Home Charging

If you’ve made the switch or are looking to make the switch to a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or a full electric vehicle, you probably have some questions about charging.

In theory, charging an EV is simple; it’s just like a phone, plug it in and wait for it to fully charge. But, in reality, there are a few things you need to consider. How long will it take, will you do it at home or out and about, do you have the right cables and apps?

There are lots of questions and we’ve developed this page to help give you the answers to some of the more common ones.

Charging at home is probably the most convenient option.

Plug it in when you get home, schedule your charge via the App and when you are ready to use your vehicle again, it’s fully charged and ready to go.

If your home permits, we recommend you get a home chargepoint installed. It is possible to charge your EV using a three-pin plug (3kW), however we do not recommend that you do this all the time.

At Ayvens we are here to support you at every step of the journey to get your home chargepoint installed.

Ayvens has partnered with British Gas to offer you a complete home charge package. This package can be added to your car at the point of order, and includes:

• A 7kW home electric car charger
• 3-year hardware and install warranty
• Installation by a certified British Gas engineer
• Technical support and service team
• App with smart charging features - scheduling, charging and cost monitoring

You can pair and control your Home charge unit remotely, as well as monitoring usage and costs through the Hive app which is free for you to download. The Hive app can save you money on your energy, providing optimised charging by syncing with your energy tariff and enabling scheduled overnight charges (where you have dedicated EV tariffs). In addition, you will own the charge point following the end of your contract.

For more information you can view the British Gas brochure here. 

The type of property you live in, and when it was built, can effect whether or not you are able to have a home charge point fitted, if the government grant is available and whether any additional works are required to permit the installation. See below some of the options most similar to your home to see whether your home could be eligible.

Flat or Apartment

Those who live in high rise apartments but who do not live on the ground floor, tend not to be viable for a home charge point installation. This is because you don’t own the wall that the charge point will be mounted on. The same can be said for renting a property where the landlord will not give permission to install a charge point.

However there are grants available for Landlords so its worth checking with your landlord if this is something they will be able to look into.

You should also look at your workplace charging options and public charging options, as there might be more options than you might think.

Owned house built before 2008

If your home was built before 2008, you may need some additional works before a charge point can be installed. This doesn’t mean you won’t be eligible for a home charge point, but you will need to arrange and cover the cost of any additional work required yourself, prior to a home chargepoint installation.

It’s also important to remember that for a home chargepoint to be fitted, homes are required to have designated, private off-street parking that is directly linked to the home. Charge point installations that entail running cables across thresholds or frequently used pathways would not be able to have a chargepoint installed.

Owned house built after 2008

If you own your home and it was built after 2008, you will most likely be eligible for a home charge point to be installed.

It’s also important to remember that for a home chargepoint to be fitted, homes are required to have designated, private off-street parking that is directly linked to the home. Charge point installations that entail running cables across thresholds or frequently used pathways would not be able to have a chargepoint installed.

Rented House

You will need to obtain permission from your landlord to install a charge point, but as more and more people switch to EVs, a charge point could be a great benefit to a rented property. There are also grants available for Landlords so its worth checking with your landlord.

It’s also important to remember that for a home chargepoint to be fitted, homes are required to have designated, private off-street parking that is directly linked to the home. Charge point installations that entail running cables across thresholds or frequently used pathways would not be able to have a chargepoint installed.

As part of your new vehicle order you can add the cost of a home chargepoint and spread the cost across the contract term.

The type of property you live in, and when it was built, can effect whether or not you are able to have a home charge point fitted and whether any additional works are required to permit the installation. In order to evaluate whether your property would qualify for a standard install, and for further guidance, please select the most appropriate options for your home, using our ‘EV home charger pre-assessment’ tool above.

Please note that any additional costs outside of the standard installation will need to be covered by you.

Once you have added the charge point to your order and completed the order process, Ayvens will send the charge point request to our partner British Gas.

Most dedicated home charge points have either a standard Type 2 socket for your car’s charging cable to connect to, or a ‘tethered’ cable which can then plug into your car. Fortunately all new electric cars sold in the UK feature Type 2 connectors. This means compatibility shouldn’t be an issue and decisions can be made based on personal taste and usage. The majority of new EV’s are delivered with a 5m cable for type 2 charging. However this does vary manufacturer to manufacturer, with some charging extra for this cable, so it is worth double checking your order includes this.