EV charging has been widely debated since the UK Government first announced their 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. When the intended ban was first announced in 2019, some motorists were concerned by how long EV charging takes and the lack of public EV charge points in the UK.
Luckily, the government has helped install over 18,000 public EV charge points across the country. However, charging an empty electric vehicle battery still takes up to 12 to 13 hours, making it an inconvenient charging solution for most of us. The government is aware of this issue and has since made grants available to help electric vehicle drivers install home-based EV charge points.
So, if you’re thinking of having an EV charge point installed at your home, what do you need to know beforehand, and how can you get the most out of them in terms of savings and performance once installed?
Choose a Smart Home EV Charger
Smart chargers are EV charge points that are “Wi-Fi-enabled” for added convenience and updates. As of July 2019, all home EV charge points must be “smart” to qualify for government grants.
These smart EV charge points allow you to remotely control your electric vehicle’s charging using your smartphone. For example, you can set your charge’s duration and be notified when your battery is full.
How Can You Optimise Your Home EV Charge Point?
Your smart charger allows you to optimise your home charging as you can get cheaper and greener energy. Smart chargers also allow you to manage the load on your electrical supply.
However, here are some further tips for reducing your impact on the environment and increasing performance, convenience, and savings.
Cheaper Energy
For the first few months after switching to an electric vehicle, you might be taken aback by your energy bill. Although you’ll be saving money from powering your vehicle with electricity instead of fossil fuels, your energy bill will be slightly higher than before since you’re using more electricity than previously.
However, this does not mean that you’re necessarily losing out. There are still things you can do to reduce your energy bill and increase your monthly savings. For example, you could schedule your charges to take place when electricity is cheapest. If you schedule your EV charges around midnight, powering your electric vehicle could cost you as little as 2p per mile.
When you factor in the saved costs on fuel, you will still come out significantly ahead on your vehicle running costs.
What’s more, some smart home chargers even have a monitoring function, which tracks your home and electric vehicle’s energy usage. The data collected by your smart home charger will give you a clear understanding of your energy use per kWh.
The breakdown can help you decide if it’s time to switch to a cheaper tariff or it will enable you to limit your daily electricity spending.
Greener Energy
It’s no secret that owning an electric vehicle reduces your carbon footprint as it is greener than an internal combustion engine vehicle. However, charging your electric vehicle with renewable energy will make your driving even greener.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar power, continue to come down in installation cost. By investing in solar panel installation, you’ll be able to save on your energy bill and increase the overall value of your property. In fact, homeowners can actually earn money from the Smart Export Guarantee Scheme (SEG) for any excess electricity generated. Alternatively, you can install a solar battery to store that energy for when you need it the most.
The solar panel you choose will depend on your energy needs and property specifications, such as the size of your roof. An experienced solar installation company, such as Applegarth, will guide you through the solar panel selection and installation process.
Let Your Charge Point Manage Your Electricity Supply
Charging your electric vehicle at home can damage your main fuse. Remember, daily charging is an additional load on your electric supply. If your charge point or vehicle’s maximum charging rate is too high, your electrical supply might become strained.
The good news is a smart home charger automatically balances the electricity used by your charge point with the rest of your home. By balancing the power demand of your home and vehicle, the smart charger ensures that your total energy demand never exceeds the available energy supply.
If you have more than one electric vehicle in your household, you won’t have to worry about using too much power either. The balancing work done by your smart home charger will let you charge your electric vehicles simultaneously while the smart charger manages their charging. So, you won’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to manage all your vehicles’ charges, as your EV charger will do that for you.
Why Choose Applegarth for Your Home EV Charge Point Installation?
Installing a home EV charge point is a cost-effective, convenient, and safe way to power your electric vehicle. An added benefit of home EV charger installation is that it can manage most of your energy concerns without any input from you. The chargers can even schedule your electric vehicle charging while you sleep.
To enjoy the benefits of a home EV charger, your installation should be done by an experienced EV installation company. Applegarth is an accredited renewable energy solutions company with a track record stretching back well over a decade. We have helped our clients take full advantage of the benefits of low-carbon living and provide high-quality service every time.
Whether you’re looking for an EV charge point installation or want to go completely green with added solar panel installation and battery storage, we can help.
Contact us today on 0151 649 8350 or email us at info@applegarth.co.uk, and one of our experienced team members will get you started with an obligation-free quote.
