Home electric car charging: A comprehensive guide

Charging an electric car at home is one of the most convenient ways of getting some juice in your vehicle, and it means you can make sure you always have enough battery capacity for your journey.

An at-home electric car charger also drastically reduces your reliance on visiting public chargers, so you can stop wasting time hanging around car parks waiting for your vehicle to charge.

With a fast EV charger, you can charge an electric car overnight on your driveway or in your garage, so all you need to do in the morning is unplug and get going.

What is a home charging point?

A home car charging point is a small unit that connects directly to the electric mains in your home. It enables you to charge your electric car without paying a premium like you would elsewhere, such as at a petrol station or supermarket car park.

The charging point connects to your car through a connector cable, so you just need to plug in to start charging.

What are the benefits of charging your EV at home?

While there’s no getting away from the fact that installing a home EV charging point comes at a cost, an increasing number of EV drivers are realising the benefits of having one right on their doorstep.

1. It’s cheaper in the long run 

Once installed, you can start to use energy tariffs designed especially for EV charging. These include cheaper overnight charging rates so you can recharge your electric car’s batteries for less than you’d pay during peak hours. 

In the majority of cases, this works out to be far cheaper than relying on public chargers, where you'll likely find yourself paying sky-high rates for limited amounts of charging time.

2. It's better for the environment

We all know that electric and hybrid-electric cars are already significantly better for the environment than petrol and diesel equivalents. However, having a charger at home that runs off power from a renewable energy tariff can help you live even more sustainably than using public charging points.

Likewise, if you have solar panels installed that enable you to generate your own energy, you can hook your EV charger up to your solar storage system. Doing this will reduce your reliance on the national grid even more and help you save money by harnessing the sun’s energy to recharge your car.

3. It's the safest (and fastest) way to charge at home

If you want to charge an electric car at home without a proper EV charger, you’ll need to use a standard 3-pin plug. While this is possible, manufacturers don’t recommend it. 

Running a domestic plug socket close to its maximum current capacity for prolonged periods puts an incredible amount of strain on the electrical circuits, which can lead to overheating and even fires. 

Beyond the safety risks, using a 3-pin plug socket to charge your EV is also far less efficient, taking around 18 hours to recharge completely. So, even though you can technically use a standard domestic plug to charge your electric car, we’d advise only doing so in an emergency situation.

4. It's super convenient

Imagine heading to a supermarket car park every time you need to charge your phone. It would get pretty annoying pretty quickly, right?

When your phone’s running low on charge, you want to be able to walk across the room and plug it into the nearest charging cable, and the same goes for your car.

Without a dedicated charging point installed at home, you’ll find yourself at the mercy of public chargers. In practice, this can mean you end up spending a lot of time waiting around in petrol station forecourts and supermarket car parks - not ideal when you have places to be and people to meet!

5. It's better for the car's battery

While taking your car’s battery from 0-100% using a rapid charger at a public charging point can seem like the way to go, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can rely on this method.

Professor David Greenwood, an industry expert on all things engines, batteries, and electronics from the University of Warwick, has shared his thoughts on how EV drivers can best care for their car batteries.

His advice is to avoid keeping your vehicle plugged into a charger continuously once the battery has reached its capacity and not to let your car’s battery levels run below 5% if possible, as both of these things will reduce its performance. 

Home EV chargers provide the flexibility to give your car’s battery a top-up as and when you need to, prolonging its lifespan and helping to ensure your investment is as worthwhile as possible.

Plus, when you get a home EV charger from BOXT, you're buying a premium-quality product with the highest safety ratings. All our EV chargers include three-year manufacturer guarantees and professional installation, providing you with total peace of mind.

6. It increases the value of your home

As the electric vehicle market continues to grow and people are looking for more ways to live greener lifestyles, having an EV charging point installed at your property can increase its market value and attract a greater number of potential buyers.

The reason for this is pretty straightforward. With a charger already in place, EV drivers can move in without the extra hassle of organising and paying for one to be installed. They can just plug in and keep using their vehicles immediately. 

7. It's more secure 

Charging your vehicle at home on your driveway offers more privacy and security than charging in public, where there is an increased risk of theft and vandalism.

If your EV charger is installed inside your garage or behind driveway gates, your vehicle will be far safer than if you were to leave it unattended at a public charging point or in a supermarket car park.

What are the requirements for having an EV charging point at home?

If you want an EV charging point installed in your home, there are a few things you need to be aware of.

1. You ideally need to have off-street parking

For the best EV charger setup at home, it's ideal to have off-street parking like a driveway or garage. This ensures a smooth reach for the charging cable without blocking anything.

If off-street parking isn't available, you can technically still install a charger on your house's exterior wall and run the cable across the pavement to your street parking space. However, some local councils may not approve due to potential trip hazards. Check local rules before going ahead with this setup.

2. You need to be the property owner or have their permission

If you live in a rented property, you must get your landlord's permission before installing an EV charger. Even if you pay for the charger, a landlord can still have it removed if they haven't been consulted about the installation.

3. EV chargers need to be connected to WiFi or roaming data connection

When you have a home charge point installed, you'll have to set it up on the WiFi or 4G/5G to access its smart features.

In June 2022, The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations came into effect. Under these rules, all charge points sold must include smart functionality. This includes sending and receiving information and responding to signals to increase the rate of time electricity flows.

4. The charging point will need to be connected to the fuse box

The electricity supply for smart chargers comes from the fuse box, so it could be advantageous that the charger is located near its electricity supply. This will reduce the amount of cable that's needed and reduce the installation times.

How to get an EV charging point installed at home

If you want a dedicated home charger installed at your home, you're in luck. With BOXT, it's super easy. Just tell us a few details about your electric vehicle and where you want the charger to be located, and we'll find an EV charger for you. And if you order by 3pm, we could install your EV charger the very next day.

The Government also offers grants of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle chargers. For more information and to see how much you could claim, check out the GOV.UK website.

More from BOXT

For everything you need to know about EV charging, like the difference between tethered and untethered chargers, whether electric cars lose charge when parked, and if you should charge your electric car every night.

Alternatively, you can check out our EV charging FAQs for answers to common questions relating to EV chargers and costs.