The Ultimate Guide to Electric Car charging at home

Home charging is the most affordable and convenient way to charge your electric car. Want to learn more about how it works? From charger options to installation info, we’ve got you covered.

• What type of charger can I use at home?
• Which home charger is best for me?
• How much does it cost to install?
• What happens on EV charger installation?
• Where will my home charger be located?
• How to look after your EV charger
• How much does it cost (and how long does it take) to charge an EV at home?
• How do I control my home charger?
• What's smart EV charging?
• Should I charge my electric car every night?
• Can I charge more than one car at home?

When it comes to charging your EV at home, you can either charge through a 3-pin plug (though we don’t recommend this long-term) or with a wall box charger. These professionally installed chargers can offer smart charging, cheaper EV tariffs, and can charge your EV overnight.

But which one's best for you?

For choosing the right charger, you’ll need to consider factors like; your EV's capabilities, desired charging speed, and how you want to control it. Take a look at our selection of EV chargers to find out which one suits you best.

This depends on lots of things, like; which charger you choose, whether it’s a standard installation or not, and what deals are available. In some cases, there are also EV charger grants available to help with both the cost of the charger and installation.

Check out our guide to costs of EV installation for more detailed info.

So, you've picked out your charger and now it's time for installation. A certified electrician will work their magic to set up your charger, ensuring it's safely connected to your home's electrical system.

This is up to you, many people opt to have it either in their garage or on the side of the house next to the driveway, away from places where it can get damaged easily.

You can chat with the electrician before installation about where’s best and safest for your set up.

As with most tech, your home charger might need a little TLC occasionally. After charging up, remember to unplug your EV to prevent unnecessary wear and tear. And give your charging station, cables, and connections a once-over every now and then to check for any signs of wear or damage.

The cost of charging your EV depends on your electricity rates. If you have a smart EV tariff like Intelligent Octopus Go, you can get cheaper rates for charging your EV.

As for charging times, that varies too, depending on factors like your charger's speed and your EV's battery size. You can read more in our guide to charging times.

How you control your home charger will be dependent on which charger you choose. Lots of them can be controlled by apps intelligent scheduling features.

Some chargers are capable of smart charging with tariffs like Intelligent Octopus Go - helping you schedule charging during off-peak hours to help save you money.

Smart EV charging is a cutting-edge technology that optimises your EVs charging process based on things like time of day, electricity prices, and your level of charge. Using clever algorithms and real-time data, smart chargers can reduce charging costs and improve charging efficiency.

Want to find out more about smart charging? Head over to what is smart EV charging and how does it work?

If you can, yes. With the likes of smart charging, there's no reason not to plug in every night. It'll help benefit you in costs (as you'll be charging at off-peak times and get the cheapest rates), help towards grid balancing, and keep your EV topped up at all times, so it's ready to go when you are.

More than one EV in the family? No problem! Some home chargers are capable of charging multiple cars at once. But you’ll need to make sure your electrical system can handle the extra load.

Want to learn more about charging your EV? Head over to our EV Charging Hub.