If you’re considering switching to an electric car, the most lucrative decision you can make is to install a homecharger to benefit from substantial cost savings.
Cheaper domestic energy pricing means significantly lower charging costs for EVs with driveways and off-street parking than those without who are forced to use the public network of devices.
The saving of charging domestically can be between £450 and £885.50 per year, depending on which public chargers EV owners can access, according to the latest AA charging prices report.
But which homecharging providers and devices are best? A new survey of 2,176 electric car drivers has provided the answers.
Considering making the leap and switching to an EV? If you can get a homecharger installed to cut your running costs, this survey tells you which brand to go for
While homechargers offer plenty of savings when it comes to running costs, there can be a high up-front outlay to have one installed at your property.
On average, buying and installing a home EV charger will set you back around £1,000 and £1,500.
However, some providers will offer discounts if you commit to signing up to one of their energy tariffs.
A comprehensive study conducted by What Car? has polled existing electric car drivers about the devices they have installed and created a league table from best to worst based on a combination of factors, including device reliability, value for money, installation satisfaction and ease of use.
Customers were asked the rank their device and provider on each parameter using a 1 to 5 scale.
The feedback from EV drivers put Norwegian company Easee at the top of the charts.
It was found to offer the best combination of value for money, reliability and good customer service to result in a five-star score.
Customers using this operator said their chargers rarely developed faults and, when they did incur problems, the company fixed the issues quickly, for free.
Norwegian company Easee received the highest ratings of all. It was found to offer the best combination of value for money, reliability and good customer service to result in a five-star score
| BRAND | VALUE FOR MONEY | INSTALLATION SATISFACTION | RELIABILITY | EASE OF USE | TOTAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easee | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Hypervolt | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Wallbox | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Andersen | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Ohme | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Pod Point | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Myenergi | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Rolec | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Indra | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Hive | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Source: What Car? survey of 2,176 EV owners with homechargers | |||||
Hypervolt ranked second in the list, also with a 5-star rating. While its chargers developed more faults than those from top-rated Easee, it fixed all the problems free of charge
Wallbox is the third best-rated homecharge device provider, according to the poll. It scored top marks for installation and ease of use
The most stylish of all domestic wallboxes are from Andersen, which has wood-effect homechargers
Hypervolt, a UK-based company, was ranked second in the list of top providers of homechargers, also with a 5-star rating.
While its chargers developed more faults than those from top-rated Easee, it fixed all the problems free of charge. Half were resolved within 24 hours of the initial complaint being made by the EV owner.
Pod Point received the best value for money ratings.
Twenty-five percent of its chargers were supplied and fitted for free, and 25 percent cost less than £500 in total.
Ohme sneaked into the top 5 best rated homechargers with a 5 out of 5 rating for ease of use
Pod Point received the best value for money ratings. Twenty-five percent of its chargers were supplied and fitted for free, and 25 percent cost less than £500 in total
Hive, British Gas’ wallbox business, received the lowest satisfaction scores from EV drivers
| CHARGE TYPE | CHARGING SPEED | COST PER KWH | PENCE PER MILE | AVERAGE MONTHLY CHARGING COST | AVERAGE ANNUAL CHARGING COST | ANNUAL PREMIUM OVER USING A HOMECHARGER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic homecharger | up to 7kW | 24p | 5.42p | £33.44 | £401.08 | n/a |
| Public slow charger | up to 8kW | 41p | 11.53p | £71.14 | £853.22 | £452.14 |
| Public fast charger | 8 – 49kW | 56p | 12.66p | £78.11 | £936.84 | £535.76 |
| Public rapid charger | 50 – 149kW | 73p | 16.50p | £101.81 | £1,221.00 | £819.92 |
| Public ultra-rapid | 150kW+ | 77p | 17.40p | £107.36 | £1,287.60 | £886.52 |
| Source: Charging costs based on AA Recharge Report for June 2024 and average annual mileage of 7,400 miles | ||||||
Andersen was voted best for quality and kerb appeal.
Its devices were deemed most attractive as well as being highly customisable with the choice of wood and metal finishes.
It also stands out for installation, being the only home charger company with its own fleet of installers.
At the other end of the scale, Hive (the charger arm of British Gas) left 30 per cent of its customers with unresolved faults and took up to 30 days to sort out problems for other EV owners.
What Car consumer editor Claire Evans said: ‘There’s more to being a great home EV charger provider than offering high-tech units.
‘It’s also important to provide ongoing support for customers to ensure any issues are resolved swiftly and with minimal expense.
‘After all, a home wallbox is expensive to buy, and consumers don’t want to be left without assistance, or in the worst case scenario having to replace a unit if it suffers a serious fault.’
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