Charging your electric vehicle at home
Charging your electric vehicle at home
Charging at home is typically the cheapest way to run an electric vehicle (EV). A home charger may cost in the region of £1,000, but the upfront cost is likely to be paid back by savings against refuelling / recharging at a forecourt within 3 years depending on how far the vehicle is driven.
You may be able to get a charger fitted for free through the dealership or lease company you go with for a new EV. Your electric vehicle charging point must only be installed by a skilled person registered with a competent persons' scheme and authorised by OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles). All new home chargers must be smart, which means that they can access the internet and can be programmed to charge only at certain time or under certain conditions.
Electric vehicle charging grants
Off-street parking
If you are the homeowner, you do not need permission from the council to install a home charger provided you have a suitable area for off-street parking such as a driveway or garage.
Grants available for:
- Homeowners who live in flats or renters of residential property with off-street parking - Check eligibility and apply for EV chargepoint grant. Grant covers up to 75% of the costs of installing a home chargepoint, up to a limit of £350
- Landlords with off-street parking - Check eligibility and apply for EV chargepoint grant for landlords. Grant covers up to 75% of the costs of installing a home chargepoint, up to a limit of £350
- Private or social landlords - Check eligibility and apply for EV infrastructure grant for residential car parks that can help fund the installation of cabling for EV chargepoints
On-street parking
If you have no off-road parking, but can park on-street outside your house you may be able to install a cross-pavement charging solution in the future.
Herefordshire Council does not currently permit the recessed cable gullies required for cross-pavement charging due to liability and maintenance issues, although we are monitoring trials taking place in other areas of the country.
Alternative options:
- Charge your electric car at work. Businesses and public sector organisations can apply for funding for charge points through the government's Workplace Charging Scheme.
- Find a friendly neighbour who is willing to let you use their home charger. Visit Co-Charger to see who is sharing their home charger near you.
Cross pavement charging
You must consider public safety and existing legislation when placing the charging cable from your home to your electric vehicle.
It is an offence to place any wire or other apparatus across a highway in such a manner as to be likely to cause danger to people using the highway without providing all necessary means to give adequate warning of the danger.
Any legal liability arising from the placement of the cable or cable protector is your responsibility. You may wish to speak to your home insurer to confirm that your home insurance policy covers this situation.
Note that not all home insurance polices include cover for electric vehicle chargers.
Guidance on electric vehicle charging at home
The information below provides guidance on some of the issues to bear in mind when considering electric vehicle charging at home.
It is the responsibility of the person charging the vehicle to avoid putting themselves and others at risk when trailing a cable across a footway or an area people may cross.
Parking your vehicle for charging
It is your responsibility to ensure that:
- Any vehicle you are charging, parked on the highway, adheres to any local parking restrictions that may be in place
- Any vehicle you are charging, parked on the highway, does not obstruct the footway
- Cables do not cross the carriageway
- Vehicles being charged are parked on the same side of the road as your property
- Vehicles being charged are parked as close to your property as possible
Where a vehicle cannot be parked immediately outside the property, consider running cables along the carriageway channel against the kerb.
Charging your vehicle
It is your responsibility to ensure that:
- You follow the guidance and recommendations in the manufacturer's handbook (which may differ depending on the vehicle) when charging the vehicle
- The cable does not cause a danger or a nuisance to the public
- Any extension lead is suitable for external use and that you follow any manufacturer's instructions on correct use
- Cables are laid flat
- Cables are not hung from any street furniture
- Cables are not extended from an upper storey to a vehicle
- Cables are only be placed over the footway when the vehicle is charging and removed when not in use
Use of cable protectors
Consider using cable protectors to cover the area likely to be walked across when running cables from your property to the vehicle. To increase safety, protect the full width of any footway and verge between the property and the vehicle.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your cable protectors:
- Are non-slip
- Have contrasting colour markings (for example, yellow)
- Have anti-trip sloped sides
- Are of a tough construction suitable for outdoors use
For any queries about charging at home, email electricvehicles@herefordshire.gov.uk