In order to make living with electric vehicles easier, government legislation arriving this month will require all new homes in the UK will have to have an EV charging point installed.
This means that electric vehicle owners will no longer be reliant on the public charging network, with home charging points giving you total control over when and how you charge your electric vehicle.
As more people opt for an EV, we think home charging points will increasingly become a ‘must have’ rather than a novelty. For example, I recently saw the benefit when I reviewed the Hive EV charger and went as far as to say it 'changed my life'.
Rightcharge, a site that helps EV drivers install a charge point and save money on their energy bills, has given us five reasons why you should have an EV charger installed in your home.
1. EV chargers provide faster charging
An EV charger can charge your vehicle up to three times faster than a standard thee-pin plug and socket. Also, three-pin plugs and sockets aren’t specifically designed to charge vehicles and so might not be as safe or reliable.
2. EV chargers can use cheaper energy
Charging faster means you can get more energy into your car during off-peak electricity price periods. Charging slower on a three-pin may mean that some of your charging might fall outside of the off-peak hours and into the peak hours where prices are as much as 4.5 times the price per unit of electricity.
Smart charge points, which are increasingly becoming the norm, will know when your off-peak periods begin and end and will automatically draw energy from the grid during these hours (typically overnight). This can cut home energy bills for the average driver by over £500 a year when compared to a standard tariff.
3. EV chargers can use cleaner energy
When you’re smart charger is drawing energy from the grid during off-peak hours you’re also using roughly 25% cleaner energy. This is because our electricity generation comes from more renewable sources overnight than it does during the day.
4. EV chargers upgrade your home
Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, having an EV charger makes the property more desirable and practical. For landlords, it’s a nice extra perk to offer if you’re looking to find tenants or sell the property. It also demonstrates a proactive approach to innovation and modern culture and gives you the knowledge that you’re doing your bit to help us reach a net-zero world.
5. Home EV chargers can earn you money
At a time when the cost of living is so high, an extra income stream can be handy. Having an EV charger at home gives you the option of renting it out if you’re not using it. You can do this by signing up to the likes of JustCharge or CoCharger which let other EV drivers know that your charger is available and the cost of charging from it.
From a financial point of view it's great because you can earn back some of the money you spent on the charger and in the long term, even make a profit. From a sustainability and practicality point of view, you are helping to assuage range anxiety for EV drivers whilst supporting the uptake of zero-emission cars.
