We’re fitting more EV chargers than ever round Newton-le-Willows and Warrington, and the question we get asked most is whether it’s actually worth the outlay over just plugging into a normal socket. The short answer is yes, and here’s why.
A three-pin plug trickles in about 2.3kW, so a decent-sized battery can take the best part of a day and a night to fill. It’s also not designed for hours of heavy load, day in day out, and we’ve seen scorched sockets where people have tried it. A 7kW wall charger does the same car overnight, runs off its own dedicated circuit and is protected properly.
The real saving, though, is in the tariff. Most chargers are app-controlled, so you set them to pull power during the cheap off-peak window. Pair that with an EV energy tariff and you can be charging for a fraction of daytime rates, which over a year adds up to a serious difference against filling up with petrol.
Before we fit one we check your supply can take the load and whether the fuse board needs any work. Some homes need load balancing so the charger backs off when the shower and oven are both going. It’s all straightforward once it’s been looked at properly.
If you’re thinking about it, give us a ring and we’ll come and have a look at where it’d go.