A charging station at home
Already driving an electric car? If so, there's nothing easier than charging it at home. Of course, in order to do so you'll need to install a charging station at home. Here's an overview of what you may be asking yourself.
I can't/or don’t want install a charging station at home, can I therefore charge my car using a standard socket?
This is always an option, but it's important to bear in mind that this will mean charging will be much slower (overnight for a hybrid car). Secondly, even if a conventional cable has a built-in current limiter, you can't rule out the risk of overloading your home's electrical circuit. We therefore do not recommend this option.
Installing the charging station on your home's wall or in your driveway?
Choose the option that best suits you and your home (particularly in terms of appearance), but try to find a location that's as close as possible to the fuse box and your usual parking space. Doing so will prevent heavy excavation or demolition work and having to use cables that are too long, which charge less efficiently.
What charge capacity should you choose?
This depends on the electrical installation (single- or three-phase) in your home and your vehicle's charging speed.
- The charging speed is currently between 3.7 kW (for basic hybrids) and 22 kW (for the most advanced cars).
- The higher the charge capacity, the more likely it is that you'll need three-phase voltage. This isn't always provided in every home, and can result in additional costs being run up during installation.
What about installing a fast charger at home?
Fast chargers are easily ten times more expensive than a charging station, which makes them less than ideal for home use.
How much does a charging station cost?
How much a charging station costs will depend on several factors:
- The functionalities of your charging station – whether it's connected via an app or not, whether it takes into account the electricity consumption in your home so as to avoid overloading the network, whether you can plan the charging times yourself using the night rate or your solar panels, and so on.
- If you need to adapt your electrical installation or need some earthworks carried out, this will bump the price up too.
Of course, you can also opt to lease the charging station and include it in your leasing contract (or convince your employer to do this for you). The installation will then be included in your monthly lease.
How much does charging cost?
Charging costs will be at your expense, of course, as your charging station will be connected to your own electrical installation and the consumption will be added onto your usual household bill. Depending on the policy put in place by your employer, you may or may not be reimbursed for household costs related to charging your vehicle. If you are, a smart charging station will record the amount of energy used to charge your car, and you will be reimbursed in line with your employer's policy. The amount you receive will be a flat-rate amount based on data from the Belgian energy and gas regulator, CREG.
Do I have to declare my charging station to my insurer? Will this affect the premium for my home insurance?
We recommend that you declare your charging station to your insurer. Your charging station will benefit from the same cover as your building (fire, natural disaster, etc.). Declaring your charging station will not result in an additional premium being requested by your insurer.
