Installing an electric car charging station at home gives you the convenience of being able to charge your vehicle whenever you want, at rates cheaper than using outside-the-home chargers. You may be wondering why you can’t just use a standard UK plug socket. Well, they’re not recommended because they are not designed for such high loads over a long duration. Charging points are also 30-60% quicker than using a wall socket.
| Product | Unit | Cost + VAT (Range low – high) | Average cost |
| Electric car charging station | 3kW | £250 – £500 | £375 |
| Electric car charging station | 7kW | £450 – £800 | £625 |
| Electric car charger station with installation | From £449 after deduction of £350 government grant |
Your electric vehicle will have a Type 1 or a Type 2 connector, so make sure you pick the right home charger for your car. Once you know that, you’ll need to decide between slow and fast chargers:
Slow charging station: These chargers are rated at 3kW to 6kW. They can take up to 12 hours to charge a long-range vehicle and 6-8 hours for a smaller one.
Fast charging station: With 7kW to 22kW of power, these chargers are much quicker, able to charge an electric vehicle in anything from 2-4 hours.
Let’s take 2021’s car of the year (according to Stuff Magazine), the Nissan Leaf, as an example.
If you have a 3kW slow charger you can expect a full charge in around 6-8 hours, whilst a 7kW fast charger will only take 3-4 hours. If you’re planning on doing all of your charging overnight, or you drive a hybrid with lower power demands, then the 3kW option is the more cost effective choice. But, if you need faster charging then 7kW is the way to go.
Brand: Not all electric car charging stations cost the same. From brands you may have heard of, like Zappi, Podpoint and wallbox, to those you might not like Juicebox and ClipperCreek, there are already a lot of players in the market. Each brand has their own specialities and charging capabilities and lead time for 6 weeks but we can help you to choose right brand comply with your requirement.
Smart chargers: We also recommend choosing a smart charger, which is connected to the internet and gives you much more control over the charging process. They’re eligible for grants so will save you money too.
Green energy: If you already have solar panels or access to wind power you can make use of this green energy to power your car. To do so you’ll need battery storage, as well as an inverter between your panels and charging point, or you can purchase a specialist car charger for this purpose. This way you’ll save even more money and ensure you have a 100% green supply.
The average cost to installing a home charging point is £1,000. However, the entirety of this cost may not come out of your pocket.
Electric vehicle owners can apply for a Government Grant towards the cost of the installation, as well as an additional amount of money from the Energy Saving Trust (EST). This significantly reduces the amount you pay for the installation.
Car charger installation consists of connecting the charge point to your electricity supply and installing it on your wall. For convenience, this will be located as close as possible to where you usually park your car.
In total, this process takes around three hours. Although you won’t always need to be on the premises, it does mean you can be shown how to use the charger and given a chance to ask any questions.
Prices including installation tend to range from (after contributions):
3kW electric car charging station: from £250 – £500
7kW electric car charging station: from £450 – £800
Currently, you can save money on the purchase and installation of electric vehicle chargers, as the UK Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is offering a £350 grant through their Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. This was reduced from £500 to £350 on 1st April 2020, so further reductions may be on the horizon.
If you’re in Scotland you can receive a further grant of £300 (or £400 for the most remote areas of the country) from the Energy Saving Trust (EST). You’ll have to make sure to use OLEV-accredited and EST approved installers so make sure to check if your provider is on these lists which we are known as Eelligh limited.
Cost of charging an electric car
| Location | Amount of charge | Cost | |
| Charging at home | Full charge | £5 | |
| Charging in public | 80% charge | £7 – £10 |
If you need more information you can contact us!