance, it seems like the most logical way to charge at home.
However, as previously mentioned, using a 3-pin plug charger is the slowest and least efficient option. It is recommended for emergency use only and not everyday charging due to much longer charging times and potential safety risks.
In our professional opinion, while charging your EV at home without a dedicated charger is possible, investing in a 7kW or 22kW smart home EV charger provides a more reliable, safe, convenient, and, when combined with smart charging features, typically cheaper charging experience.
The best way to get a dedicated smart home charge point installed is to contact an approved and fully certified EV charger installer, such as We Power Your Car. We ensure a hassle-free process from initial enquiry to the installation itself, offering installation in as little as 8-10 days from DNO approval.
For a free, no-obligation quote, please call our industry experts at 03333 44 96 99. Or fill out the contact form below. Alternatively, browse our leading range of 7kW home EV chargers.
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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.
