If you’re installing an EV charging point – whether it’s at home or at a place of business – then you should tell your insurer. Your current policy might not give you the cover you need.
If you have any questions about home insurance or business insurance, our friendly team of experts is always on hand to help. For personalised advice, get in touch on 0208 290 7779, or email personal@anthonyjones.com.
How to Charge an Electric Car At Home
You have numerous options when it comes to installing an EV charger at home. You can simply use a UK plug-compatible charging cable and power your car using mains electricity. But this is impractical – it can take up to 24 hours to charge an EV on mains electricity, which is to say nothing of the impracticalities of running a cable from your car into the house.
For best results, you’ll need a dedicated home EV charging point. Yet even then, you have some decisions to make.
Tethered vs Untethered EV Chargers
Mainly, you’ll have to choose between a tethered or an untethered charging point. The main difference is that tethered charges include integrated cables, whereas with untethered chargers, you have to provide your own.
There are benefits to choosing an untethered charger. First, they look neater. When there’s no cable, there’s no clutter, and potentially less of a tripping hazard. Second, tethered points work with Type 1 or Type 2 EV sockets. These are currently the standard, but if EVs ever start using a different sort of connection, your home charging solution could become obsolete.
3.6kW vs. 7kW or 22kW EV Charger
Finally, you’ll have to choose your charging rate. This will mainly be a choice between a 3.6kW charger and a 7kW charger. The 3.6kW is affordable, but slow to charge, so the 7kW charger is probably the best all-rounder. You could also choose a 22kW charger, but as this would require you to upgrade to a three-phase electric supply, which can cost up to £20,000.
Do I Need To Tell My Insurer About My Home EV Charger Installation?
It’s best to tell your insurer about an EV charger. Your current home insurance policy may cover a charger. However, it may not. And if it doesn’t, then you may find yourself severely out of pocket if anything ever happens to your charger.
Also, some insurers may argue that an electric charging point affects your home’s risk profile. They may argue that it presents certain fire hazards. And if you don’t have off-street parking or a garage, they may worry that running a cable from your car or your home could present a hazard to members of the public.
It all depends on your insurer, and your current policy – which is why it’s best to tell them! They can talk you through your current cover, and whether it will cover you for a home charging point. And if not, they can advise on amending your policy to give you the cover you need.
If you want to discuss how your home insurance may be affected by an EV charger, our friendly team of experts is always on hand to help. For personalised advice, get in touch on 0208 290 7779, or email personal@anthonyjones.com.
Installing an EV Charger at Your Business
We have a couple of dedicated guides on our site outlining the things you’ll need to consider to install EV charging places at your business:
- Electrifying your fleet – designing your EV adoption strategy.
- Charging points for fleets – grants, risks, and targets.
Your current business insurance and commercial fleet insurance may not cover you for workplace EV charging points. EVs are still an emerging market, so insurers are still evaluating the specific risks they may pose to businesses.
Why Do Insurers Need To Know About EV Charger Installation?
When it comes to charge points, insurers may consider claims arising from trip hazards, the risk of electrocution, and even fire hazards resulting from badly installed or poorly maintained systems.
This is a major reason why you need to tell your insurer if you plan to install charge points. If any employee, or a member of the public, gets injured for any reason in due to your workplace charge points, you could be liable for all damages. Tell your insurer about your EV adoption plans, and they can help you ensure that your business insurance policy covers you for all the new risks you might face.
We can support you in your transition to fully electric fleet through advising on risk management, and on the insurance and compliance implications.
Talk to our friendly team of commercial motor experts today. Call us on 020 8290 9099 or email us at commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
