EV charging
From 2030, the UK Government plan to make all new cars sold exclusively electric vehicles and with electric cars on the increase beforehand K R Electrics and Renewable Solutions can help with your EV charging needs, reducing your vehicle running costs especially when charging from home.
Electric cars are significantly cheaper to run than petrol or diesel and by having and you have the option to charge your car overnight, taking advantage of off peak electricity rates to lower your monthly bills.
Home EV charge point benefits:
- Designed specifically for your needs
- Cheapest, most convenient and safest option
- Can divert surplus green energy from a solar PV system giving you miles for free
- Electric Vehicles can be plugged in when you sleep, meaning you are ready to go in the morning and taking advantage of off peak rates to lower your energy bills
- Charging at home reduces the risk of theft or vandalism in a public place
- No planning permission needed
- Uses the latest Electric Vehicle technology which connects to an app giving you control over charging
Yes! This would be the most cost saving and environmentally friendly option, converting surplus PV power into more miles for free, however there are limitations. Not all EV chargers are compatible to be paired with a Solar PV system.
K R Electrics and Renewable Solutions will discuss your options with you to create a system that meets your specific needs.
While all Electric Vehicles will have a charging cable supplied, these will often be level 1, plugging straight into the power supply with a three pin plug, this is often slow and inefficient, delivering 1.3kw - 2.4kw to provide you with approximately 3-5 miles per hour of charging, meaning a full charge could take over 24 hours.
A level 2 charging station is a hardwired unit running on a dedicated circuit, delivering between 6kw-19kw, providing you with around 18-28 miles per hour, meaning that a full charge could be up to 8 times faster than a level 1 cable.
A Level 3 charger is the fastest on the market, also known as ‘DC fast chargers’ however they are designed for industrial and commercial premises and not for residential installs due to the electrical strength needed.
Although there are no operational differences between them, both tethered and untethered units have their advantages and disadvantages, leaving it down to the customer's personal preference.
A tethered unit has a built-in cable that is permanently attached and the cable length cannot be altered, this means that there is no chance of the cable being misplaced.
An untethered unit enables you to plug in cables of different lengths and suitability for different Electric vehicles, giving you more flexibility of usage and future proofs the investment.
The installer must be a competent individual with relevant training and OZEV Registered (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) in order to be eligible to claim the EV chargepoint grant.
Warranty may also be invalid if a system has not been fitted by an accredited, qualified installer.
Although planning permission is not needed for the installation of EV charge points, due to the new circuit being fitted to the existing power supply, the installation is notifiable to the NICEIC and will require an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) issued by a qualified electrician to comply with regulations.
There is no requirement to upgrade your distribution board when installing an EV charger however it will need a dedicated circuit, therefore if there is no capacity to do so it may need upgrading.
K R Electrics and Renewable Solutions will always carry out a full survey when quoting for the installation of an EV charge point and will discuss your options with you to provide you with the most cost effective solution based on your needs.
