Home charger woes

[Rob-s5mok]

I'm sure lots of people have bought electric cars because they see them as the answer to questions or perspectives that are personal to them. I've ordered an iPace from Rockar, based on the premise that it's cheap on BIK (so I've bought it using company funds), I can drive it in London and my commute to work and general use fits with the profile. I also have solar panels at home (on which I get a hefty feed in tariff payment), so you could probably describe me as someone whose interest in EVs is more financial than evangelical. Plus, I'd like to see how practical it is to run one: I have access to other cars which I'll use when I can't be bothered to charge on the road: I can't ever see me stopping and sitting around while my car charges at some godforsaken hole of a services, because I see that as a waste of a life.

However, the whole premise of ownership begins to fall apart when you try and arrange to have a 7kW charged installed at home. I live in an old farmhouse with nothing else around me, my wife and I are 'empty nesters' but we have the temerity to own a washing machine and tumble drier, a power shower and an electric Aga cooker. Apparently these modest electrical items mean that I have to have a new fuse fitted by the local power company (and can I get an answer to when this might happen? No) before they can install the charger, as the total existing load might exceed 79A and the standard fuse is 100A. So I'm faced with the prospect of taking delivery of a car that I can only charge through a 13A socket, which could take >24 hours.

I'm rapidly losing enthusiasm. Am I unusual or is this a taste of what everyone will experience? I'm sure the charger installers will bend over backwards to give good customer service but the power companies will be their usual useless selves: we've been waiting a year for them to trim back some tress which are touching their powerlines in our field!

[Rob-s5mok]

kambites said:

RicksAlfas said:

When my main fuse blew it was replaced within the hour.
Maybe you could try plugging in everything you possess and see if you can blow the bugger?

The problem wont be physically replacing the fuse, any electrician can do that. The issue will be whatever tests they need to run on the cables leading ot the house to make sure they're up to it.

I'm sure that my MCBs would blow before the main fuse and anyway, it needs the 30A draw from the EV charger before we even have a chance of exceeding the 100A. I'm pretty sure we have enough power capacity in the cables: we have a transformer in our field that only services us and a sodding great cable that goes underground from the transformer to the house. The UK Power Networks email said '2. If yes, the meter tails will need to be upgraded to 35mm prior to UKPN’s attendance.', I'll check that tonight when I'm at home if I can see it in the kitchen cupboard, more for my own interest than anything else.

But my point is that to anyone who 'just wants a car', all this risks pushing EVs into the 'too much faff' category....and this is just the first ownership hurdle. I'm dreading having to deal with UKPN who are the definition of useless as they have a monopoly: I'm sure most people will just give up and order a PHEV or wait for hydrogen. Boris and his 2032/2035 promise already looks to me like the usual Governmental hot air (and just beyond when this current bunch of chancers have to worry about: by then it will be someone else's problem).

[Rob-s5mok]

Amateurish said:

I have installed a home charger in the same scenario as you describe without having to upgrade the 100A fuse. Mine was done by Pod Point and it has load balancing which varies the power to avoid tripping the main fuse.

Maybe they are a better option: Jaguar 'recommend' both Pod Point and Chargemaster: I opted for the latter for reasons that escape me now.....;-)

[Rob-s5mok]

In typical UK Power Networks style, we received an email today (from someone different at UKPN) saying "Thank you for your application, to install your electric vehicle charge point at xxxxxxx , it has been approved." Thank goodness, as the only upgrade from a 100A fuse looks like 3 phase. https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/electricity/fuse...

So Chargemaster is all paid up and they are coming to fit it on Monday, car arrives on Thursday. Hopefully I can make use of the solar panels and Eco7 electricity to charge up reasonably cost-effectively.