4 mistakes to avoid when buying a home EV charger
Electric vehicle (EV) home chargers continue to grow in popularity. Our experience in working with customers enables us to guide you into buying the right home EV charger.
While it’s important to understand all of the technical considerations around power and installation before you buy your EV charger, it’s equally important to get some of the softer considerations right. Think of your EV charger as a piece of external furniture on your home. You will probably be living with it for as long as you own your home. In addition, you will use it almost daily and will have it permanently fixed to your house. UK homeowners spend considerable time and money investing in their homes, and we think the same should go on your EV charger. It pays to do your research and spend wisely.
To help you avoid common assumptions and mistakes, we’ve summarised the four mistakes to avoid when buying a home EV charger.
Buying dumb
A ‘dumb’ charging station only charges the car and that’s it. But that’s a bit like buying an old-fashioned mobile phone that only allows you to make calls. It is not a great move if you want to future proof your charging. A smart EV home charger connects to WiFi. This means that this charger type is eligible for the OLEV grant. It should allow you to monitor your charging progress. Look for chargers that remotely lock or unlock. This handy feature will give you the ability to restrict the use of the unit to yourself and any friends or family you deem fit.
Buying a smart EV charger may allow you to program your start and finish charge times. Energy tariffs tend to be cheaper in the early hours of the morning therefore it makes sense to look for scheduling features. Some, even enable you to share charging from a solar power source. Lastly, look out for smart charge points that automatically update. This will improve your experience without you having to ask.
Tolerating messy cables
Don’t assume that messy cables hanging off the side of your house are the price you pay for going electric. At Andersen, our A2 charge point includes a cleverly hidden cable and plug storage design that completely hides the charging cable (and plug) out of sight. Our hidden cable is unique among other electric car home charging stations on the market. Take time to really consider where your cable will be kept. Will it be neat and tidy? Or will it look like a water hose pipe reel?
Settling for ugly aesthetics
It’s natural to want to take pride in the car we drive, and electric cars are no different. Today’s EV’s are sleek, beautiful pieces of machinery. Most electric car home chargers are not. Many buyers assume a home EV charger needs to look like the public EV charging points you see at motorway service stations. Thankfully, they don’t! Andersen EV are the leaders in elegant, aesthetically designed home car charging stations which has led us to be the recommended UK charging partner for Porsche GB. Our home EV chargers are sympathetically designed to be in keeping with the style and architecture of your home.
If you live in a conservation area or in Grade 2 listed property it is important to consider whether your EV charger will pass the many strict planning regulations that surround historical and UK council buildings. Our EV chargers comply!
Our customisable EV chargers come in an unrivalled choice of colours. 96 different colour combinations to be exact! We are the only EV charger company on the market that offers chargers with an eco-sourced Accoya timber front.
Missing the bigger investment picture
Home car charging solutions are rapidly becoming a great investment for your home and business. As the move to electric vehicles continues to gain momentum, the installation of home car charging points are already becoming desired value-adds to a property. As a result, many UK property developers have already installed EV chargers onto their high-end new build properties and domestic developments. EV home charging stations are actually known as a fixed appliance, it can’t be moved around like a piece of furniture and should have a good life expectancy, it pays to do your research. Understand the bigger picture and discover what features are important to you. Buy once and choose well.
