How much does installing an electric car charger cost?
To really make the most of your electric car experience and get the best value and convenience, you need a home charger. But how do you get one? What’s the electric car charger installation cost? And what’s the cost of charging an electric car at home?
In this article we’ll answer all your questions and power up your understanding of EV home charging.
Energy and Charging
All you need to know about chargers and plugs
Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?
How accessible are electric car charge points?
How do I charge my electric car?
Does your driving style affect how far you can drive?
Does it take long to charge an electric car?
How often do I need to charge an electric car?
When’s the best time to charge an electric car?
The Ultimate Guide to charging an electric car
Are you ready to go electric?
Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?
Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.
Charge up your knowledge
Before we get into the details of costs and how to get a home charger installed, here are a few facts to help you choose your charger.
Charger speed
The overwhelming majority of UK homes today install the fast 7kW charger and have become the standard option as prices have reduced, and are replacing the slower 3.6kW charger. 7kW chargers are simple to install and have the benefit of being able to be used with a single-phase electricity connection, which is what most UK homes have.
You may however see rapid 22kW installers advertised, providing around three times faster charging. However, at present these are incompatible with most UK homes since they require a three-phase power supply (found more commonly in commercial buildings).
The easiest way to find out about your home’s power connection is to look at your fuse board. If you have a single-phase connection, you’ll have one main fuse, while three-phase homes have three main fuses.
Tethered or untethered?
What does tethered and untethered actually mean? In short, tethered comes with a cable and untethered without.
Tethered (with cable)
- Plug straight into the inbuilt charging cable
- Cable wraps around charger for fast, convenient storage
- No risk of losing or forgetting cable
Untethered (without cable)
- Use your own connector cable
- Choose the right cable length for maximum flexibility
- Replace or upgrade your cable at any time
Smart charging
In 2021, the law changed and all private EV chargers needed to have smart charging functionality that enables scheduled charging and very often includes remote control via a smart device. Furthermore, other smart functions can include remote locking for when you are not at home, energy usage monitoring to provide real-time data and cost tracking to detail a summary of every charging session.
Plug compatibility
Before you choose a charger, make sure it is compatible with your electric car, by checking the plug your charger comes with and matching it with the type of socket on your car. Thanks to standardisation, this is now quite straightforward, since the vast majority of cars have Type 2 sockets.
Type 2
These sockets have been mandatory on all new electric vehicles in the EU since 2014.
Type 1
These sockets are now only found on some older models of Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi PHEV Outlander.
How much does it cost to install an electric car charger?
The cost of installation will vary depending on a few factors, including the location of your home and the complexity of the installation. So, let’s look at those in more detail.
Charger
There are lots of different chargers on the market, with different features and price-points. Which you choose will influence the cost.
Location
The location of your home will also affect the cost of installation. If your home is located in a difficult-to-access area, such as a narrow street or a gated community, the cost of installation could be higher.
Difficulty
The complexity of the installation will also affect the cost. If you have a dedicated electricity supply for your home charging point, the installation will be simpler and less expensive. However, if you need to upgrade your electricity supply, the cost of installation will be higher.
Introducing the Indra Smart Pro
Super charge your electric driving with an Indra Smart PRO home charger. Full of the latest features, this innovative charger puts you in the driving seat with cheaper, faster and more advanced charging.
Find out more