Charging your electric car at home
Posted on Wednesday March 1st, 2023
Charging Your Electric Car at Home: How to Get Started
Buying an electric car is a great decision. You are doing your bit for the environment and, with so much pioneering engineering and technology being utilised in today's models, you'll be driving one of the best new cars on the market. Then there is the fact that electric cars will be made mandatory by the UK government in 2030 anyway.
No longer having to pay for petrol or diesel is another big bonus (along with not having to queue at the station). But that does mean that you need to charge your car with electricity to run it instead. There are public electric charging points that you can use, but you will also need to think about electric car charging at home. Here is everything you need to know.
Installing a charging point in your home
You need to buy a dedicated electric car charging point for home and get it installed where you park your car. There is a choice of companies that provide electric car charging points installation in the UK. It can be tethered (it comes with a cable) or untethered (you need to buy your own cable) - depending on your preference. The car is then plugged in and charged overnight, and you pay for the electricity used.
Government grants for electric car owners
The government's Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides grant funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart charge points for homeowners who live in flats and people in rental accommodation (flats and single-use properties). It is no longer available to homeowners (including people with mortgages) who live in single-unit properties such as bungalows and detached, semi-detached or terraced housing but the scheme is still available to homeowners living in flats.
Wallbox chargers vs slow chargers
You can use a standard three pin plug with a cable to charge your electric car, but it is recommended that you should only really use this in emergencies or as a last resort. A wallbox charger is safer, faster and cheaper in the long run than a three-pin plug, which is why it is more popular among electric car drivers.
Charging an electric car with solar panels
If you tend to stay at home during the day, charging your car with solar panels is an eco-friendly option. However, it is understandable that most people need to charge their cars overnight. If you decide to go for solar panels, you can arrange for them to be fitted into your home. Although this requires an initial cost, it could save you a lot of money in the long run (although you can't always rely on the sun to charge up the car every day).
