EV charging

IN THIS GUIDE

Home charging basics

Charging at home is the cheapest and easiest way to run an EV: plug in overnight and wake up full. A dedicated 7 kW wallbox is the standard — far faster and safer than a 3-pin plug — and adds roughly 25–30 miles of range per hour.

Charger & install cost

A 7 kW smart charger fitted is typically £800–£1,200. Renters and flat-dwellers may qualify for the EV chargepoint grant (£350). Costs rise if your consumer unit needs upgrading or the cable run to the parking spot is long.

EV tariffs — the big saving

The real money-saver is a smart EV tariff with cheap overnight rates (as low as ~7p/kWh versus ~25p standard). Charging a typical EV overnight can cost £2–£4 for 150+ miles — a fraction of petrol. Many tariffs schedule charging automatically to the cheapest hours.

Charging speeds explained

3.6 kW (slow, ~15 mi/hr), 7 kW (standard home, ~25–30 mi/hr) and 22 kW (needs three-phase power, rare at home). For overnight charging, 7 kW is ample for almost everyone; faster only matters for quick top-ups.

Install requirements

You need off-street parking and a suitable supply. A qualified installer (OZEV-approved for grants) checks your fuse board and earthing; most installs take a few hours. Load-balancing kit lets the charger throttle when the house is drawing a lot, avoiding costly upgrades.

Public charging

For journeys, rapid chargers (50–350 kW) add 100+ miles in 20–40 minutes but cost more (often 45–80p/kWh). Apps like Zapmap show locations and availability. Home charging for daily use plus rapid for trips is the cheapest mix.