Did you know that over 80% of Australian EV owners charge their vehicles at home? Many rely on the standard Trickle or Granny charger that comes with their EV, which, while convenient, can be slow and inefficient. Fortunately, there are faster and smarter alternatives available for home charging. By harnessing the power of smart technology, solar energy, and off-peak electricity rates, you can maximise your charging efficiency and reduce costs. In this comprehensive home charging guide, we’ll explore whether switching to a smart home charging solution is worth it for you.
* Data from ARENA. ** Data from AfMa
Charging your EV at home is the most cost-effective option compared to public charging stations, allowing EV owners to save up to 40% on electricity bills annually. Most Australian homes have an AC power supply with 220-240 volts. Typically, households use a single-phase power supply (7kW), though some have three-phase power (22kW). Additionally, over 30% of homes have rooftop solar panels, making it possible to charge your EV using free solar energy. Let’s explore the key benefits of home charging:
Home charging offers significantly lower rates compared to public stations. For example, electricity rates in NSW average around 30 cents per kWh, while public chargers can cost around 60 cents per kWh. That’s a 30-cent saving per kWh, which can add up to about $650 per year based on an average driving range and consumption of 18 kWh per 100 km. You can save even more by charging during off-peak hours when rates are lower, or during the day if you have solar panels, using free energy from the sun. For more detailed savings, check out our EV charging cost comparison calculator.
Charging at home means you never have to search for public chargers, wait in line, or worry about station breakdowns. You can charge your vehicle anytime from the comfort of your home, making it a more reliable and convenient solution. With a smart home charger, you can manage your charging sessions through a mobile app, schedule charging during off-peak hours, utilize excess solar power, start or stop charging with a tap, monitor usage, and much more—all from one place. No more constant checks to see if your vehicle is fully charged.
Home charging also helps maintain your EV’s battery health. While DC fast charging at public stations is quicker, frequent use can degrade the battery over time. In contrast, charging at home using AC power is gentler on the battery, promoting longer battery life and ensuring your EV remains efficient over the long run.
Now that you’re aware of the benefits of charging an EV at home, it’s important to consider the following key points:
Every EV has an On Board Controller (OBC). It is an interface that manages the communication between your EV and the charging unit. EV batteries require DC to charge, so if you are using an AC charger (primarily the standard Level 1 or Level 2 residential charging unit), you’ll need a converter or regulator between the charging socket and the battery – this is primarily what the OBC does! It serves as a regulator, receiving the AC charge from the charging unit, and converting it to DC voltage (needed by the EV’s battery) at the required level.
Considering the role that the OBC plays in the EV, when purchasing a charging unit you will need to consider how much charging times really matter to you. To assess this better, understanding the interplay between the maximum charge rate that an EV is able to consume (based on the EV’s OBC) and the maximum output the charging unit can supply, is beneficial to your understanding of charging times. If your EV has an OBC charge rate of 7kw and you are using a 22kw charging unit, your EV will not charge any faster than 7kw. Equally if your vehicle has an OBC of 10kw (therefore able to consume a maximum charge rate of 10kw), however you are using a 7kw ChargePoint – your EV will charge at 7kw regardless. So in this instance, it is recommended that you choose a charging unit that corresponds to your property’s power capacity.
Other factors to consider when assessing charging times include
🔋 Battery capacity: The larger the capacity of the battery, the longer it will take to charge. This also applies to the level of depletion of the battery (eg. an empty battery will take longer to fully charge than a half-full battery).
⚡ State of Charge: It is recommended to keep your EV battery charging status between 20-80% full. When charging outside of this range, it is known to cause charging to slow down.
Having an awareness of the electrical capacity of your property is crucial when choosing a charging unit. Most residential households are equipped with single phase (1-phase) switchboards, and commercial buildings are usually equipped with 3-phase switchboards. However, this is not always the case, and there is no harm in double checking. There is no point purchasing a charging unit that does not complement the electrical capacity of your property. Doing so is hazardous to both the electrical system of the property as well as the charging unit itself.
There are several ways to finding out the electrical capacity of your property’s switchboard. One of the easiest ways, is by simply checking your properties switchboard. A single-phase switchboard ultimately has the main switch lever (one pole wide). A 3-phase switchboard has 3 main switch levers (3 poles wide and looks like a triple switch). Other ways of checking whether your property is 1-phase or 3-phase is by checking in and calling your utility company, or asking an electrician to come out and have a look.
Residential charging units currently come as either Level 1 or Level 2 charging units. The primary difference between the two is their rate of charge and in turn, the speed in which they can charge your EV.
This is basic home charging where you plug the car into a standard 240-volt socket. While convenient, it is the slowest method, offering about 2.3kW of power through a normal 10-amp socket. Although they are generally used as portable charging units, it is recommended that a distinct charging point be Installed by a professional electrician in each of the locations (eg. home, and a secondary address) they are to be used, to meet the electrical supply needed for optimal use (and cater for the amp model chosen). Due to their slower rate of charge (in comparison to level 2 charging units), they do not have the capacity to fully charge your EV overnight and are not recommended for everyday use, however their portability makes them an excellent solution for frequent travellers who need to top up on the go, workers who need a quick top up while at work, and as a secondary charger. EV powerHouse stocks a range of high-end, portable charging units, to check out our full range of portable charging units.
NOTE: If it is not possible to install a distinct charging point by a professional electrician in each of the locations, and a standard house plug is to be used, EV PowerHouse also has a range of TCL leads (10amp) which may interest you – these leads do not need any additional wiring or installation by an electrician.
Level 2 charging units, on the other hand, are predominantly hardwired units that need to be installed by a certified electrician. Depending on the kw power chosen at the time of purchase (7kw, 11kw, 22kw), they are capable of omitting a voltage of up to 240 volts, classing them as a long-term, fast, reliable, everyday solution for fully charging your EV in as little as 4 hours – overnight. Level 2 charging units have many variations, each with an array of features (solar-powered, SMART, touch screen, etc.). EV powerHouse stocks a range of high-quality, Level 2 charging units.
Charging units vary in terms of power, brand, features, cable length, aesthetic presentation, and the way a client intends to use it. So when it comes to choosing a home charging unit most people feel overwhelmed and inundated with all the differences between them, for this reason it is imperative to take a moment and really think about, the indoor or outdoor setting it will be used (ease of access, the type of aesthetic look you like (tethered or untethered), which necessities and features you need from this charger, the importance of charging times to you, and if the possibility of making revenue off housemates interests you (if applicable to your living arrangement).
Below are a few key questions to ask yourself as well as recommendations from us at EV PowerHouse to help guide you in the right direction.
When deciding on a location to install your charging unit, keep in mind that if your switchboard and the chosen location of your charging unit are in close proximity of each other (eg. the switchboard is located in the garage, and you also intend to install your charger in the garage, or the switchboard is located in the driveway outdoor, and you also intend to install your charger in the driveway outdoors) there will be less cabling work to be done by the electrician. However, if this is not the situation (eg. the switchboard is located inside the property, and you intend to install your charger in the driveway) you will need to discuss cabling solutions with the certified electrician installing the charger (eg. perhaps the cabling could run through the ceiling or underneath the house).
It has also been found that when charging an EV outside, colder external temperatures make the charging process slightly longer as electricity flow is reduced in cold weather. However, this consequence is more apparent through the use of Rapid chargers, and due to the generally warm Australian climate this isn’t an issue we are greatly affected by.
If you are planning on parking your EV outside it is worth noting that the charging unit chosen should be deemed weatherproof and hold a high IP rating, to protect the charging unit from the natural external elements (rain, hail, sun damage, dust).
What is an IP rating? Currently IP ratings are made up of two numbers (eg. IP67). The first number (in this example, the 6) is indictive of how well protected the unit is from debris and solids (eg. dust), the second number (in this example, the 7) is indictive of how well protected the unit is from moisture and liquids (eg. rainwater).
EV PowerHouse prides itself on the quality of its products and have made sure that all charging units supplied by us, have high IP ratings and are sturdy enough to be labelled as weather resistant and safe to be installed and use in both indoor and outdoor settings.
As the name suggests a tethered charger has the charging unit itself as well as the 5m cable bound together as one unit (EV powerHouse does not supply tethered units with cabling less than 5m as we believe in providing our clients with ease of access and practicality no matter which way they park the EV). It is imperative to note that the majority of tethered charging units supplied by EV PowerHouse are Level 2 charging units (although we do also supply Level 3) making them the ideal charging unit for home use. The downside to purchasing a tethered unit is that the user is responsible for winding the cable back up and stowing it away neatly to avoid the risk of driving over it and potentially damaging it. On this note, however, EV PowerHouse has you covered as we supply a range of cable holders and reels to make cable storage that little bit easier.Another downside is that if the tethered charging unit is to be used in conjunction with an older make of EV that requires a Type 1 cable, an adapter will need to be purchased in order for the Type 1 cable to be able to connect to the Type 2 cable bound to the charging unit.
Known as the ‘universal’ charging unit, an untethered (socket-based) charging unit is primarily a Type 2 charging unit that can accommodate a range of exchangeable EV cables (Type 1 to Type 2 or Type 2 to Type 2). This charging unit is particularly excellent in households that house both type 1 and type 2 EVs, as it can cater to both types, ridding you of the expense of purchasing multiple charging units to accommodate each EV. Often the cable that you will plug into the untethered charging unit is provided with your EV, however, not all EV manufacturers supply these at the time of sale, and they will need to be purchased separately. For ease of access and practicality EV PowerHouse goes one step further by shelving varying cable lengths (5m, 7m and 10m) to choose from when purchasing an untethered charging unit. Cables 5 meters or greater in length are highly recommended to charge the vehicle, no matter how it is parked.
Another benefit of having an untethered (socket-based) charging unit is that as there are no cables on display in turn the charger itself is more aesthetically pleasing as it not only takes up less space but there are no dangling cables to worry about. On this note, however, a minor inconvenience with these units is the user’s responsibility to plug in/ unplug the cables and store them accordingly at each charging session. To check out our range of cable storage solutions and accessories.
Conventional Charging units (Dumb chargers) do not connect to an app and are primarily the ‘plug and play’ variation of charging units (adaptable to Level 1 and Level 2 charging sockets). They are just as capable of charging an EV as fast as a Smart charging unit and are suitable for clients who are looking for a simple solution to charge their EV without all the bells and whistles. However, it is imperative to note that they do possess limitations.
Dumb chargers do not compliment the energy needs of your EV in that, as long as they are plugged in they will continuously charge until the EV battery is full. This serves as problematic because in adhering to best practice, and for optimal use of the EV battery, a battery should remain between 20 – 80% charged at any given time, where smart charging units can be set to charge to a certain percentage, Dumb chargers cannot. Another limitation of ‘Dumb charging units’ is their inability to view real-time charging data and be programmed to charge for a certain period for example during off peak hours, in turn being more costly than it has to be.
Just when you thought that EV charging units could not possibly get any more environmentally sustainable along comes the ‘Smart charger’. The foremost and most notably differential feature between a Smart charging unit and a conventional one, is that through the use of an app, a Smart charging unit not only allows the user to manually schedule charging sessions to off-peak usage times, but to also adjust and regulate the current (voltage/amperage) being ejected. In turn, further bringing down one’s carbon off-set and electricity consumption (by up to 30%), and putting even more money back in to your pocket.
A remarkable feature of Smart charging units is the ability to set up ‘Load Balancing’. Through the use of the app, you are able to distribute your homes energy capacity amongst the EV charging unit and other appliances in your home. The two main advantages of using the ‘Load Balancing’ feature is its ability to protect your home from a power-trip episode, and also protect your pocket from surcharges on your next power bill from your energy provider (for exceeding your homes maximum energy consumption). When you are nearing your maximum energy consumption, the charger will automatically reduce its energy expenditure during a charging session (and may even halt it altogether) until adequate energy levels become available. In turn preventing you from exceeding your homes maximum energy consumption, protecting your home and your pocket.
Another feature which makes Smart chargers unique is that some Smart charging units are multi-user friendly and allow you to set up a pin code for each individual user for the purpose of not only accessibility, but also history tracking and usage monitoring. This data can then be used to calculate the cost of each individual’s energy usage, and in turn users are able to pay for their energy consumption from any location at any time, through the app, making charging roommates or guests a breeze.
Although some conventional charging units do display an inbuilt screen, the functions of this screen are limited and are primarily used to display the charging status, voltage/amperage used, power consumption, battery percentage, and session length. In comparison, the Smart charging unit enables you to not only access all these monitoring qualities, but also enables you to adjust the current (voltage/amperage) being ejected, track the charging history and use of the charging unit itself, as well as stop and start the charging process, all remotely using an app downloadable to your smart device.
Smart charging units are secured with an ‘onboard intelligence’ feature, meaning that if the WIFI internet connection is disturbed (eg. power outage or connectivity blackspots in your garage), through the use of Bluetooth or 4G connectivity the charging unit is able to resume functioning (without the need for WIFI).
When installed correctly and used properly, Our charging stations are quality products that need little to no maintenance. In the event of malfunction or damage all parts of EV PowerHouse charging units are replaceable. It has built-in online connectivity functions allow our expert team and clients to remotely diagnose and repair the unit. An important feature to equip our clients with extra protection in the event of a glitch in the charging unit being used.
This question has a number of factors to take into consideration to give a precise answer, but in the most average of situations in which the house has a 1-phase power supply, the following charging units would be capable to omit:
Thankfully all EV Powerhouse Type 2 charging units (both portable or fixed) are compatible with all EV vehicle manufacturers. For added peace of mind also note that most EV vehicles are supplied with additional adapters (making EV vehicles even more versatile).
Charging units vary in terms of power, cable length, aesthetic presentation, and the way a client intends to use it (everyday use, personal use, back up charging unit, for use in multiple locations, etc). To help aid clients in choosing which charging unit is most suitable for their EV vehicle, feel free to use the EV PowerHouse Search & Find tool, or alternatively contact EVpowerhouse through our Contact Us page, and our team of experts would be more than happy to assist you in finding the right charging unit for your vehicle.
If you want to charge your EV at home, let us know through the callback request form. One of our friendly EV charging experts will get in touch as soon as possible to help you find the right charger.
1300 710 275
info@evpowerhouse.com.au
