With around 80% of all electric car charging taking place at home, it is important to make sure you have the right technology to make plugging in as easy as possible. Charging an electric vehicle at home ultimately works out a lot cheaper and much more convenient than filling up a traditional car with petrol or diesel.
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about charging your electric car at home.
How do you charge an electric car at home?
You will need to have off-road parking, like a garage or driveway and you will need to be able to get power to it. You will need to get an electric vehicle wall charger, also known as a wallbox installed. With more and more people investing in electric cars and with the upcoming ban on petrol and diesel cars in 2030 off-road parking could increase the value of your home.
Tethered or untethered charger?
Electric vehicle charging units come in different forms and different powers.
- Untethered – There is no charging lead attached. This type may cause extra hassle every time you want to plug in and charge.
- Tethered – The charging unit has a power lead attached to it. Very convenient for just pulling up and plugging in to charge.
How much does it cost to install a home electric vehicle charging point?
The average cost for getting a home charging unit installed is £800, but there are cheaper options available. If you go for a charger with less power, for example, a 3kW unit will cost between £250 – £500. That might sound like a lot of money, don’t worry – there are government grants to help you cover the cost.
How do you get a grant to help with the cost of an electric vehicle charger?
The Government has an Electric Vehicle HomeCharge Scheme (EVHS). This scheme exists to help out drivers of electric vehicles with 75% (up to £350) of the costs of installing a home charging point. There are several conditions that you need to meet to be eligible for the scheme. These include:
- You have off-street parking
- The date of installation isn’t more than 4 months ahead of the date you became the registered driver of the electric vehicle
- You’re using an OLEV approved charging point installer, like MeKo Electrical.
To find out more about installing an electric vehicle charging point at your home, get in touch with our team of experts today.