Charging electric vehicles (EVs) at home

Charging an electric vehicle overnight, at home, is the most convenient way for most people to charge their EV. Electricity companies are increasingly incentivising EV users, to charge during the middle of the day, to make the most of cheaper off-peak electricity rates and abundant solar generation. With a Time of Use electricity tariff:

• EVs can be charged overnight at the same rate as off-peak hot water.
• Solar sponge tariffs provide an additional super off-peak period in the middle of the day.

A smart charger (see below) can make it easy to charge at the cheapest times and save the most money. 

Home chargers

Level 1 Plug in charger (2kW-3.6kW or 10-15Amps)

Level 1 Plug in charger (2kW - 3.6kW or 10 - 15 Amps) Plug into a regular home power point.   Adds between 10km's and 20km's range per hour charged.   Sometimes referred to as a ‘destination charger’ and often included in the boot with the purchase of an electric car.

Level 2 Wall mount charger (7-11 kW or 30-100 Amps)

Level 2 Wall mount charger (7-11kW) Adds up to 40km of range per hour charged (single phase), or 70km of range per hour charged (three phase) depending on charger and vehicle.  In South Australia, level 2 chargers need an exemption from SA Power Networks to be connected. Your electrician can apply for this exemption using SmartApply.

 

Smart Charger

Smart charger

A smart home charger includes extra features to make it easy to save money and coordinate with other household energy devices, like solar. Smart chargers can:

• Be configured to automatically manage time and rate of charging, lowering household energy bills.
• Control charging times and monitor energy use through apps. 
• Integrate into a Home Energy Management System to coordinate between other energy devices like solar and batteries.

Some models of smart charger can also monitor your solar generation to maximise its use.

If you are renovating or building, you should consider future-proofing your home by having a dedicated Electric Vehicle circuit installed to a convenient location for the installation of a smart charger in the future.  

To install a smart charger in your home, an installer or retailer will submit your connection application to SA Power Networks on your behalf using SmartApply. Please see our Installing a Charger page for more information. 

Vehicle-to-Load / Vehicle-to-Grid / Vehicle-to-Home 

A number of electric cars on the market today support Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), allowing you to power appliances from power outlets provided within the vehicles. 

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) / Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) is an emerging technology where the power in the car battery can supply your house or be exported to the grid. This technology can be used to avoid peak electricity pricing or supply your home during a blackout. 

While this technology is currently in trial, we anticipate this could become a standard feature of EVs and their smart chargers over time. 

Ready to install an electric car charger?

Find out more about installing an electric car charger.