What are the benefits to getting an EV charger installed at home?

Whilst you can use a standard 3-pin plug socket, there are many benefits to getting a dedicated EV chargepoint installed at your home.

For starters, your electric car will charge 3x faster on a home 7kW chargepoint than a 3-pin plug. Plus, some EVs have such large batteries (100kWH+) that it’d be impossible to fully charge your electric vehicle overnight without a home charger.

Also, dedicated home chargepoints are designed to carry the sustained electrical loads needed to charge the EV with a range of safety features, which a conventional 3-pin plug won’t have.

So if you’re thinking of getting an EV, you’ll want to get a dedicated home charger. They’re quicker, safer, easy to use, and installation only takes around 2-3 hours.

Top 5 things to consider when getting a home charger

Before placing your order and proceeding to your electric vehicle charger installation, there are a few things to consider.

1. How to decide where to install your EV charger

Many EV charging providers will require you to have dedicated off-street parking so that your home charger can be installed in a safe and accessible location.

Also, you’ll need to check that your preferred EV charger installation location is close enough to where you actually park your electric vehicle. This is because there are different electric car charging cable lengths (we recommend a compromise between ease of use and ease of storage). You may also need to consider where the charging socket is located on your EV.

Another consideration is the distance between your home’s power supply and the desired location of the home charger, as providers may have different limits for their home EV charger installations.

2. Your home’s Wi-Fi connection

Most EV home chargers have features and functions that require a Wi-Fi connection to access. Wi-Fi enabled chargers are optional, but the smart features they include can be extremely beneficial.

Smart chargers require a stable internet connection to function, so it’s worth making sure it will be within the field of the Wi-Fi router or a Wi-Fi extender prior to the installation. If your EV loses connection to the Wi-Fi at any point, you’ll still be able to charge, but you may lose access to the charger’s smart features.

4. How much it costs to install an EV charger at home

You should always use an approved electrician to get your EV chargepoint installed. Depending on the chargepoint provider, the cost of the EV charger installation may already be included in the price of the charger.

In some cases there may be additional works that need to be completed to enable the installation of a home EV charger. If standard installation is not included in the price, make sure to get a quote upfront.

5. Which EV chargepoint provider to go with

There are dozens of EV charger installation providers in the UK, which makes it tricky for electric car drivers to choose the right one. Installation prices vary between suppliers, but there are many other things you should be mindful of including:

Do they provide EV chargepoints with multiple charging rates?

Do their EV chargers provide smart features?

How safe are their chargepoints?

Are their chargers compatible with all makes and models?

Do their chargepoints adhere to regulations and standards?

Is standard installation included in the price?

Are they compliant with the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations?

7KW 36A Type 2 Cable Wallbox Electric Car Charger Station