Charging an EV at your relatives house. Etiquette?
Discussion
So thinking about getting an EV as my next car, and it got me thinking about all the longer journeys I make, which are generally to my wifes relatives. Certainly with the current charger infrastructure and battery technology, I couldn’t get there and back without a top up.
So what’s the etiquette here with charging your car at their house? I know the answer is fairly straightforward as far as in you need to do it, but it just feels a bit odd asking to use their electric. Also how much do you give? Again I know the kwh calculations can be done, but I can see this being a source of a few disagreements with some people over exactly how much was used and how much it actually cost.
It’s going to be a problem a lot of us face in the not too distant future. Very interested to hear others thoughts, especially from thosr already doing it.
So what’s the etiquette here with charging your car at their house? I know the answer is fairly straightforward as far as in you need to do it, but it just feels a bit odd asking to use their electric. Also how much do you give? Again I know the kwh calculations can be done, but I can see this being a source of a few disagreements with some people over exactly how much was used and how much it actually cost.
It’s going to be a problem a lot of us face in the not too distant future. Very interested to hear others thoughts, especially from thosr already doing it.
stargazer30 said:
As a one off or only on occasion I wouldn’t be bothered personally. You’ll cost your host more on tea and biscuits than leccy. When I had my Zoe we did 10k a year and we barely used £30 a month charging it.
Yeah I get that. No problem with asking very close family, parents etc. However we all have some relatives that are either a bit tight or not as close, who we visit out of necessity. While they will probably would say it’s fine, what they are actually saying internally is ‘here comes that cheeky git plugging his car into our leccy again’.
Ham_and_Jam said:
stargazer30 said:
As a one off or only on occasion I wouldn’t be bothered personally. You’ll cost your host more on tea and biscuits than leccy. When I had my Zoe we did 10k a year and we barely used £30 a month charging it.
Yeah I get that. No problem with asking very close family, parents etc. However we all have some relatives that are either a bit tight or not as close, who we visit out of necessity. While they will probably would say it’s fine, what they are actually saying internally is ‘here comes that cheeky git plugging his car into our leccy again’.
Ham_and_Jam said:
So thinking about getting an EV as my next car, and it got me thinking about all the longer journeys I make, which are generally to my wifes relatives. Certainly with the current charger infrastructure and battery technology, I couldn’t get there and back without a top up.
So what’s the etiquette here with charging your car at their house? I know the answer is fairly straightforward as far as in you need to do it, but it just feels a bit odd asking to use their electric. Also how much do you give? Again I know the kwh calculations can be done, but I can see this being a source of a few disagreements with some people over exactly how much was used and how much it actually cost.
It’s going to be a problem a lot of us face in the not too distant future. Very interested to hear others thoughts, especially from thosr already doing it.
If a friend turned up at mine in an electric car and asked if they could plug it in I wouldn't mind in the slightest. I'd expect that if it happened more than once or twice they'd bring me some beers round or a bottle of wine etc. I wouldn't ask for this but I presume any reasonable person would feel obliged to do it.So what’s the etiquette here with charging your car at their house? I know the answer is fairly straightforward as far as in you need to do it, but it just feels a bit odd asking to use their electric. Also how much do you give? Again I know the kwh calculations can be done, but I can see this being a source of a few disagreements with some people over exactly how much was used and how much it actually cost.
It’s going to be a problem a lot of us face in the not too distant future. Very interested to hear others thoughts, especially from thosr already doing it.
Your comment about potential arguments about the exact cost is possibly a bit telling though. I'm not interested in the exact cost or even the rough cost. If a conversation like that is likely to come up then it's already something that would irritate me about the person asking. Don't be that guy who works out what your meal cost at a restaurant and pay exactly that.
Edited by Richard-D on Saturday 12th December 13:40
Jaguar steve said:
You're a guest in somebody's home.
Rather vulgar manners to impose on their hospitality by asking but perfectly acceptable if they offer.
That one's a bit tricky as they may have no idea you need to charge to get home. If someone turned up at mine in an electric car I wouldn't assume they needed to charge it. I'd be upset though if I found they had a nightmare journey on their way home as it had gone flat and they couldn't find a working charger. Rather vulgar manners to impose on their hospitality by asking but perfectly acceptable if they offer.
If they have a proper EV charger they’ll “get it” and it will be no problem. My brother and now have this so it’s obvious when we visit it each other at 100 miles apart we’ll pop our cars on charge.
If they don’t, what’s the point? Trail a lead from a 3-pin socket all afternoon just to get a marginal range increase and save yourself an extra few minutes at the rapid charger you’d still have to use anyway?
It obviously depends on the car / battery size / efficiency and the difference the charge would make to your journey. If it were a remote location without many chargers around and you were spending all weekend there it would obviously be in your interest to try and plug it in but I would clear this with the host ahead of the journey and offer to cover all cost.
If they don’t, what’s the point? Trail a lead from a 3-pin socket all afternoon just to get a marginal range increase and save yourself an extra few minutes at the rapid charger you’d still have to use anyway?
It obviously depends on the car / battery size / efficiency and the difference the charge would make to your journey. If it were a remote location without many chargers around and you were spending all weekend there it would obviously be in your interest to try and plug it in but I would clear this with the host ahead of the journey and offer to cover all cost.
Richard-D said:
Jaguar steve said:
You're a guest in somebody's home.
Rather vulgar manners to impose on their hospitality by asking but perfectly acceptable if they offer.
That one's a bit tricky as they may have no idea you need to charge to get home. If someone turned up at mine in an electric car I wouldn't assume they needed to charge it. I'd be upset though if I found they had a nightmare journey on their way home as it had gone flat and they couldn't find a working charger. Rather vulgar manners to impose on their hospitality by asking but perfectly acceptable if they offer.
I'd suggest not putting yourself in the potential embarrassment of that situation in the first place by making sure you had enough range to get you there and back, and if you didn't then make other arrangements instead. But if you absolutely must sponge some juice then certainly a oblique approach resultant from a discussion of the pros and cons of EVs rather than a direct ask would be better.
Firstly as this will be a regular journey, and as you have not bought the EV yet, you need to prepare the groundwork.
Discuss the fact you are thinking it with them, and they may raise the subject themselves (always better that way). In these situations a gift of some roughly equivalent value if probably best. Whether the fact you have visited, and therefore have spent petrol diesel or electricity to get there, is largely immaterial. It is the presumption that they will top your vehicle up for free that is the issue.
They may well offer that, but initially I would ensure they would find that acceptable (and the practicalities exist), and offer something. You may find that they become so interested in the idea that they go EV.
Discuss the fact you are thinking it with them, and they may raise the subject themselves (always better that way). In these situations a gift of some roughly equivalent value if probably best. Whether the fact you have visited, and therefore have spent petrol diesel or electricity to get there, is largely immaterial. It is the presumption that they will top your vehicle up for free that is the issue.
They may well offer that, but initially I would ensure they would find that acceptable (and the practicalities exist), and offer something. You may find that they become so interested in the idea that they go EV.
Jaguar steve said:
Richard-D said:
Jaguar steve said:
You're a guest in somebody's home.
Rather vulgar manners to impose on their hospitality by asking but perfectly acceptable if they offer.
That one's a bit tricky as they may have no idea you need to charge to get home. If someone turned up at mine in an electric car I wouldn't assume they needed to charge it. I'd be upset though if I found they had a nightmare journey on their way home as it had gone flat and they couldn't find a working charger. Rather vulgar manners to impose on their hospitality by asking but perfectly acceptable if they offer.
I'd suggest not putting yourself in the potential embarrassment of that situation in the first place by making sure you had enough range to get you there and back, and if you didn't then make other arrangements instead. But if you absolutely must sponge some juice then certainly a oblique approach resultant from a discussion of the pros and cons of EVs rather than a direct ask would be better.
This just goes to prove that it's a potentially tricky subject though. Neither of us would mind if it was approached in the right way but we both have differing opinions on what that way should be.
If you really need it, you need it. And politeness goes out the window. I had to charge whilst parked on someone’s front lawn once! It was an unexpected important journey and out of my control.
If you can do without via proper planning, that’s easier and the way to do it.
If they have an ev charger then different story and it’s fair game , much like when enemies exchange cigarettes.
If you can do without via proper planning, that’s easier and the way to do it.
If they have an ev charger then different story and it’s fair game , much like when enemies exchange cigarettes.
Politeness doesn't go out the window. If someone took that stance with me expecting to charge their car they could go and have their breakdown wherever their charge ran out 
. Seeing people's differing opinions on this is putting me off considering replacing one of our cars with an EV.
. Seeing people's differing opinions on this is putting me off considering replacing one of our cars with an EV. Edited by Richard-D on Saturday 12th December 14:42
Richard-D said:
Politeness doesn't go out the window. If someone took that stance with me expecting to charge their car they could go and have their breakdown wherever their charge ran out . Seeing people's differing opinions on this is putting me off considering replacing one of our cars with an EV.
One of your cars... There you are . Seeing people's differing opinions on this is putting me off considering replacing one of our cars with an EV. Edited by Richard-D on Saturday 12th December 14:42
The polite option of course would be take the appropriate car for the journey and avoid the potentially tricky situation altogether.
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