Can I get an electric car charger fitted at home for free?
AS Electric cars become increasingly more popular, more and more drivers are investing in home charge points.
But how can you get an electric car charger installed and how much does it cost? Here's everything you need to know.
Can I get an electric car charger fitted at home?
The good news is EV drivers can get an electric car charger fitted at their property.
And it is a relatively easy process - especially if you own your home and don’t need to seek permission before making these changes.
However, if you are not a homeowner and rent your property, make sure to discuss any electric car installations with your landlord.
Once you have the necessary permissions if needed, all you have to do is find a supplier and charge model that is right for you and your vehicle.
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You can browse a range of different models and suppliers online.
Once you've purchased an electric car charger, the supplier will then arrange for the home charge point to delivered to your address and installed.
In order to have an electric car charger at your property, an installer will need to drill through the exterior wall to allow the box to be connected to the electrics.
The charger is then wired to the household mains.
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Energy device owners must then ensure that the installation contractor has notified the distribution network operator (DNO) of the installation.
It is the energy device owner’s responsibility to ensure that the necessary DNO has received notification of the installation.
How much does an electric car charger cost?
The cost of an electric car charger will vary depending on which home charger installer you choose and the choice of charge model you opt for.
On average, an electric car charger costs between £800 to £1,500, to purchase and install.
According to the AA: ''The price of an EV charger and its installation generally starts from around £800, but it may be more or less depending on which type of charger you choose and installer you use.''
The government also offers grants to help with the costs of home charging point installations.
The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart charge points at domestic properties across the UK.
Therefore, if you qualify for the grant this will significantly bring the cost down, when purchasing and installing an electric car charger.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
The cost of charging your EV will vary depending on the location you use to charge it.
Those who are able to charge their vehicle from home will not only benefit from convivence but will also see cheaper charging costs.
When charging at home, as of October 1, 2022, under the Energy Price Guarantee, drivers fully charging a vehicle with a 64kWh battery can expect to pay £22.22.
Charing a vehicle with a 64kWh battery between 0-80% will cost around £17.87.
For larger vehicles, that achieve 3.0mi/kWh, drivers will pay 11p per mile if they charge at home but can only reclaim 5p.
Without the Energy Price Guarantee drivers of electric vehicles would have seen the price of charging at home rise to £33.80.
Charging at off-peak times (over-night) will also be considerably cheaper.
Charging away from home will be more expensive - however, it should still work out cheaper than refuelling a petrol or diesel car.
There are nearly 15,000 public charging locations in the UK, with a mix of slow, fast, rapid and ultra-rapid charging options to choose from.
According to the RAC, the cost per charge is:
- Fast charging: 12p per kWh
- Rapid charging: 15p per kWh
- Ultra-fast charging: 27p per kWh
There are also thousands of free charging points located around the UK.
These are often located in supermarkets, shopping centres, public car parks, hotels and sometimes service stations.
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However, restrictions could be in place such as a set period of time or a requiring a purchase in-store, so it's best to check before plugging in.