Electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure are still relatively new in this day and age. And because of this, a question repeatedly asked is, at what point should I buy a home EV charger?
Unfortunately, the question has no definitive answer, as it depends on various factors, including financial viability.
That said, we always suggest buying your home EV charger when you order your electric car or immediately after purchase to leave enough time for the charger to be safely and compliantly installed.
Unlike other charging equipment, such as phone and laptop chargers, electric vehicle chargers are not easily bought and installed – in fact, the installation process can be complex and, sometimes, time-consuming.
Distribution network operators (DNO) need to be notified of all EV charger installations, and sometimes, gaining approval can take weeks or months. Other works may also need to be completed before installation can take place, such as fuse upgrades.
Additionally, with the surge in electric car ownership in the UK reaching over a million, EV charger installation companies are getting busier than ever, meaning there may be a queue of EV drivers wanting an EV charger as soon as possible.
More so, as time passes and the number of electric cars on UK roads increases (especially with the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars approaching), the demand for home chargers will increase. In turn, installation companies will likely become increasingly busier, resulting in longer lead times.
Keep reading to find out when you should purchase a home EV charger.
If you’ve just purchased, ordered or have new access to an electric car (such as through a salary sacrifice scheme), investing in an EV charger from the start makes the most sense.
While most EVs come with a standard three-pin plug cable – sometimes referred to as a granny charger – dedicated home EV chargers offer three times faster charging times, more convenience, and additional smart EV charging features that mean you charge for cheaper (such as the Ohme Home Pro with energy tariff integration that can help you save up to £600 a year).
If you purchase your home EV charger when you order your electric car – you’ll ensure it’s installed before it arrives. Due to the DNO application and approval process, it can take weeks, sometimes months, for a home electric vehicle charger to be installed. So, to ensure you can take advantage of cheaper, greener and more convenient home charging from the get-go, take time to understand the timeline and purchase your EV charger when your electric car is on order.
Of course, financial viability needs to be accounted for when deciding if and when you should buy an EV charger. We are not oblivious to the upfront cost (but there are other, cheaper ways to afford one – such as through finance). So, make sure you evaluate the economic benefits of installing a home EV charger, but factor in potential savings on fuel costs, too.
For example, home chargers are considerably cheaper to charge your EV than public charging points (unless you find rare public charging points for free). In fact, home electricity prices have dropped to approximately 28.6 pence in some areas of the UK, compared to 7kW public chargers at approximately 55p/kWh, according to Zap-Map.
Add in advanced smart features such as tariff integration and charge scheduling, and you can charge even cheaper during off-peak hours (overnight). For instance, with the British Gas EV tariff, you can actually charge for as little as 8.95p between 12am-5am.
Government incentives are also available, which can provide funding for EV chargers. However, it’s important to note that the £350 grant for homeowner EV chargers ended in 2022. Now, only renters, flat owners, and businesses are eligible for grants.
Learn more about the available EV charger grants in 2024.
Over time, the convenience and cost-effectiveness of home EV charging will outweigh the initial investment. But finance is available on our range of home EV chargers if you want to spread the cost over time.
The decision of when to buy an EV charger ultimately depends on your specific circumstances and priorities. That said, we suggest investing in a home EV charger as soon as you have ordered your electric car to ensure you have it installed for when your new vehicle arrives.
If you are looking to get an EV charger installed at your property, get in touch with us today at 03333 44 96 99, fill in our contact form below or browse our wide range of market-leading home electric car chargers. As an experienced, accredited electric car installation company, we can handle the entire process for you – from start to finish – including DNO applications and grant paperwork. All with first-class customer service. We install electric vehicle chargers nationwide, too.
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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.
