How Do I Charge an Electric Car at Home?
Charging your EV at Home
When it comes to EV charging, there’s nothing like charging your vehicle at home. It’s affordable and simply just convenient.
Because of this, we’ll be going into how you can charge an electric car at home. This complete guide will provide everything you need to know about home EV charging.
Charging Methods at Home
There are two main ways to charge an electric car at home:
Standard 3-Pin Plug
This involves using a standard, 3-pin, 230V wall plug. It requires no special equipment or installation. Using this method, though, is very slow.
The average charging speed for 3-pin charging is around 2.3 kW. From a range perspective, this is around 4 to 5 miles per hour. Therefore, it’ll take around 20-30 hours to fully charge a 50 to 60 kWh battery.
Generally, this type of plug is used as a “backup”. If you plan on using your EV a lot, then getting a dedicated home charger is recommended.
Dedicated Home Charger
This option is most recommended. Usually, these are wall-mounted units professionally designed and installed just for EVs.
As you can imagine, the charging speed is much greater. The “standard” EV home charger is 7 kW. You can get a 22 kW charger, but it requires 3-phase power and more labour to install it.
Due to the increased charging speed, the range is 25 to 30 miles per hour. Because of this, charging most EVs takes 3 to 7 hours using a 22 kW device.
What’s Needed for Home Charging?
When you want to charge an electric car at home, not much is required:
EV Charger
The wallbox charger is the actual device that’ll charge your EV. Most of the time, they’re wall-mounted. If not, a solid structure can be created for them.
Most of the time, UK drivers will purchase a 7 kW smart wallbox. These come from brands such as Evec, Zappi, Wallbox, Pod Point, Ohme, and Tesla.
Charging Cable
Nowadays, most EV chargers are tethered units. This means the cable is built into the wallbox charger. In the UK, these cable types have Type 2 connectors.
However, you can also get untethered units, meaning the charger and wallbox are separate.
For single-vehicle households, a tethered unit is recommended. You can get away with using a tethered unit for a multi-vehicle household if the charger connection is the same in both vehicles.
However, if you need to get an untethered unit, just ensure the connector fits your vehicle(s). Most EVs in the UK have a Type 2 connector.
Required Electrical Supply Capacity
In most UK homes, you’ll have single-phase electricity. This means your electricity can support chargers up to 7.4 kW.
Some houses in the UK, though very, very rare, will have three-phase electricity. These homes can support chargers up to 22 kW.
Internet Connection (for smart features)
If you purchase a smart charger (highly recommended), it’ll need access to wifi or 4G. Having this will allow you to control the EV charger remotely, enabling automatic updates, etc.
Certified Installer and Safety Compliance
For installation, you’ll need an approved Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) installer. Impra Charge are fully approved and have been trained in EV charger installation and will ensure your charger is compliant with UK laws.
Smart Charging and Energy Savings
If you want to charge your EV more affordably and efficiently, the following can help:
Use a Smart Charger
Smart chargers allow you to track energy use, integrate solar panels (with some models), avoid peak grid demands, and set charge times to coincide with cheaper EV charging tariffs.
Consider Solar Energy
If you have a smart charger, you may be able to use solar energy. This will allow you to charge your EV with self-generated green energy. If you’re interested in this, we recommend checking out the Green Deal.
Select an EV Tariff
By having a smart EV charger, you can also select EV tariffs. These provide cheaper electricity rates to charge your EV, often during off-peak hours.
The cost savings can be considerable as well. The Money Saving Expert suggests that charging a Nissan Leaf will cost about £530/Year on a standard tariff. On an EV tariff, though, this will be around £133 a year.
Please note that how much it’ll cost to charge an EV will depend on how much you use it. This is just an estimate.
What if You Don’t Have a Driveway?
If you don’t have a driveway and rely on on-street parking, consider:
- Cross-pavement cable protectors (if your local council allows them).
- Public chargers near your home (use Zap Map).
- Workplace charging.
Getting an EV Charger Installed
Step 1: Choose the Right Charger
To get information on the best charger for your home, location, and EV, contact us at Impra Charge. We’ll be able to advise you on the best option available.
Step 2: Check Installation Requirements
The actual installation requirements will be taken care of by an OZEV installer. Other requirements you’ll want to check are for off-street charging (check local council requirements), Wifi or 4G requirements for smart charging, and the landlord's permission if you’re renting.
Step 3: Apply for a Grant if You Qualify
It doesn’t matter if you’re a renter, flat owner, or landlord; there are grants out there that can reduce the cost of EV charger installation. We recommend you check them out.
Step 4: Book the Installation
After the above, you need to book an OZEV-approved installer. You can do that by contacting Impra Charge.
Cost of Charging an EV at Home
Conclusion
After reading the above, you should know how to charge an electric car at home. Generally, it’s pretty simple. An official installer will take care of most of the work. You just need to select the right EV charger for your situation, and you can do this by contacting us at Impra Charge.