However, a burning question many EV drivers ask is ‘why should I have a home charger installed when I can charge out and about’?
It’s a hot topic! We all know that the cost of electricity has become unpredictable over the past year, and due to soaring prices, many public fast chargers charge a much higher kilowatt hour rate than you will get at home. The RAC indicated that since May, the increase is around 42% or 18.75p per kWh making an average cost of 63.29p per kWh. This equates to an around £32.41 to rapid charge a family-sized EV, compared to £13.59 a year ago. This is around 18p per mile compared to 21p per mile for diesel. These costs are subject to the network of the public charger as they charge different amounts for their electricity much like fuel stations set their own prices. And don’t forget that motorway charging is likely to cost more than public chargers around towns.
Compare this to charging at home. Although the majority of domestic properties will only have the capacity for a 7.2kW charge point, this will still give a charge of 30 miles per hour of charge. Based on the average cost of 28p per kWh, it costs around £14 to charge an electric car with a 50kW battery at home. However, most people will charge overnight or take advantage of cheaper tariffs and schedule their car to charge off-peak. A charger such as the Ohme Home Pro has a tariff tracker which will find the cheapest electricity rates for charging.
Get home from work, plug your car in, wake up to a charged car. Having a dedicated EV charge point at home means you can do just this. If a schedule is set, the car will begin charging at the desired time and switch off when the schedule is set to turn off, or when it has completed the charge.
Many people opt for a tethered charger which has the cable attached so it’s even more convenient and means no searching for the cable or putting away a wet charging cable.
Going on a long trip and need to plan? Firstly, beginning your journey with a full battery where you have charged at home is a good start. Using a site such as Zap Map shows the location of EV chargers along the way so you can plot your stops. It is worth factoring in additional time for charging as well as potential queuing and the possibility of non-working public chargers.
There are several chargers on the market that are compatible with solar pv so you can take advantage of the energy your panels have produced to charge your car at a significantly cheaper rate or even for free. Take a look at Zappi and Hypervolt which are popular with drivers who have or are considering a solar system.
Including an EV charge point with the sale of your house can increase your property’s value by up to 30% and you don’t need planning permission to install one. However, there are certain exceptions such as listed buildings and conservation areas.
Although the HomeCharge grant ended in March 2022, there are still some grants available from OZEV for residential customers. For example, if you are a flat owner or tenant in rented accommodation, or if you have a business registered with Companies House at your home address you may be eligible for a £350 grant towards supply and installation of a home EV charger.
When having an EV charger installed at home, please ensure you use a fully qualified Electric Vehicle Charge Point engineer. Whilst everyone wants to save a bit of money especially at the moment, EV chargers are high power electrical items that if incorrectly installed can be potentially dangerous.
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