Installing a electric charging port at home

Blessdays · 28 April at 12:11PM

I’ve recently got an electric car and now looking into getting a charging point installed at home.

I remember a few years ago there were quite generous grants available (or even free installations in some cases), but not sure what the situation is now.

Does anyone know if there are still any schemes available to reduce the cost, or has most of that been phased out?

Rough idea of costs would also be helpful if anyone’s had one installed recently.

JSmithy45AD · 28 April at 12:23PM

Up to around a grand normally, if you're in Scotland then the following may apply:-

https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/domestic-charge-point-funding/

Cornucopia · 28 April at 12:26PM

Unless your mileage is quite high, you may not need a charging box. A weather-proof socket may be enough.

born_again · 28 April at 12:33PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6666045/installing-a-electric-charging-port-at-home

Before you thing of a charger. Think about what supplier & tariff you will be using. Then look at which chargers work with the tariff.

Far better to link your charger to tariff, than any car.

Unless you are in rented, then there are no gov handouts.

Around £1K is the norm. Well worth it.

kingstreet · 28 April at 3:30PM

We have an Ohme Home Pro and Octopus Intelligent Go. With two EVs our average electricity cost is about 13.5p pkWh.

We bought the charger ourselves. It has an 8m cable to cover most of our drive. The unit cost £580 and the installation by our local sparks £250, so £830 in total.

He also fitted a new consumer unit at the same time to replace the 28 year old installed when the house was new.

Reed_Richards · 29 April at 7:28PM

Around £1K is the norm. Well worth it.

I'm not so sure. Some people buy an electric car, get the £1k charger without thinking it through and then congratulate themselves on how much they are saving versus petrol or diesel. Now if your EV tariff gives you six hours of cheap electricity (the norm) then you can add about 40 kW of charge to your car overnight, which should enable you to drive 120 miles or more. So if you drive 100 miles most days then an EV charger is just what you need.

The alternative is to get a "granny charger" (and a good outdoor socket). I have one of those, it cost me about £100 (I already had the outdoor scoket). It adds about 14 kW of charge per night, enough for 42 miles or more. Since I don't drive that much per day it works fine for me and I can congratulate myself on saving another £900 on top of my savings versus petrol or diesel.

FreeBear · 29 April at 8:33PM

The alternative is to get a "granny charger" (and a good outdoor socket). I have one of those, it cost me about £100 (I already had the outdoor scoket).

Sis has a granny charger for her hybrid (came with the car). Also has an outdoor socket which is little more than a short extension lead shoved through a hole in the wall. Works for her…

I have a Ohme Home Pro installed here. When Sis plugs in her hybrid, it never charges at more than ~3.4kW, so spending £1K+ on a charger doesn't really make that much sense apart from better quality connectors that will handle the power.

On the subject of Ohme - I found their support to be wanting. The plastic front panel fell off and curled up leaving the internals exposed to the elements. Somehow, I don't think they accounted for it to be mounted on a South facing wall in full sun. Wouldn't recommend.

born_again · 1 May at 12:30PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981909#Comment_81981909

So that £1k was paid back in 9 months. That was the difference between the cost of petrol & the electric. Covering exactly the same mileage between the 2.

While yes I could use a granny charger, with 2 EV's it would make life much harder. While a charger makes it a piece of cake to just put a car on for a few hours to top up, rather than a lot longer on a granny. Not forgetting the cost of a external install with the correct BS 1363-2 socket.

End of the day convivence is a big part in the charger. Only having to connect once or twice a week (often that is only due to reducing home electric costs) Could easily manage with 2 charges a month, compared to far more on a granny charger.

What works for you would not work for me. Even with around the same usage.

Reed_Richards · 1 May at 2:01PM

As it happens, I had to spend £4 last Tuesday adding charge to my car at a commercial charge point. Let's say that this happens 5 times a year (which is more than actually does) so I have to spend £20 a year that I wouldn't need to if I had paid an extra £900 for a 7 kW charging point. That means after 45 years I would have spent the £900 I saved by not getting that 7 kW charging point.