29 May Don’t panic…. Home Electric Car Charging explained
So, you’re thinking about making the change to an electric car and you’ve been looking into car leasing companies who offer electric car leases and green car leasing and here at Voltz you’ve now found the best electric car lease deals, but what about charging?
The cheapest and most convenient way to charge up is at home. You can of course charge via your domestic 3 pin plug but this will take some time, your vehicle will usually come equipped with the cables to do this. The best method is to have an electric charging wallbox fitted, this will dramatically reduce the time it takes to charge, typically 2.5 x faster than a 3-pin plug.
Home Electric Vehicle charging has never been easier with a choice of charging wall boxes available, they are small and discreet and can come with a tethered cable or a removable one, your choice. They often have wi-fi capability meaning that you can control the charging via an app on your phone. The speed at which they charge your car will differ depending on the electricity output of the charger. There is an ever-growing network of installation companies to choose from and they will walk you through the options. They will also help you to access the OLEV government grant scheme. The scheme offers you up to 75% towards the cost of installing a charging unit (up to £500) which means you could have one for as little as £125 fully installed! Making eco car leasing even more accessible and economical.
How much will it cost me to charge my car I hear you ask? Well this is simple to calculate, no really, I promise it is. An electric car comes with a battery capacity figure (e.g. 62 KW/h for a Nissan Leaf), simply times this number by the cost of your electricity in KW/h (this will be outlined in your electricity bill) and this will give you the cost for a full battery charge.
62 KW/h x 11.84p per KW/h = £7.34 to fully charge a Nissan Leaf, giving a real-world range of 220 miles.
42 KW/h x 11.4p per KW/h = £4.70 to fully charge a BWM i3s giving a real-world range of 140 mile.
90 KW/h x 11.4p per KW/h = £10.26 to fully charge a Jaguar ipace , giving a real-world range of 235 miles.
Of course, the cost of your electricity will play a big role here. Most suppliers will offer a cheaper rate, perhaps an Economy 7 tariff or “smart” tariff if you have a smart meter fitted. It may be beneficial for you to contact your supplier and ask them about the deals they offer specifically for Electric Vehicle Drivers. These are often for cheaper electricity used at “off peak” times and are usually 100% green energy to boot! The energy companies promise to match your consumption with electricity derived from renewable sources.
British Gas Green Drive offers off peak electricity from 12.30am – 7.30 am at 11.84p per KW/h
OVO Energy’s EV Everywhere deal offers a standard rate of 16.93p per KH/h + a free 2-year PolarPlus subscription (for charging on the go at PolarPlus charge points) + a discounted smart home charger.
So, whether economy or ecology is your main drive towards considering an electric car lease, the boxes are ticked, and it has never been easier to have your very own charger fitted at home. Think of the money that you can save, not only from getting the cheapest electric car leasing deal from us here at Voltz Leasing but also the saving you’ll make on running costs.