We recommend using a dedicated home charging point to charge your electric vehicle at home. See our guide on domestic charging point installation here.

Think of charging your electric vehicle like plugging in your mobile phone – charge it overnight, and if necessary, top it up during the day. 

A home charging point is a small, weatherproof unit that ordinarily mounts to a wall with a connected charging cable or a socket for plugging in a portable charging cable.

Our technology neutral approach means we have access to the best products on the market. We will work with you to find the best technology to fit your EV and home installation needs.

How much does an electric vehicle home charging point cost?

A full home charging point installation can cost as little as £449 by using the government’s OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) grant. We will help you apply for your OZEV grant.

The installation process involves wall mounting the charging unit on an exterior wall or garage, near where you usually park your car and connecting it safely to the mains electricity supply. 

An installation should take around three hours to complete, depending on the individual requirements of the driver and the complexity of the installation.

You can book your installation through Virtus Energy here.

Once you install your unit, you only pay for the electricity you use. 

Typically the electricity rate in the UK is just over 14p per kWh, but on an Economy 7 tariff the overnight electricity rate is 8p per kWh.

How often should you charge your car?

How often you charge your EV is entirely dependent on the individual’s use, but many EV drivers will keep their vehicle charged to allow for maximum flexibility in case they need to make impromptu journeys. 

You can also make use of workplace charging facilities to keep your EV charged. 

Managing your electricity load at home

Charging an electric car at home may place an additional load on your electrical supply. 

Depending on the maximum charging rate of your charge point and vehicle, this load can damage your main fuse.

To avoid overloading your main fuse, some smart home chargers automatically balance the power drawn by your charge point with the rest of your home, ensuring it never causes your total demand to exceed the max available supply.

Another benefit of this feature is the ability to have more than one charge point installed so that you can charge cars simultaneously without having to manually switch between them.