Installing a charger for your electric vehicle at home is the most cost effective and convenient way of keeping your car charged and ready to go.
While there are more public electric vehicle charge points than there are petrol stations in the UK today, there’s no substitute for being able to plug your vehicle in when you go to bed, and have it fully charged and ready for the day ahead a few hours later.
Having a home ev charger installed is also a lot easier, and cheaper than you probably think.
After a quick site visit and audit of your home’s electric system, your new electric vehicle charger can be installed and working in a few hours.
And with the Government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme offering grants worth hundreds of pounds off the cost of installing a charge point, you can save a lot of money in the short, and long term.
There’s a lot of choice when it comes to installing a home ev charger, and the best option for you will depend on a few things.
In this guide we take you through the key things to consider when looking for the best ev home charger.
How much do you want to spend?
The cost of an ev charger can differ considerably based on the manufacturer and the specifications of the charger you choose.
A smart ev charger for your home can start as low as £1,000 plus the installation costs.
With additional features that can save you money in the longer term – like smart charging that works when electricity prices are lowest during the day – you could see prices rise to a few thousand up front.
But again, with government grants available you could see the cost of your chargepoint and installation fees fall dramatically.
What type of electric vehicle do you have?
Depending whether your electric vehicle is a hybrid plug-in or fully electric vehicle, you can also save some money on home charging.
Hybrid plug-in cars – for the most part – still rely on a gas engine and can also use regenerative braking to refill the battery.
Because they’re still predominantly gasoline powered, plug-in hybrid engines have limited electric range, so can be recharged quickly.
It also means they don’t require a level 2 charger station that fully electric cars need.
You could get away with plugging a hybrid car into a home’s standard outlet.
If this is the case, you may not need to invest in a charging station (although it’s still recommended from a safety and energy efficiency standpoint).
If you have a fully electric vehicle, you will need to invest in an electric car charging station.
Should you invest in a tethered or untethered home charging station
While it might sound like a technical decision, the only difference between a ‘tethered’ and ‘untethered’ home ev charging station, is that a ‘tethered’ station comes with the charging cable fixed to the station, while an ‘untethered’ one has a detached cable that can be removed.
That’s it.
Which you choose will depend on your personal preference.
Having a tethered charger can be simpler because the cable comes already attached, although you’ll be better buying a cable hook to keep the charging station tidy and save having a cable strewn over the floor.
You do have to be careful that you choose a tethered cable with the right plug type for your electric vehicle as you’ll have to replace the entire unit if you choose the wrong one – which can be costly.
An untethered cable can be a good option if you want some flexibility, for instance you can take the cable in your car and use it at a public charge point if you’re struggling to find one with the right plug.
It also means you can tidy the cable away when it’s not being used so it’s not left lying around, and if you do accidentally get a cable with the wrong plug fitting, it’s easier to replace it than uninstalling the entire charging unit.
The downside is that you’re responsible for the cable, and if you lose or damage it you could face some costs to fix or replace it.
But from a workability standpoint, tethered and untethered cables work exactly the same way.
Do you have room to install a home EV charger?
One thing to keep in mind before investing in a home ev charger, is whether you have the space for it.
Ideally you’ll have a private driveway – or a garage – where you park your car.
This would allow you to install a smart ev charger on a nearby wall or have a larger unit installed near to your car when it’s at home.
If you don’t have a private parking space at home and you keep your car on the street, you could still install a charging unit on your property, but you’d likely need to coordinate with the council because the cable would infringe on the public pathway.
Home ev chargers are also water resistant so there’s no worries about them getting damaged by the weather.
What technology do you want to install in your home ev charger
Not all home ev chargers are built the same and with some additional investment you can get a charger with extra features and software that can help you improve your usage of the charger and get more from your investment.
Rapid charging stations are a great option when you need to get a quick recharge before heading out, and can get your car ready within a few hours.
These are also a great option for commercial installation.
For more cost effective charging, you can get a home ev charger with tariff syncing software which means you’ll only charge your car to coincide when energy prices are at their lowest during the day.
If you’re worried about unauthorised use of your home ev charger when you’re not around, you can also invest in a unit that requires a key switch before it will operate.
Get your home ev charger installed with Downtown Electrical
If you’re looking to install an electric ev charger at home in Yorkshire, get in touch with us here at Downtown Electrical.
Installing your home ev charger with us is easy.
We’ll carry out an assessment on your property and advise on the best place and way to install your electric vehicle charger, we can also advise on the right type of charger based on your needs.
If you’re eligible for a government grant to help cover some of the costs of your charger installation, we can help ensure you get all the money you’re entitled to to help reduce the cost of your purchase and installation.
Interested?
