Charging At Home
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about electric cars and car charging at home is the environmental impact they have on modern civilisation. Electric vehicles are a proven solution to gas-fueled vehicles as they´re better for the environment, they're also not as loud and definitely not as high maintenance as regular vehicles. Plus, the UK Electric Car market is slowly becoming more popular among citizens, here you can see how's the EV´s impact on the country.
EVs (Electric Vehicle) offers many benefits to users as well, for instance, there are public charging stations that can be used to charge EVs, at minimal fees, some of them are free actually, but for the sake of convenience many EV owners have decided to do most of their car charging at home. The convenience of charging your electric vehicle at home is undeniable, most EVs have 200-300 miles range, meaning that one car charging at home can easily last for the entire day. Longer journeys will require, however, additional charges throughout the day.
If I have an electric car, can I charge it using the mains?
If you own an electric vehicle and you use it mostly “locally” (meaning that you rarely make extensive journeys), then car charging at home will do the trick just fine, and there's no need to use public charging points. Now, for car charging at home, there are two ways to do it, and the first one is directly from the mains.
Of course, you´ll need to check the number of volts on your domestic power socket supply first, but usually, an EV that´s being charged in a UK house can take approximately 6-9 hours. Overnight charging is the best and easiest bet to do it. EV owners, however, should not use a standard power socket to charge an electric car on a daily basis, it is not recommended. Instead, they can install a car charger, that is specially designed for that purpose, and they are also more and more common in the market, so you don't have to look too much to acquire one.
How can I install a home electric car charger?
The benefits of getting a car charger installed in your house are many, and they surely make your life easier. A home electric charger works faster than other solutions, like three-pin plugs and it is a lot safer. It´ll take you the same amount of time (maybe less sometimes) than using a public charging point plus you don't have to wait in case more users are charging their cars. Home electric car chargers can actually fully charge a car in 3.5 hours (for either 16 or 32 amps).
Is it cost-effective to car charging at home?
It all comes down to the tariff. Usual electricity rates are of 10 pounds per kWh, so car charging at home can be as minimal as 2 pounds per mile. You can do the math with regular fuel, and you´ll see the abysmal difference between them, which means that car charging at home is highly effective. Don´t forget about Economy 7, which depending on the time of day may result in a variation in the cost of home car charging.
Is a smart meter a good choice?
Well, since having an electric car and a charger at home means more energy consumption, it may be wise to get a smart meter so you can get exact readings on how much energy your consuming, which can definitely help to find the less expensive tariff possible.
Are there any government-funded grants for having a home electric car charger?
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles gives electric/hybrid car owners (they must meet specific criteria to be eligible) £500 for purchase and installation. Even though most EVs are eligible for the grant, find out here if yours is indeed eligible.
The eligibility criteria go like this: If you have an EV that was purchased after the 1st of April 2015 with off-street parking, you´ll be eligible for the grant with an OLEV-approved provider. Eligible owners are entitled to one charging point per EV and two per house.
Key aspects to consider prior to the installation: The location of the charger itself and its portability in case you ever move your current residence. Keep those two factors present when skimming through models.
Summary
Car charging at home is a beautiful solution for both the environment and your budget. The government supports this initiative and is a fantastic way to future-proof your home. Take a close look at all the options available and go after the one that suits your lifestyle the most.