If you’ve bought an electric car, or you’re thinking about making the switch, a home EV charger installation can make living with an electric vehicle considerably easier.

For most people, EV charging doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need to become an expert in chargers, electrical supplies, grants or network requirements before you get started. That’s where we come in.

Smart Power is a local electrical contractor based in Cottingham, installing EV chargers throughout Hull, Beverley and East Yorkshire. We can look at your property, work out what you need and take care of the installation from start to finish.

WHY HAVE A DEDICATED EV CHARGER AT HOME?

A dedicated home charger gives you a safe and convenient way to charge your car at home.

Most domestic EV chargers are around 7kW and, for the majority of households, that is more than enough. Plug the car in when you get home and it can charge while it is parked, often making use of cheaper overnight electricity if you have a suitable tariff.

Modern chargers can also offer smart charging, scheduling and app control.

The important thing is making sure the charger and electrical installation are suitable for your car, your property and the way you actually use it.

DO I NEED AN EXPENSIVE EV CHARGER?

There are plenty of EV chargers on the market, ranging from straightforward units through to more expensive chargers packed with additional features.

For most homeowners, however, the basic job is fairly simple – safely get electricity from your house into your car. In many ways, it’s a glorified plug socket for your car, albeit one that needs to be correctly selected, installed and tested.

We have a standard charger that we know and trust and which works well for most installations. If your circumstances would genuinely benefit from something different, we can recommend other options.

We don’t believe in selling somebody a premium charger simply because it costs more. We would rather understand what you actually need and recommend something appropriate.

TETHERED OR UNTETHERED?

One decision worth thinking about is whether you want a tethered or untethered charger.

A tethered charger has its charging cable permanently attached. It’s convenient – park up, grab the cable and plug it into the car.

An untethered charger has a socket instead, so you keep a separate charging cable and connect it when required. It can look tidier when it isn’t being used and gives you more flexibility over the cable you use.

Neither is necessarily better. It comes down to your preference, where you park and how you want to use the charger.

Cable length is worth considering too. Where your charging port sits on the car and how you normally park can determine whether a standard cable is perfectly adequate or whether something longer would make life considerably easier.

WHERE SHOULD YOUR EV CHARGER GO?

This sounds like a small detail, but it can make a big difference.

A well-positioned charger makes plugging the car in quick and easy. Put it in the wrong place and you could find yourself stretching a cable around the car, needing a longer cable than expected or having a cable running across somewhere people regularly walk.

We’ll look at where you normally park, where the charging port is on your vehicle, the cable route back to your electrical supply and the practicalities of using the charger every day.

Sometimes spending a little more time thinking about the position can make living with the charger much easier for years to come.

WHAT DOES A HOME EV CHARGER INSTALLATION INVOLVE?

An EV charger is a significant additional electrical load, so a home EV charger installation involves more than simply screwing a charger to the wall and connecting it to your existing electrics.

We consider the electrical supply to the property, your consumer unit, earthing arrangements, available capacity, cable route and the proposed position of the charger.

Where required, load management can also be used to make sure the charger works correctly alongside the other electrical demands in your home.

This is one of the advantages of using an experienced electrical contractor. We’re looking at the charger as part of your wider electrical installation rather than treating it as a standalone product.

Find out more about our EV Charger Installation services.

WHAT IS THE DNO AND WHY DO THEY NEED TO KNOW?

EV charger installations also involve your Distribution Network Operator, normally shortened to DNO.

Your DNO is the company responsible for the electricity network that supplies your property. They are separate from the energy company you pay your electricity bill to.

EV charger installations need to be notified to the DNO and, depending on the property and its electrical supply, there can sometimes be additional requirements before an installation can proceed.

Most installations are straightforward, but the DNO process isn’t always instant. If something needs addressing with the incoming supply, this can occasionally introduce a delay.

We deal with this side of the process and will let you know if anything affects your installation.

ARE EV CHARGER GRANTS AVAILABLE?

Government support is available for certain types of EV charger installations, depending on your circumstances and property.

The schemes, eligibility criteria and funding available can change, so rather than giving information here that could quickly become outdated, we recommend speaking to us.

We can advise whether there is a relevant grant available for your circumstances and, where applicable, help take care of the process. In most cases, the amount of input required from you is relatively small.

You can also find the latest official information about EV chargepoint grants on GOV.UK.

HOW MUCH DOES AN EV CHARGER INSTALLATION COST?

The cost depends on the charger, your existing electrical installation, where the charger is positioned and the cable route required.

You may have seen EV charger packages advertised by some of the large energy companies. It is worth remembering that you don’t necessarily need to use your electricity supplier to have a charger installed.

Our standard installations are very competitively priced and can compare closely with the headline packages offered by some of the larger providers.

You also have the benefit of dealing with a local electrical contractor who can look at the complete installation rather than simply supplying a charger.

WHY CHOOSE SMART POWER FOR YOUR EV CHARGER?

Smart Power is based in Cottingham and carries out electrical work across Hull, Beverley and the wider East Yorkshire area.

We’re NAPIT registered and our electricians work across domestic, commercial and industrial electrical installations. EV charging is therefore part of what we do as an electrical contractor rather than the only service we offer.

That experience matters. If something about your existing electrical installation needs attention, we have the knowledge and experience to deal with it.

We’re also proud of the reputation we’ve built with our customers. Our Google reviews reflect the importance we place on doing a good job, communicating properly and leaving customers with an installation they’re happy with.

And because we’re local, you know who you’re dealing with before, during and after the installation.

THINKING ABOUT AN EV CHARGER?

If you’re thinking about having an EV charger installed, we can often get the ball rolling quickly without needing lots of back and forth.

To get started, send us:

To help us further, we could do to see:

• Your electricity meter and incoming supply
• Your consumer unit (fuse board)

Don’t be stingy with the photos! Close-ups are useful for seeing the detail, but wider photos are just as important because they help us understand the property, distances and what we’re dealing with.

You can send everything to us by WhatsApp or email.

With the right information and a good selection of photos, we can often assess what is required and potentially provide a quote very quickly.

And don’t worry if you’re not sure where the charger should go or which route the cable needs to take. Send us what you can and we’ll help you work out the best option.

If you’re looking for a home EV charger installation in Hull, Beverley, Cottingham or elsewhere in East Yorkshire, get in touch with Smart Power and we’ll take it from there.