When you first get an electric car you need to get used to a whole new way of ‘fuelling’ your car.

Instead of looking out for petrol stations, you learn where the best charging points are on your daily journeys.

But now there’s electric vehicle charging at home.

Getting an electric vehicle home charging point means that you’re not reliant on public charging, but can instead start the day with a fully-charged car ready for action.

You can save money, with a full charge costing as little as £3 rather than paying around £1.50 an hour in public or £7.50 for fast charging.

Here’s everything you need to know about setting up your electric vehicle home charging point:

Which is the right charging point?

Understanding what you need is key when selecting your home charging point.

These are the main considerations:

• Power – 7kw is the most common kind of charger, with 3kw and 22kw also available - the more power, the faster the charge
• Cable – There’s two types of charger: tethered and untethered, with the latter not coming with a cable (so you’d have to keep the cable in your boot). This does gives you the advantage of being able to connect with almost any electric car
• Design – Charging points come in various shapes, sizes and colours, so take the time to choose one that you would like to have attached to your home!

How much will it cost?

Having an electric vehicle home charging point will save you money in the long run, but it does come with an initial set-up cost that you need to consider. This averages around £800 to £1000 and will vary depending on which charger you pick and how complicated the installation is. If the charger is a long way from a main road for example it's likely to be more expensive. 

It’s also worth investigating which tariff is right for your needs. Several energy suppliers offer special tariffs for EV charging, which let you access a cheaper rate at night when you’d be charging your car.

How does it get installed?

There are loads of different suppliers in the UK, we list a few of them here.

You’ll need to discuss with them where it can be installed, because while the location, of course, needs to fit where you can park your car, there are other factors that need to be considered to ensure the safe installation and usage of your charger.

Once you’re all set up and ready to go, you’ll be enjoying cheap and easy home charging as and when you need it.You can read more about charging your EV in our charging mode guide.