The latest figures, released in September 2020, show that there are now more than 164,100 pure-electric cars on UK roads and the number of new registrations of electric vehicles is on the rise.
With the UK Government planning to make the installation of EV charge points mandatory in all new-build homes in England, in this article we take a look at the benefits of installing a smart charge point in your own home.
Charging your Electric Vehicle at Home
Most manufacturers recommend charging with an EVSE supply cable via a three-pin plug as a last resort only. While it can be handy for emergencies, it generally takes a very long time to charge in this way and is not designed for long term use.
Enter the home EV charging point. Wired directly into your home’s electricity supply, the most common home charge points will charge at 7kW, taking just under 8 hours to charge a typical electric car (60kWh battery) from empty to full. This makes them perfect for overnight charging when you can make significant savings on an Economy 7 tariff which offers cheaper electricity costs during off-peak hours.
Depending on where you live, fully charging a 60kWh electric car will cost between £8.30 and £9.40, giving you about 200 miles of range.
So What’s so Smart About a Smart Home EV Charging Point?
With a smart charge point, not only can you charge your electric car safely and quickly from home, but you can also benefit from energy usage reports, remote support, and even scheduled charging.
1. Complete Control Over your EV Charging
Rolec’s WallPod:EV HOMESMART charging point is easily controlled via your smartphone or tablet using the free ev.energy app, which is available on both Android and iOS.
Soon, you will also be able to integrate your WallPod with a smart home virtual assistant such as Alexa!
2. Monitor your Charging Activity – Wherever You Are
The HomeSmart EV unit allows you to monitor and record all your charging activity, energy usage and costs via the app. The reporting and analytics feature allows you to monitor your cost savings over time and also track your vehicle’s carbon emissions.
3. Save Money with Auto-Management Technology
By using ev.energy’s auto-management technology, your HomeSmart EV charger can integrate with your energy supplier to automatically charge your car during the cheapest (and greenest) off-peak times.
According to Rolec, you could make average energy savings of £150 a year just by using this feature.
4. Working in Harmony with your Home Electrical Supply
Alongside its smart capabilities, the HomeSmart EV charge point is also supplied with external overload & fault current protection to safely manage your home’s electrical load and avoid overloading the electrical supply.
5. Scheduled Charging
One of the neatest features of Rolec’s HomeSMart EV unit is scheduled charging: simply plug in your electric vehicle at home and set the time you want the car to be charged and ready for. This means that before you go to sleep, you can set your smart electric car charger to automatically start charging during the night at your allocated time, such as during the cheaper period of an Economy 7 tariff.
Not only can scheduled charging save you money, but it can also help reduce your environmental footprint by using renewable green energy at times when it is in more abundant supply.
You can override the smart charging schedule at any time by simply tapping the Boost button in the app.
Approved Rolec Installation Partners
EMR Electrical are official OLEV and Rolec approved installers. The WallPod:EV HOMESMART charge point is compatible with all plug-in vehicle brands and is available in 3.6 or 7.2kW charging speeds, with a choice of either a Mode 3 charging socket or tethered lead.
For more information or to book your installation, contact EMR Electrical today.