Electric cars are rapidly growing in popularity, which explains why there has also been a growth in the number of electric vehicles (EV) charging stations. It is always great to drive around town and see electric car charging points in different spots. These public car charging points give you some peace of mind in knowing that when you want to charge your car, there is always somewhere nearby to fill it up.
However, it is much more convenient to charge your car using a home car charger. When buying an EV, the first thing you should consider is the charging point of the EV. Today, it is very possible to install EV chargers in your home and enjoy their benefits. Here are some of the top perks of having a home electric car charging point.
1. Cost efficiency
In the UK, you can take advantage of the OLEV grant schemes for your EV charging installation. These are grants the government offers to people to support them in their effort to install an EV charging infrastructure. This means that you will enjoy up to 75% of funding towards the cost of your charger, up to a maximum of £500. All you have to do is pay for the installation. This reduces the costs of installation by a great margin. All you have to pay for will be the monthly electricity charges. If you are on Economy 7 tariff, you can take advantage of the cheaper night electricity rates to charge your car. This will save you a lot of money while charging at home.
2. Reduces your carbon footprint
Electric vehicles are friendlier to the environment compared to traditional engine cars. When you charge your EV on public car charging points, chances are that you are still adding to the carbon footprint. However, even as the country tries its best to provide its citizens with green energy, we aren’t quite there yet. Nonetheless, if you make use of a 100% green charging provider, you will play an instrumental role in reducing the overall carbon footprint.
3. Convenience
When you have a Level 2 charger, it will take approximately 4-6 hours for your electric car to be fully charged. This means that you can always rely on your charging point regardless of what time of the day it is. All you have to do is get your car to the charging point when you get home.
Furthermore, there will be no surprises when you have your home charging point. Any time you want to charge your car, you will be sure that there won’t be a queue at the charging point. There also won’t be any cases of obstruction. On the other hand, there will always be careless people who leave their cars obstructing certain crucial points like charging points. You won’t have to worry about such issues with your own home charging point.
4. Improves home value
The number of EV owners in the UK is steadily increasing, which means that these cars are here to stay. We might even see the traditional engine going out of fashion, paving the way for electric motors. Investing in an EV charger installation will be a long-term investment. The rising number of EV car owners will result in a subsequent increase in demand for homes with electric car charging points. When there is an increased demand for your property, its value rises significantly.
5. Safety
Charging your car at home is safer than at public charging points. For instance, parking your car at a public point and leaving it unattended leaves it vulnerable to theft, vandalism, or damage by lightning storms, hail storms, floods, or fires, among other natural elements. Provided that you have installed the right equipment at home, you will be sure of your safety and that of your car. You just have to make sure that you seek the services of a qualified and authorized EV electrician.
Conclusion
There is no reason why you should wait before installing an EV charging point at your home. They are convenient, safer, cheaper, and environmentally friendlier than traditional filling stations. Furthermore, you will get to enjoy the independence of charging your EV in the comfort of your home.
