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Home Charger worth it with free charging at work

MG ONE

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MG ZS EV
Hi all, new to the forum getting a MG ZS EV 2022 in April (Yay). I have a question about charging, at my current work place 5 minute drive down the road I get free 7.2kw charging. They have 8 chargers installed.

I am considering if its worth paying 600-600 quid to get a home charger. I currently have an outdoor socket only.

I am thinking if I can charge at work say twice a week, I am allowed to come in during covid, then its a no brainer just to save £700 a and use the granny charger if I need to at home.

What do you guys reckon?
 
Great plan.
Are you able to leave the car charging over night if you found yourself at say under 50% with a unplanned trip the next day?
Obviously you could use your granny or find a rapid as a last resort.
Try it for a few months and see. Are more employees likely to get EV's?
I would still get smart meters installed for the future
 
I have a smart meter with Utilita. Don't think many people will be using the chargers especially Monday and Friday when the office is empty. The reason I am considering a charger now is because of the gov grant which is ending soon. So if I do not get a charger now but one in the future it will cost me £1000+ say. I have also got a free BP Pulse membership with £360 of credit from the lease company.
 
Hi all, new to the forum getting a MG ZS EV 2022 in April (Yay). I have a question about charging, at my current work place 5 minute drive down the road I get free 7.2kw charging. They have 8 chargers installed.

I am considering if its worth paying 600-600 quid to get a home charger. I currently have an outdoor socket only.

I am thinking if I can charge at work say twice a week, I am allowed to come in during covid, then its a no brainer just to save £700 a and use the granny charger if I need to at home.

What do you guys reckon?
Yes! Save your money!
 
Depends how long you intend to stay in your current house (and current job). I installed a home charger even though I have charging at work. Haven't got the car to see how it works out but I took the plunge based on convenience. I know I will be in this house for another 10 years. Job won't last that long. Even with free work charging there will be times when I need a boost. Granny charger just sounded painful in comparison to external home charger.

No financial sense in the decision but it's not all about the money.
 
Hi
I had the same problem to buy or not to buy
I too can charge at work for free
But I have a Lidl with a 50 kwh charger less than a mile away
So I have the best of both worlds if I need a quick top up off to Lidl I go and free overnight charging at work
So no brainier really keep the money in the bank it’s not as though it’s a vast amount that will be lost after march
If it was £1000 grant then it would have been a different story
😃👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
 
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Don't forget you'll also need to consider your balancing charge every month - yes, you can do it on a granny charger but it will take longer (maybe do it over a weekend or the days when you're at home and not going to be using the car?). However, like some of those who've already responded, I've got my home charger for convenience and to take advantage of the Grant before it gets axed!

As Jomarkh says, I'd try it for a couple of months and see if it works. If it's not convenient or the work chargers become unavailable get an application for a home charger in sharpish! :D

Cheers

Bloggsy
 
I'd hold off on a decision.
I don't think grant removal will have a pro-rate impact.
 
Don't forget you'll also need to consider your balancing charge every month - yes, you can do it on a granny charger but it will take longer (maybe do it over a weekend or the days when you're at home and not going to be using the car?). However, like some of those who've already responded, I've got my home charger for convenience and to take advantage of the Grant before it gets axed!

As Jomarkh says, I'd try it for a couple of months and see if it works. If it's not convenient or the work chargers become unavailable get an application for a home charger in sharpish! :D

Cheers

Bloggsy
Balancing takes the same length of time on a granny or a 7KW as the car takes around 500W only during the balance.
I've only used a granny for the past 2 years at 12,000 miles per year. It takes slightly more planning but I've never needed a faster overnight charge. I use the EDF 98 hr cheap rate tariff.
 
Hi MG one, first off welcome to the forums here’s my opinion and answer to your question, if You can charge without any problem or restrictions at your place of work, you would be mad to pay out for a home unit that you might never use and why should you as you will also be paying for the electricity that you use, and if things do change on that score then you can buy one then i for one never believed in the grant as I think they where (the chargers that is ) being over priced because of it, also you don’t get the grant money the installer does, and I bet when it stops prices won’t change much if at all but that’s just my view, so what have you to lose charge at work use the granny or a rapid if you need to as overs have said already and I agree
Les
 
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Yes I think I will leave it for now. My worry is my electric bill is very high now, as it will be even higher if I charge at home therefore its a no brainer saving £700 and free electric at work. Say I get 250 mile range, I do not travel 250 miles a week, unless going on a long trip then I will not be able to charge at home.

Every day I go to work I will effectively be able to charge my car to 100 percent and no worries.

Do you guys reckon the cost of the charger will not shoot up to £1000 after the grant?
 
Yes I think I will leave it for now. My worry is my electric bill is very high now, as it will be even higher if I charge at home therefore its a no brainer saving £700 and free electric at work. Say I get 250 mile range, I do not travel 250 miles a week, unless going on a long trip then I will not be able to charge at home.

Every day I go to work I will effectively be able to charge my car to 100 percent and no worries.

Do you guys reckon the cost of the charger will not shoot up to £1000 after the grant?
The price will go up for a time I think but will fall again as competition bites.
 
Like others I can currently charge at work for free. (140kw solar array). However work is a 70 mile round trip, only 2 chargers and I do have occasions that I take 2+ weeks off work for holidays etc. To me it seemed sensible to invest in a home charger and mentally include it in the cost for the car.

Work may not always be free to charge, I may not always have access to a charger.

Time will tell on pricing post-grant, but I don't expect it to drop £350.
 
Yes I think I will leave it for now. My worry is my electric bill is very high now, as it will be even higher if I charge at home therefore its a no brainer saving £700 and free electric at work. Say I get 250 mile range, I do not travel 250 miles a week, unless going on a long trip then I will not be able to charge at home.

Every day I go to work I will effectively be able to charge my car to 100 percent and no worries.

Do you guys reckon the cost of the charger will not shoot up to £1000 after the grant?
Hi again, charge at work for free but please please don’t charge to 100% every day the batteries have a happy zone somewhere between about 30- 80% and charging to 100% every day is not good Practice at all, around once a month is what is recommended along with balancing at the end so by keeping the battery in the happy zone and do a full charge and balance once every 4/6 weeks would be best for you and the car, of course if you intend doing a long run the next day you might need a full charge so that’s fine this is one of the things about owning an EV any EV they need some forward planning from time to time.

As to your charger if they do go up in price you still don’t need one in your situation. i think you have had a few reply’s about that already and your electricity cost for the car are about the best I know so enjoy it.
Les
 
Yes I think I will leave it for now. My worry is my electric bill is very high now, as it will be even higher if I charge at home therefore its a no brainer saving £700 and free electric at work. Say I get 250 mile range, I do not travel 250 miles a week, unless going on a long trip then I will not be able to charge at home.

Every day I go to work I will effectively be able to charge my car to 100 percent and no worries.

Do you guys reckon the cost of the charger will not shoot up to £1000 after the grant?
In terms of your electricity bill. Yes it will increase if you charge at home. Your fuel bill will reduce by more. Doesn’t matter where you spend the money really as you are ahead every month. Don’t even have to pay for the electricity as you use it like you do at the gas station.
 
My situation has some similarities. I have an MG5 LR on order. My place of work has two free 7Kw chargers but in my case I'm not there and even in normal times I'm only in the office 3 days a week. Plus my office is not exactly 5 minutes walk away.

With that in mind I decided to order a home charger (a SyncEV through Smart Home Charge) as I'm more likely to charge from home.
 
It is good to have both options. For myself my work chargers have gone faulty....so glad to have a charger at home
 
I got my mk1 ZS EV last May and I filled in the paperwork to get a podpoint installed but I think I was dealing with an administrator because even though I sent in a copy of my electrical certificate for the house showing it was suitable and also photos of my 100 amp mains fuse, earthing, cabling etc they said they were putting my installation on hold and I need to get my electrician to confirm all the things I had already confirmed! As a recently retired electrician it made me wonder how average people got through to the actual installation. By the time we got to that stage we had had the car for almost 3 months and had not really needed the home charger. Plugged in at Tesco when we went shopping and topped up with the granny charger over night plus using DC rapid charger when travelling on longer trips. I also find that the cost for electricity at home, since my provider went bust, is not much less than a lot of the commercial DC chargers I have used on the motorway services.
 
I also find that the cost for electricity at home, since my provider went bust, is not much less than a lot of the commercial DC chargers I have used on the motorway services.
Don't worry, they'll be hiking their prices soon once the increase in energy costs hits their profits...
 
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