Home charging point

[Daviddunlop83]

Any electrical can fit it. The approved ones charge a fortune. You get the “grant” money and still worse off.

It’s as simple as fitting an outdoor socket basically!

 

[davyk31]

I did have a quick look and it seems a smart charger is needed for the grant but buying one of these seems about the cost that podpoint are charging for installation of a unit after the grant. On that basis says it’s £500 for installation after the grant but the unit alone is £500 then there is installation to add if doing it by your own electrician so seems dearer.
Might be cheaper if going for own fit of a standard non smart charger but having the smart features are good to setup night time charging. Some cars can do this themselves but it seems a bit flaky on VWs.

 

[Daviddunlop83]

I did have a quick look and it seems a smart charger is needed for the grant but buying one of these seems about the cost that podpoint are charging for installation of a unit after the grant. On that basis says it’s £500 for installation after the grant but the unit alone is £500 then there is installation to add if doing it by your own electrician so seems dearer.
Might be cheaper if going for own fit of a standard non smart charger but having the smart features are good to setup night time charging. Some cars can do this themselves but it seems a bit flaky on VWs.

I haven’t looked in ages but I’ve put a pod point in but didn’t use the grant as it worked out more expensive then using the grant etc

 

[davyk31]

I’m seeing the Pod point smart ones for about £600 but on their own site it seems that cost or a bit less gets it installed after the £350 grant is applied. I would be happy to arrange it myself but can’t really see it works out but would like to hear from others who have maybe done this recently.

 

[Coog]

Ours was £320 spread over 3 years from Baird including the grant.

 

[Deezer-D]

From what I can tell the charger we are looking at is about £595 to buy. If you get it installed by a registered installer the £350 grant usually covers the cost of the installation. So, £350 for 2 ish hours work and some consumables (SVA cable etc.)

 

[davyk31]

Are there others now on the approved list or just Baird?

 

[Deezer-D]

Are there others now on the approved list or just Baird?

No idea. I filled in a form online form with syncev and they sent me a survey install link to fill in.

Looks like these guys are the installer

Electrical Inspection & Testing | EICR | Northern Ireland

FCS Services Ltd provide Electrical Inspection & Testing services throughout Northern Ireland, ROI and the UK. EICR | EMG | NETS | EV

www.fcsservices.co.uk

Haven’t gotten far with it as I don’t have an order number. Bavarian put the hard sell on to get the sale and now radio silence and no order confirmation or paperwork. Need to chase in the morning.

 

[mk2driver]

The grant ends in March as well and with the lead times on some installs it’s worth chasing now

 

[Deezer-D]

Looks like these guys are the installer

Electrical Inspection & Testing | EICR | Northern Ireland

FCS Services Ltd provide Electrical Inspection & Testing services throughout Northern Ireland, ROI and the UK. EICR | EMG | NETS | EV

www.fcsservices.co.uk

Haven’t gotten far with it as I don’t have an order number. Bavarian put the hard sell on to get the sale and now radio silence and no order confirmation or paperwork. Need to chase in the morning.

Just got a quote for installation. £712 which included the £350 back from the grant. They want £565 + VAT for the charger that can be bought direct for £585 including the VAT so £93 markup. Labour and materials is £320 + VAT so £384 to drill a hole in the wall and connect to a spare on the consumer unit

Can I buy the new unit, get a spark and claim the £350 grant back myself?

 

[Marc]

Just got a quote for installation. £712 which included the £350 back from the grant. They want £565 + VAT for the charger that can be bought direct for £585 including the VAT so £93 markup. Labour and materials is £320 + VAT so £384 to drill a hole in the wall and connect to a spare on the consumer unit

View attachment 340155

Can I buy the new unit, get a spark and claim the £350 grant back myself?

If they are on the approved list, they have to make the claim on your behalf.

 

[Deezer-D]

If they are on the approved list, they have to make the claim on your behalf.

I’ll get some more quotes. Total price was £1063 before the grant.

 

[Marc]

I see a company called MJN contracts have the contract for all the ESB charging points in N.Ireland, and also are the installers for Pod Point in N.Ireland.

Not used them myself, but might be worth a look.

 

[Deezer-D]

I see a company called MJN contracts have the contract for all the ESB charging points in N.Ireland, and also are the installers for Pod Point in N.Ireland.

Not used them myself, but might be worth a look.

PodPoint aren’t the best looking and I’d like the charger to be installed at the front door and be discreet. Ideally I’d like an EO Pro Mini 2 so may just buy one and get a spark to install it.

Electric Car Charging at Home | Get a Quote or Book Install

Electric car charging at home made simple with EO - get a bespoke quote for the Mini Pro 3 (including installation) in just a few clicks.

www.eocharging.com

To be honest all that needs done is a hole through a 9” brick wall and a connection to a spare on the consumer unit. £500 for 2 hours work is hard to stomach.

 

[Coog]

That’s a ridiculous price.

It seems to be a flat rate though. Pretty sure next door paid the same as us. Ours was straight from the electric meter to the pod point which was about 6 inches away. Next doors was about 20 yards including going under part of their driveway and path.

Also, I’m no expert but I don’t believe it connects to the consumer unit. It’s straight into the electric meter box on ours possibly due to the current required. The cable is as thick as your thumb.

 

[Marc]

PodPoint aren’t the best looking and I’d like the charger to be installed at the front door and be discreet. Ideally I’d like an EO Pro Mini 2 so may just buy one and get a spark to install it.

Electric Car Charging at Home | Get a Quote or Book Install

Electric car charging at home made simple with EO - get a bespoke quote for the Mini Pro 3 (including installation) in just a few clicks.

www.eocharging.com

View attachment 340165

To be honest all that needs done is a hole through a 9” brick wall and a connection to a spare on the consumer unit. £500 for 2 hours work is hard to stomach.

It will also need the earth rod or the PME/PEN fault device installed, I think they also cost about £150.

Basically the £350 will cover the install cost, your buying the equipment for the £700 that it is costing you.

Garo G6EVPME132 MCU PME Fault Detection Distribution Board

KEY FEATURES Fault voltage range: less than 207V rms or greater than 253V rms between line and neutral Can only be reset when voltage returns to normal IPX4 Ideal for Electric Vehicle Chargers Compliance with BS 7671 PME Fault Detection

evbug.co.uk

 

[mk2driver]

As @Coog says it has to go directly to your meter, not the consumer unit

Overall it does seem expensive

After the grant and going for a Zappi which is more expensive I paid £900 but that included a 25m run of cable

Quote below for reference - took about 3 hours to install but no drilling etc as I ran the cable along the bottom of the house

This was in England by the way where there may be more competition? I didn’t get any other quotes as this seemed reasonable and he had it fitted 3 days after the quote

 

[stevieturbo]

Also, I’m no expert but I don’t believe it connects to the consumer unit. It’s straight into the electric meter box on ours possibly due to the current required. The cable is as thick as your thumb.

And therein lies part of the problem. In terms of electrical work, there is little regulation and monitoring here and everyone thinks they can just do what they like, nothing is tested in the installation for safety, etc etc.
Everyone just does what they like, no skill or training needed. Hence why a lot of places go on fire, people get killed. Electric is not something to be ****ed with. ( of course there are many many allegedly trained and qualified people in the game too, who are beyond utterly useless and dangerous too and sometimes a goldfish would do a better job )

And of course it should connect to the consumer unit....a little clue is in the name. Circuits for the consumer.

In general, the box outside the house is intended only for the suppliers metering equipment and the user should not be doing anything in there, although often they do because the CU inside the house is so awkwardly placed.

But there must be proper individual circuits and protection for any outgoing circuits...which there is nothing to allow for in that metering cupboard from the supplier, which should only contain the incoming fuse/cutout, their meter and more recently a further isolator prior to that supplying the consumer unit inside the house or wherever it is.
In general, there should not be a consumer unit in that box, although I know people who have fitted one there to allow for the likes of charging points for the aforementioned practical reasons due to internal CU location. Even if it shouldn't really be done.

And as all the previous videos show, if it is a proper home fast charger like 22kw, it needs to have CT's over the incoming supply to the CU so it can monitor current so there is no risk of popping the main suppliers fuse.

I'm pretty sure there are also additional training courses installers of car chargers are supposed to go on, although no doubt most installing them have not.

As @Coog says it has to go directly to your meter, not the consumer unit

Absolutely 100% incorrect.

The meter is the property of the supplier. You cannot tamper with this at all...hence why it is sealed.

ALL outgoing circuits will be from a consumer unit or similar suitable distribution and protection unit. Which is not the meter.

there have been enough videos posted in this thread showing what needs to be done and how.

 

[mk2driver]

I think I’m showing my lack of knowledge here but I have a connection from the outside meter, into the house into the unit inside the house with an RCD specifically for the EV - using large diameter cable

The armoured cable runs from the outside meter box around the house to the charger

The guy I used is fully certified and I received the relevant certification etc

 

[davyk31]

The person I am talking to says he needs to take a cable back to the NIE fuse to avoid the charger popping it. Does that sound right?
Problem is it’s a good 25 or 30 metres from the garage where I want the charger to be.

 

[mk2driver]

The person I am talking to says he needs to take a cable back to the NIE fuse to avoid the charger popping it. Does that sound right?
Problem is it’s a good 25 or 30 metres from the garage where I want the charger to be.

As above the armoured cable for mine goes into the meter box and it was 20m away, gets expensive in terms of cable cost

 

[hutchy_belfast]

And therein lies part of the problem. In terms of electrical work, there is little regulation and monitoring here and everyone thinks they can just do what they like, nothing is tested in the installation for safety, etc etc.
Everyone just does what they like, no skill or training needed. Hence why a lot of places go on fire, people get killed. Electric is not something to be ****ed with. ( of course there are many many allegedly trained and qualified people in the game too, who are beyond utterly useless and dangerous too and sometimes a goldfish would do a better job )

And of course it should connect to the consumer unit....a little clue is in the name. Circuits for the consumer.

In general, the box outside the house is intended only for the suppliers metering equipment and the user should not be doing anything in there, although often they do because the CU inside the house is so awkwardly placed.

But there must be proper individual circuits and protection for any outgoing circuits...which there is nothing to allow for in that metering cupboard from the supplier, which should only contain the incoming fuse/cutout, their meter and more recently a further isolator prior to that supplying the consumer unit inside the house or wherever it is.
In general, there should not be a consumer unit in that box, although I know people who have fitted one there to allow for the likes of charging points for the aforementioned practical reasons due to internal CU location. Even if it shouldn't really be done.

And as all the previous videos show, if it is a proper home fast charger like 22kw, it needs to have CT's over the incoming supply to the CU so it can monitor current so there is no risk of popping the main suppliers fuse.

I'm pretty sure there are also additional training courses installers of car chargers are supposed to go on, although no doubt most installing them have not.

Absolutely 100% incorrect.

The meter is the property of the supplier. You cannot tamper with this at all...hence why it is sealed.

ALL outgoing circuits will be from a consumer unit or similar suitable distribution and protection unit. Which is not the meter.

there have been enough videos posted in this thread showing what needs to be done and how.

I thought you needed 3phase for 22kw? I'd love that but never going to that cost / hassle.

 

[davyk31]

Interested also in whether 22kW can run on domestic single phase. I fitted a 22 at work and from memory the fitter said it could be either single or 3 phase but that may be different as it’s an industrial setting.

As above the armoured cable for mine goes into the meter box and it was 20m away, gets expensive in terms of cable cost

Yes cable costs can be high I’m sure and also as my garage is remote to the house then it involves finding the duct that takes the cables from the house to the garage and feeding back through there which is all under the drive and paths. At least we haven’t tarred yet around the house

 

[Deezer-D]

It will also need the earth rod or the PME/PEN fault device installed, I think they also cost about £150.

Basically the £350 will cover the install cost, your buying the equipment for the £700 that it is costing you.

Garo G6EVPME132 MCU PME Fault Detection Distribution Board

KEY FEATURES Fault voltage range: less than 207V rms or greater than 253V rms between line and neutral Can only be reset when voltage returns to normal IPX4 Ideal for Electric Vehicle Chargers Compliance with BS 7671 PME Fault Detection

evbug.co.uk

View attachment 340166

The quote was for a Sync EV unit (very similar to the EO) and it doesn’t need an earth rod

 

[stevieturbo]

The person I am talking to says he needs to take a cable back to the NIE fuse to avoid the charger popping it. Does that sound right?
Problem is it’s a good 25 or 30 metres from the garage where I want the charger to be.

No, not ever. That is the property of the NIE, and nobody other than the NIE can touch it or it is an offence. As said before...hence it is sealed with tamper seals ( plus to stop people stealing electric )

@stefan.

Some people may be putting additional distribution points into the outside meter enclosure for obvious practical reasons, but those enclosures are supposed to be for metering equipment of the supplier only. AFTER any seals and tamper proof equipment, a user could choose to install an additional item of additional distribution ( small CU or other ) to then supply both the internal CU and the charge point.
Generally that is not ideal. But from a practical standpoint definitely the easiest thing to do in most cases, especially if the main CU is buried in the middle of the house somewhere ( which equally there should be rules against ! )

The quote was for a Sync EV unit (very similar to the EO) and it doesn’t need an earth rod

There has been various info and videos posted about the earthing situation.

Definitely go for a proper device that offers full earth disconnection. ie no rod. As it seems any that use an earth rod will be nigh on impossible to actually be safe and compliant anyway for all the reasons on the posted videos