Last Updated on March 18, 2022 by
Electric cars are becoming more popular than ever, and thus so are their methods of charging. It can be annoying to have to add more time to your journey to account for charging your EV, especially as they can take hours to charge to full capacity!
Today we are going to be looking at how to charge your electric car from the comfort of your own home, saving you time, money, and stress.

How To Charge An Electric Car At Home?
When you purchase an electric vehicle, the supplier should offer you the chance to purchase a home wall box dedicated for home charging. A certified electrician will come and install this for you to ensure that it is done correctly.
These charging wall boxes allow you to charge your car throughout the night and top it up during the day if needs be. Charging at home can be cheaper and quicker than public charging ports, not to mention more convenient!
How Can I Charge My Electric Car At Home Without A Garage?
Not having a garage doesn’t mean that you cannot have a home charging station for your EV. As long as you have a dedicated place to park your vehicle overnight, you can install a wall box to an external wall or a freestanding pole.
A wall box charging station will be rated for outdoor use which means that it is safe to use in all weather conditions, so you don’t need a garage to protect the charger from the elements. While a garage to house your charger is convenient, it is not always necessary.
How To Charge An Electric Car With A 13 Amp Socket?
Any electric car sold to you from a supplier will come with a cable that can be used with a 3-pin 13-amp plug socket that you’d find inside a domestic house. These can be used to charge your car when you have no other options.
It is worth noting that these 3-pin chargers, otherwise known as granny cables, are only for emergency use only. They are not designed to be a long term solution for charging your vehicle.
13 amps will charge your car much slower than a higher amp charger designed for frequent use, so it should only be used for topping your car up in an emergency. Simply use the granny cable to connect your EV to a 13-amp socket and wait for your car to charge to however much range you require.
How Many Amps Do You Need To Charge An Electric Car?
The majority of electric vehicles take a charger offering 32 amps. This will offer around 25 miles of range for every hour, which is a good option for many electric car drivers. Most public charging ports will be 32-amps to offer this range per hour (RPH).
There is also a 50-amp charging port that is less commonly seen in public, but this can charge your EV faster so that it gains around 37 miles of range for every hour charged.
As you can see, a 13-amp socket is not ideal for frequent charging as it won’t offer your vehicle much RPH at all compared to other sockets designed for EV charging.
How Much It Costs To Charge An Electric Car At Home?

There are many variables that stand in the way of giving you a straight answer when it comes to prices of charging your EV at home. You will need to consider the size of your car’s battery, the cost of electricity from your supplier, and how much energy you will need.
A wall box is the fastest and best way to charge your car at home, although you can use a 3-pin socket as well.
On average, electricity costs 14 cents per kilowatt an hour (kWh). For a Nissan Leaf EV with a battery size of 40 kWh, you’d be paying around $6 for a 13-hour charge. However, as electricity costs lower during off-peak times, and you’ll likely be charging your EV overnight, the cost might be lower – around $4.
The Tesla S 100D houses the largest EV battery to date with a battery storage capacity of 100 kWh. This will cost around $14 to charge overnight, which is still considerably lower than the cost of filling up your tank with gas.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Charge An Electric Car?
The cheapest way to charge your EV is with a home wall box. Public charging ports are often more expensive as you are also paying the inflation that the company who owns the charging port has set.
For example, BP charge points allow you to pay contactless as a guest, but you will be required to pay the highest tariff of 35p per kWh. This is over double the cost that you would pay if charging your EV at home.
How Long It Takes To Charge An Electric Car At Home?
How long your car takes to charge depends on how large the battery is and what kind of socket you are using. Some smaller cars can be fully charged within just 30 minutes while other larger cars can take 12 hours.
The larger your battery is, the longer it will take to charge. You can prevent this from using a 50-amp charging port rather than a 32-amp alternative. There are other aspects that can affect how long it takes to charge your vehicle, such as weather, battery status, and maximum charging rate.
How Long Does It Take To Charge An Electric Car On A Regular Outlet?
Charging your car from a 13-amp domestic outlet will take much longer than using a charger designed for EV charging. You will be able to get around 48 miles of range with a 12 hour charging stint.
In comparison, you should be able to go from 0% charged to 100% charged with a 32-amp charger within just 9.5 hours.
Summary
Overall, it is best to charge your EV at home rather than at a public charging port. It is cheaper, faster, and much more convenient for you. You don’t need a garage, and you can even use a domestic plug in an emergency using your granny cable.
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