Help please! £3000 to Install home charging point for electric car

Johno100

Belenus said:

EVdriver said:

Hello,

I wondered if anyone else had been quoted this to have a home charging point installed or has any tips on how to make it cheaper please?  I am getting an electric company car but live rurally so have to have a home charger.  Unfortunately we need to increase our power supply and Network Power have quoted at least £1500 to do this and the company installing the charging point have quoted the same for the installation (that includes the government grant).  It is just so expensive and I can't afford to have the work done, does anyone have any advice please?  It seems crazy as we are all being encouraged to have electric cars but the cost to do it is very off putting.

Thank you in advance....

Will your employer help with the cost?

Can you ask for a petrol or diesel car instead?

Those were my thoughts and if it has to be electric at the instance of the OP's employer then in my view they should meet the whole cost of installation.

DrEskimo

I would echo others.

What is the reason behind 'needing' 3-phase? As others have said, the Zoe and maybe a couple of other niche cars are the only ones I know that can accept the full 22kW from 3-phase, and whilst handy, I certainly don't need it for mine. Few hours over night is plenty at 7kW.

Also what charger are you having installed that requires £1,500? The charger itself can range from £150-£1200 depending on preference. Is the run from your consumer unit to the charger particularly difficult?

I would seek a second opinion.

Cisco001

How many car have you got in your household?

Are you going to stay there for another 10 - 15 years?

EV car will become more popular.
If you have 2 EV cars in future, having one socket which need to charge 8 hrs each may not practical? 

neilmcl

You haven't said what car you're getting. Have a look here to see what type of charger is suitable for your make/model.

Cisco001

Johno100 said:

Belenus said:

EVdriver said:

Hello,

I wondered if anyone else had been quoted this to have a home charging point installed or has any tips on how to make it cheaper please?  I am getting an electric company car but live rurally so have to have a home charger.  Unfortunately we need to increase our power supply and Network Power have quoted at least £1500 to do this and the company installing the charging point have quoted the same for the installation (that includes the government grant).  It is just so expensive and I can't afford to have the work done, does anyone have any advice please?  It seems crazy as we are all being encouraged to have electric cars but the cost to do it is very off putting.

Thank you in advance....

Will your employer help with the cost?

Can you ask for a petrol or diesel car instead?

Those were my thoughts and if it has to be electric at the instance of the OP's employer then in my view they should meet the whole cost of installation.

The tax pay for petrol car or diesel is a lot higher.

I don't know what car OP has.
But let's say he got MG MG5 EV, the tax for the next 3 years for 20% tax payer is £440
When compare to a hybrid car like Toyota Corolla, tax for 3 years is about £3700

You would rather pay £3k for the plug, at least it is a home improvement.

[Deleted User]

It is not just the power requirements of the individual user that have to be taken into account but also the effect of that current draw on other properties. In places, our electricity infrastructure is so fragile that some people are finding that they can only install PV solar if they accept a zero export limit.

https://www.westernpower.co.uk/downloads/29134

The table on page 3 suggests that a 3 phase supply may be needed for a 7kW charger.

user1977

Cisco001 said:

How many car have you got in your household?

Are you going to stay there for another 10 - 15 years?

EV car will become more popular.
If you have 2 EV cars in future, having one socket which need to charge 8 hrs each may not practical? 

But in 10-15 years, what's likely to happen to the numbers of public charging points, the time taken to charge, or the ranges of the vehicles? I'm not so sure that charging at home will be all that necessary.

OP, are you in such a rural area that there aren't any other handy places to charge? Bear in mind you (probably) aren't going to need a daily charge anyway.

Flight3287462

user1977 said:

Cisco001 said:

How many car have you got in your household?

Are you going to stay there for another 10 - 15 years?

EV car will become more popular.
If you have 2 EV cars in future, having one socket which need to charge 8 hrs each may not practical? 

But in 10-15 years, what's likely to happen to the numbers of public charging points, the time taken to charge, or the ranges of the vehicles? I'm not so sure that charging at home will be all that necessary.

OP, are you in such a rural area that there aren't any other handy places to charge? Bear in mind you (probably) aren't going to need a daily charge anyway.

Public charging points are not going to be cheap for ever.  How many are you going to need/  how are you going to move cars off them once they are charged?  

If you live in a rural area nowhere is handy except home, because if it is you aren't rural.

DrEskimo

Cisco001 said:

How many car have you got in your household?

Are you going to stay there for another 10 - 15 years?

EV car will become more popular.
If you have 2 EV cars in future, having one socket which need to charge 8 hrs each may not practical? 

Whilst convenient, it's a bit of a luxury that is difficult to justify given the cost.

How long you charge depends on your typical daily mileage. You don't run them both until empty and then decide to charge both of them for many hours (I don't think I have ever charged my car for 8hrs....). I typically just give it a top up for a few hours over the evening when I need it, typically from 30-80%. 

The idea that two people with 2 EVs are doing the entire max range of the car that both require 8hrs charging (would equate to both doing around 150miles every day) to necessitate the need for a load sharing, 3-phase charger seems to be a remote one....

More likely you just both alternate, or if really needed, one plugs in a charges when they get home, then switch it around so the other charges over night before they go to bed.

user1977

Flight3287462 said:

user1977 said:

Cisco001 said:

How many car have you got in your household?

Are you going to stay there for another 10 - 15 years?

EV car will become more popular.
If you have 2 EV cars in future, having one socket which need to charge 8 hrs each may not practical? 

But in 10-15 years, what's likely to happen to the numbers of public charging points, the time taken to charge, or the ranges of the vehicles? I'm not so sure that charging at home will be all that necessary.

OP, are you in such a rural area that there aren't any other handy places to charge? Bear in mind you (probably) aren't going to need a daily charge anyway.

If you live in a rural area nowhere is handy except home, because if it is you aren't rural.

Some people have a funny idea of what constitutes "rural".